Page 12 of The Bet
“Who’s your latest girlfriend?” his mother asked, pointing a long, leathery finger at him.
“Gisele.” His voice sounded like an echo.
“Is she here?” His mother looked around; her head spinning round almost like an owl’s.
“We split up.”
“Already?” His father banged down his glass of scotch.
“Wasn’t she the one you went to Miami with last month?”
“Jeez,” he said, pushing off from his stool. “This is getting way too creepy.”
“What’s getting creepy, son?”
“This,” he swung the empty bottle, using it to point to both of them, “this unhealthy interest the two of you have in my love life.” He was going to go and mingle.
“Is that Oliver Rothschild?” his mother asked, staring out towards the barbeque area. “Come on, Ellery. Let’s go and talk to him. I want to know how his mother got a write-up in August’s issue of Vogue.”
He watched his parents leave, and let out a breath he didn’t even know he’d been holding. At the other end of the bar, Luke was serving a woman, and from the side profile of her, he recognized her at once. That chick had been eyeballing him ever since he’d gotten off the boat. The night was still young, and given the severe lack of hot babes on the guest list, he could do worse than end up with Savannah’s cousin.
He walked over to the other end, ignored the babe and spoke to Luke. “Thanks for deserting me,” he drawled, settling himself on the stool.
“Looked like your parents wanted to spend some time with you. Another bottle?” Right now, he needed one, but he was Tobias’s best man, and he couldn’t risk screwing up tomorrow.
“No, save it for tomorrow.”
The woman sitting next to him turned to him, as he knew she would.
“Have we met before?” he asked, knowing perfectly well that they had, but curious to see how well she remembered him.
“Yes,” she held out her hand. “I’m Kay, Savannah’s cousin.” It was always so easy to tell when a girl was interested, not because of what she said, but because of what shedidn’tsay, or the way her sidelong glance might linger a fraction of a second longer than necessary, as Kay’s did now.
As if to further confirm her interest in him, she flicked her highlighted blonde hair away from her face, drawing his attention to her glossy French Manicure and her long lashes in one fell swoop.
“Savannah’s cousin,” he said, slowly, as if he had only realized now.
“I didn’t see you earlier.” There was a hint of a question in her words. Her mouth was a giveaway, the way she started chewing on her lips.
“And here I am,” he said, his gaze settling on her lips, before lifting to her eyes. “It’s turning out to be a good night.” He knew, as sure as he knew there was air in his lungs, that she was interested and he would bet, if he flirted with her long enough, if he gave her the usual long stare, that she would soon want to take that interest further.
“It sure is,” she said, leaning forward, her elbow resting on the bar and her hand cupping her jaw.
She was flirting six ways to Sunday, and had no qualms about being so obvious about it. He liked that—a woman who knew what she was doing, and knew what she wanted—and without all the pretense that usually led up to the mating ritual.
Because after all the posturing, and preening, and flirting, and staring, it always led to that. He wondered whether he could take her to bed tonight, or wait until the wedding was over, at least.
“Only for a short while, Jacob.”
He heard the voice before he noticed the legs—as someone else slowly came into view over Kay’s shoulder. Tanned slim legs in shorts, not as high cut as he liked, but not bad. They had frayed bits hanging from the bottom. His gaze traveled north, and settled on the pert breasts that were encased in a lime-green colored bikini top. And before he had a chance to see her face, to see who those breasts belonged to, she had already turned her back to him.
“You’re going swimmingnow?” Kay shouted out after her.
He leaned forward, eager to find who she was. “Great rack,” he said, the words escaping his mouth before he had a chance to stop them.
She must have heard because she turned around—a pissed off expression on her face. If looks could kill, he’d be lying stone cold on the floor.
She took Jacob by the arm and sashayed away, allowing him to admire her rear until she was out of sight.
