Page 13 of Naughty Festivities

“Because...?” he asked, letting it linger.

“She’s my best friend, and I promised I wouldn’t buy anything.”

“And you broke your promise,” Jack said.

“It's best friend code. You wouldn’t understand,” Amelia said, using her glass of champagne as she talked with her hands.

“I have friends.” He laughed.

He did. He had two wonderful friends who lived in Washington. Steve and Kellan had both gone to Harvard with him and had married about the same time he and Becky had. Except they were both still married.

“It’s different for women.” Amelia shrugged.

“And you know this how?”

‘I have brothers. Men say what they mean, and there’s no need to decode it,” Amelia said matter-of-factly.

She was right.

“With women, you must learn an unspoken language and read between the lines.” She added.

“I’m not commenting on that, seeing as I’m smart,” Jack said, sliding his hands into his pockets and then smiling at her.

Amelia’s cheeks heated, and he had the sudden desire to kiss her.

A woman he had just met, and he wanted to clasp her cheeks and kiss her slowly, telling her how adorable she was. Not just because she was beautiful, but because he loved this conversation.

“So,areyou here buying?” she asked.

“Maybe. However, if I am, I won’t be asking you for a recommendation.”

“Why not?” she asked, turning and holding her champagne flute up, highly offended.

“You’re biased.”

“I am... okay, fine, yes, I might be. But I’m also an artist. I can—”

“Do you paint?” Jack asked, his eyes widening with interest. God, he wanted to watch her paint.

In the nude.

After he’d fucked her brainless.

“No. Sometimes. Not really,” she answered, seemingly uncomfortable.

“A digital artist, then,” he probed, frowning.

“No.”

A server arrived with a glass of whisky, and he thanked him, lifting the dark liquid to his lips. “Is this the coded language? Because I’m not sure I have a vast repertoire of artist’s roles I can run through without whipping out my phone, which will completely kill my game.”

Amelia smiled and tried to cover it as she lifted her flute to her lips. Then she emptied it while holding his eyes with hers.

Fuck, she’s gorgeous.

“You’re trying to decide whether to tell me I have no game, while also deciding on answering my question.”

Amelia smiled.

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