“Well, I did miss the main course at dinner tonight.” Lucy reached for the bag and withdrew the mint chocolate chip carton. “How was the shopping?”
Nicole shook her head. Her straight, black hair—cut to match Mulan’s blunt bob—brushed her shoulders. “First, I want to hear about why you ended another date in the kitchen.”
“Another disaster,” Lucy said with a sigh.
“We want details,” Emma said. “Was he hideous?”
“Only when he opened his mouth,” Lucy admitted. “By the time I finished the chips, I knew he just wanted to score. And he thought I would be stupid enough not to notice the flashing warning signs that he was a villain, not a prince.”
“At least Jared was there to drive you home,” Emma said. “Nice of him.”
“Hmmm.” Lucy focused on digging for mint-chip chunks in her ice cream. She didn’t want to think about how Jared’s gaze had drifted south when she’d mentioned Hugh’s “thigh-gap” comment. Or how she’d felt disgust when her dinner date started talking about her legs, but an undeniable stab of awareness when Jared looked at her. She lifted the spoon to her mouth. She certainly did not want to reflect on how she’d caught a glimpse of Jared’s lips wrapped around that straw and wondered how his mouth would feel on her.
I was turned-on watching a billionaire drink a juice box.
Her imagination had clicked over to fantasyland the minute he’d climbed out of his sports car and followed her into the house. And this particular part of her dream world had nothing to do with ball gowns and parties. There was something about the way Jared moved, commanding the space and demanding attention. He felt larger than life even when he was sitting at her kitchen counter.
I bet he dominates in bed without even trying.
He wouldn’t need fifty shades of toys. Jared would control the room the moment he walked through the door.
But Jared belonged in fantasyland. Because in reality? She wanted a keeper. A man who would be there when she woke up in the morning and kiss her goodnight at the end of a long day. Not a man who moved from one multi-million-dollar deal to the next and spent his down time playing with his expensive toys. His life moved at a different pace.
And he doesn’t believe in magic.
She’d read the truth in his movie-star face. But she was the fool who’d sat the billionaire bachelor down at her kitchen counter and talked about first-date chemistry while admiring his lips.
“We have all the supplies for Saturday,” Emma said.
And just like that, the spell was broken. Lucy locked the erotic image of Jared’s mouth wrapped around the plastic straw away and focused on her friends.
“Unless Hope’s father adds another craft hour.” Nicole settled into one of the chairs. Emma followed, claiming the second.
“At this point, Mr. Morgan has paid for an Ultimate Princess Party with two princesses. He’s added art projects and a visit by a fairy,” Emma pointed out.
Nicole nodded. “Another craft hour for thirty four-years olds would be absurd. They’ll be exhausted. Add in the pizza and cake? This party will go all day. Great for our bottom line, but what about naptime for the little ones?”
“You’re forgetting the bouncy castle.” Lucy dug into her carton. “Mr. Morgan’s plan to make his little girl’s birthday unforgettable might backfire. I see meltdown central after the first three hours.”
“Single dad,” Nicole said. “That’s the part I’m worried about. We can handle meltdowns. But the birthday girl’s father mentioned a keg in the game room for ‘the guys.’ ”
Emma’s brown eyes widened. “You think we might have a drunk dad situation?”
Nicole nodded. “Drunk and all hands. Do you remember the first meeting? He tossed out a line about the ‘lucky beasts that get to peek under the petticoats’?”
“I’d blocked that out.” Lucy lowered her ice cream.
“Most men are pigs.” Nicole pointed a finger at her. “Which is why you need to stop with the online dating. You can’t possibly find your perfect match by paging through pictures on your phone.”
“Focus on the party.” Lucy licked her spoon. I’ve spent enough time talking about my love life tonight.
“We could always ask one of our guy friends to tag along and act as security,” Emma said. “Maybe hire one of the men who plays prince charming in Orlando?”
“No, we’ve managed drunk dads before, and we’ll do it again,” Lucy said firmly. “We don’t need a prince.”
Chapter 4
Jared smelled the salt in the air as he leaned into the turn and guided the borrowed Ducati Scrambler onto the coastal road. The bike sat low and turned with an effortless perfection. He mentally mapped out all the roads in Palm Beach, searching for the perfect turns. If he rode south, heading for Lake Worth, he could put the Scrambler through her paces on the winding, scenic road. He would keep his speed slow. But that’s what the Scrambler did best.