All That Jazz (Butler Cove #1)(89)

He’s standing off to the side, I don’t know when he came in. His arms are folded, his denim-clad legs apart, his head cocked to the side, his shaggy dark blond hair flopping across his forehead. His blue eyes are burning into me, his mouth looking like he’s fighting a smile.

He looks the same. But different.

“We’ll go look for your bags,” Keri Ann says, and I sense rather than see her and my mom back away.

I take a few steps toward Joey.

And he drops his arms and takes a few steps toward me.

“Hey, Jay Bird,” I whisper as we stand face to face.

The smell of laundry detergent and his woodsy scent sink into me, making me lightheaded with memories.

“Hey, Jazzy Bear.” His gaze roams my face, stops on my lips, then drops to my chest.

I feel his fingers nudge my buttoned shirt apart. When he sees my necklace, his shoulders visibly relax.

We stare at each other. There’s so much time between us. I wondered what it would be like to see him again. I worried about it. If I’d still feel the same. If he would.

There’s nothing but love left in me. I feel no anger, no irritation, no regret. Just love. My heart aches with it. My chest hurts. A hot flush is crawling up my neck and tingling in my lower belly. And lust. I still want this guy. God, I want him so bad. I want everything. I want him forever.

His look moves to my mouth again. Kiss me, I want to say. But he’s waiting for me.

I reach up hesitantly, slipping my hand around his neck.

As my fingers graze his skin, his eyes flicker, and he releases a small breath.

“Jay Bird,” I whisper again, and then coming up on tip toes, I touch my lips to his.

Tentatively our lips slide together. My hand tightens on the back of his neck, and I deepen the kiss. The fresh taste of him floods my senses.

Immediately, his arms snake around me and crush me against his strong body. “Thank God,” he croaks against my mouth and then drops his face into my hair. I feel his heart pounding heavily against me as he holds me tight. “Thank God.”





WE STAND LIKE that, holding each other, for whole long minutes. Then he pulls away.

It takes a while for words to come. We just smile at each other. In the end he starts first. “You have to go do a whole bunch of people stuff. But later, and after you’ve rested. Maybe in two days or so, can I take you out on a date? I’d like us to start over.”

I grimace. “I don’t know,” I say and see his look falter. Oops. “It depends on whether you put out on the first date,” I add quickly.

He breathes out roughly. “You know, sometimes, it is not appropriate to try and be funny. My heart just stopped.”

“It’s always appropriate to try and be funny.”

He shakes his head, bemused.

“So?” I ask.

“It depends on how hot the girl is.” He shrugs and purses his lips.

I punch his shoulder.

“But yeah, this particular girl is so hot, I can’t imagine a situation where I wouldn’t want her in my bed as soon as possible.”

“We get to do it in a real bed finally?” I ask.

“Yes and I’d like to make love to her all night and well into the next morning, and for many, many days and weeks, and probably years.”

My heart triples its pace. “About this ‘making love’ business. Does that mean there’s no debauchery?”

“Would she like some debauchery?”

I shrug. “A little. I’d hate for those days, weeks, and probably years, to get boring.”

“I can promise you, it will never, ever get boring.” He leans in to my ear, inhaling deeply. “And I can be very, very debauched.”

“Jazz!” my mom calls in the nick of time before I spontaneously combust. “I think these are both yours. Are these both yours?”

I turn and nod when I see my two overstuffed suitcases sitting on the cart.

Joey strides forward and grabs the cart handle, heading toward the airport exit.

Keri Ann slips her arm through mine.

“So tell me all about your life as a celebrity’s girlfriend,” I say as we head out into the Lowcountry heat.





THREE DAYS LATER, after I’ve caught up with everyone, and slept for what feels like seventy-two hours, I’m getting ready for my date with Joey. My stomach is doing somersaults inside me, making me feel sick. I don’t know why I’m so nervous.

It’s Saturday evening. On Monday I start my new position over on Hilton Head Island. I’m nervous and excited about that too, but I can’t even think about it with my “first date” with Joey just moments away.

I settle on a simple pink strapless sundress I found in Cape Town. It’s the exact shade of pink as the boot on my necklace. I fell in love with it straight away. I shower and let my hair dry to its natural wave, taming it a bit with some expensive product that makes it look silkier. I got used to wearing more make up while I was away, but I keep it simple and just do eyeliner and mascara to make my eyes stand out. I almost tear my drawers apart looking for my Cotton Candy Clouds lip gloss, finally finding it in the small wrist strap purse I used to use when we went out in the evenings in high school. It’s so old, I get nervous. But when I open it, it still smells and looks exactly the same. I swipe some on my lips