Indigo Nights (Nights #3)(22)

Dylan: If you’re free, there’s nothing I’d rather do.

There were a number of things I’d rather do than eat cake when Dylan was in the room. I tapped out a response.

Beth: Perhaps we could do cake AND orgasms? Just a thought.

Dylan: I take it back. That’s what I’d rather do.

Butterflies flitted about in my stomach. He was cute. And so goddamned sexy.

Beth: I’d like to do you, too.

I couldn’t stop the smile tugging at the corners of my mouth.

Dylan: Careful, or I might not be able to wait until tomorrow.

I could almost see the stern look on his face.

Beth: Until tomorrow.

Dylan: Sleep well, my sweet.

I fell back onto my bed, grinning. One-night stand sex with Dylan had been amazing. Being able to look forward to amazing sex with him added a whole new level of happiness that buzzed in my fingers and toes.

Who knew casual sex could be this fun?

I was looking forward to seeing him.

Cake and orgasms—life didn’t get much better than that.



I sat in the busy lobby of the television studio, watching people rushing about. TV screens provided a backdrop to the reception desk and created a constant soundtrack to the live chatter and conversation all around me. Lots of women carrying iPads and talking on phones passed left and right, leaving me tired just watching them. I was used to calm, controlled environments. Even when Maggie and Sophia were screaming, it always felt safe. It might have been my second visit here but it didn’t feel any more familiar.

A woman approached me. “Beth Harrison?”

This was it. I took a deep breath and stood. “Yes. Hi.”

“Hey. I’m Amber, Bryan’s assistant.” Bryan was the executive producer of A Chicago Saturday and the guy I’d met previously. “I’ll show you to your dressing room and Bryan will come see you in a few minutes. His last meeting is running a bit long.”

“Sure, that would be great.”

Between fantasizing over Mr. Dylan James—he really was quite the distraction—I’d rehearsed and rehearsed. Something I never did for my YouTube videos, but with those, I also had the opportunity to redo the bits that didn’t go so well when no one was watching. I wasn’t going to have the same luxury today.

As we headed down a long, white corridor, Amber leaned into me and handed me her card. “Call me anytime if you need anything. Think of me as your assistant when you’re here.”

“Thank you. But I’m only here for a test. There’s nothing—”

“I’ve seen your YouTube channel. Believe me, if it’s up to us, you’ll be back.”

I smiled. It was a nice thing for her to say, whether or not she meant it.

Amber wasn’t wearing a scrap of makeup but looked beautiful with her shiny chestnut hair and wide mouth. “Listen, you didn’t hear this from me.” She stopped abruptly and herded us both into a room with a couple of chairs and a huge mirror in front of a built-in dressing table. “But Bryan can be a bit of an *. Don’t take it personally. And don’t let it put you off. The rest of us are great.” She grinned at me as she headed toward the corner of the room, opening a refrigerator. “There’s water and soft drinks in here, as well as fruit.” She pointed to a basket on the low table in front of the chairs. “I can get you coffee, if you’d prefer.”

“Thanks, I’m fine.”

“Make yourself at home—”

The door opened and Bryan appeared, holding his hands out wide, his head cocked to the side. “She’s here. Our sexy cake maker. You look stunning.”

I glanced at Amber, who raised her eyebrows.

“Thanks so much for inviting me. I’m excited to get started.”

“Great. Well, after you’ve spoken to hair and makeup, Amber can show you the set and make sure you have anything you need. Then we can start to talk about cameras and all that good stuff. I think I said on the phone that I want to make this very intimate, so it looks like your internet stuff with just a touch of gloss.”

I nodded. I wasn’t sure how a TV studio could be intimate, but that bit wasn’t up to me. I needed to let go a little and allow the people around me to do the worrying. Even though I’d been discussing things for weeks, it all seemed so incredible that people were talking about me baking, on television. “Sounds great. You just tell me what you need.”

“Honey, just be your sexy self.” Bryan’s cell chimed, and he waved. “I’ll see you in a bit.”

“Okay.” I turned to Amber. “Hair and makeup.”

She shook her head. “Just tweaks, they’ll be in a second. I’ll pop in when they’re done in an hour or so.”

Apparently tweaking took an hour. Wow. Way to make a girl feel special.

My phone buzzed in my increasingly sweaty hand.

Dylan: Good luck today, my sweet. Remember you thought sober sex was a hurdle—things are never as tough as you think they’re going to be.

I grinned and my shoulders fell as my muscles relaxed. How had he known the right thing to say at just the right time?



Dylan

The natural light in my office was beginning to dim as I sat with Raf going through what had happened in London with a new potential acquisition we were looking at. I was distracted by thoughts of Beth, and I kept expecting Raf to call me out on my lack of focus.