Page 46 of Nothing to the Wedding

HOW LONG HAD it been since she’d sent the text?Ten minutes?Maybe fifteen?Even if he’d been given the same spiel by Jane about not seeing her, Zairn wouldn’t ignore her text.It had been two weeks.Two weeks, for goodness’ sake!Her man was probably verging on manic.She had a responsibility to the company, their employees, her friend, to ensure his stability.Stocks crashed when he didn’t get enough relief.This wasn’t a selfish indulgence, it was a necessity.Selfless.For his health… and hers.

In the Platinum Suite, she set everything up then ducked into the bathroom.He’d be back.Soon.She’d check the tracker on her phone except the thing was downstairs in a dock.Where was the applause?Not her fault it was like three in the morning and the thing was long dead… To send the text, she’d had to plug it in.There should be points, and applause, for that.Okay, so she hadn’t needed to go hunting—Astrid set everything up—but it was an improvement on neglecting the duty entirely, was it not?

One she’d made for altruistic reasons… for her man, for his needs, and their love.Yes, she’d come up with this caper all by herself, built it up in her mind, but it hadn’t been guaranteed.This was all her.No one else knew.

She couldn’t see him, wouldn’t.Nope, she’d come up with a plan that complied with all the rules, superstitious ones or not.And, yes, she needed a phone, but it didn’t have to be her cellphone.There was a phone in the suite bathroom, she’d used it in the past.

She didn’t hear the suite door close.She did hear his footsteps and what sounded like his jacket being tossed aside.That’s it, baby, get comfortable.

Picking up the handset, she dialed for an outside line then typed in the only phone number she knew by heart.

He picked up pretty quick.“Feeling nostalgic?”

“That was a different city,” she said, her lips curling.

“Same message.”

Nice that he could remember a text message from so long ago.

“And, bonus for you, this time I did message you for sex.”

“Mm hmm.Jane says we’re not to see each other tonight.”

“And we won’t.”She wandered as far as the cord on the phone would let her, before retracing her steps.“I left a present for you on the bar.”

“A present, huh?”Mm, his intrigue was enticing.“Thought we’d do those tomorrow.”

“It is tomorrow, Casanova.It’s our wedding day.”

“So I’m told,” he said.“What’s this for?”

“Put it on.”

“Lo—”

“Where’s your sense of adventure?”It was a zip of excitement, the heat of possibilities.Damnit, she’d missed him.“We’re not allowed to see each other, and we won’t.A blindfold is not breaking any rules.”

“Shame.”His swagger was on form.“I like breaking rules with you.”

That’s what she wanted to hear.“Have you missed me, Casanova?”

“Rourke and Roux have a rule they always travel together.”

“And we have a rule to always come back together.”Their lives were far less contained than the other couple’s.“Did you tell the guys?”

“Knox did, yeah,” Zairn said.“They’ll tell their women.”

The wheels were in motion.

“Oh, it’s out there, no going back now,” she said, imagining how Jane might squee.“How did he tell them?”

“He had to come up with something when they found out he wasn’t taking Jane to bed tonight.”

Funny… though not surprising.

“So it’s all about sex, huh?”she teased with mock almost affront.Yeah, she wasn’t pulling it off.How could she when filled with excitement at the prospect of being near him again?“They thought nothing of it but wouldn’t buy that he wasn’t going to get laid when the option was right there?”

“Jane’s an attractive woman.I almost didn’t believe it either and I know his reasons.”