Free Private Party by Jami Alden Page A

tastefully so. The pale pink of the silk flattered her skin, newly golden courtesy of the self tanner treatment she’d had after the rather invasive waxing procedure. The silky drape of the fabric flattered her less than impressive bust while miraculously diminishing what she had always considered her bubble butt.
    One last swipe of her favorite MAC lip gloss, and she was ready to face Chris.
    The short walk to her villa earlier this afternoon had done little to cool her irritation. But her tension began to fade the moment she stepped inside its air-conditioned coolness. The villa’s sumptuous but comfortable wicker furnishings, the massive, king-size bed hung with mosquito netting, and most importantly, the beautiful white sand beach right off the villa’s terrace went a long way towards calming her down. Why waste time dwelling on Chris’s less than enthusiastic greeting when she had all this luxury at her disposal?
    But after looking through the range of services offered by the resort, Julie couldn’t help but wish Chris’s PrivateParty
    response had been a little more enthusiastic. In addition to the usual range of spa services, Holley Cay also offered couples-only treatments where lovers could give each other massages and honey wraps or take private saunas and steam baths. And the room-service menu included an assortment of goodie baskets, with goodies ranging from condoms to flavored massage oils to handcuffs to cockrings.
    Chris handcuffed to her bed, covered in coconut-flavored massage oil. The mere thought sent a rush of warmth between Julie’s thighs.
    After unpacking, she’d slipped on the most modest of her new bikinis and gone for a leisurely swim.
    How long had it been since she’d actually been on a real honest-to-God vacation? Sure, she’d seen the inside of more five-star resorts than she could count. But she was always working or scouting out the competition. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d arrived at some beautiful spot and had nothing better to do than go for a swim and take a nap in the warm tropical sun.
    But now it was time to face reality, in the form of Chris. Tonight was the welcoming cocktail party, taking place at the resort’s beachside restaurant. Chris was sure to be there, since he was the official host.
    Her belly tightened with a mixture of anticipation and apprehension. All she needed to do was get him alone for a few minutes, explain that she didn’t want anything more from him than a relaxing two weeks, and everything would be fine.
    In deference to the three-inch heels on her gold beaded sandals, Julie used the villa’s complimentary golf cart to drive the short distance to the cocktail party.
    The party was already in full swing, and it took her a minute to find Chris in the crowd of eighty or so guests who milled around the bar or occupied several tables.
    She couldn’t help but smile when she saw his attire. He still wore the same outfit he’d worn to the dock, a look echoed by most of the other male guests. The women, in contrast, were dressed in designer sundresses and skirts, and Julie gave a quick moment of thanks that she’d chosen one of her dressier outfits.
    He gave her a quick smile and a nod of acknowledgement, but made no move to approach her. Hurt pricked at her like a mosquito, and she scolded herself for being paranoid and needy. His life might seem like one long vacation, but Chris was, in fact, working. He couldn’t just drop everything to entertain her just because she’d decided to show up on his doorstep.
    She wove her way through the crowd, trying to get to where Chris stood talking to a group of divers from the ferry, but her progress was halted when a cocktail waitress stopped to take her drink order.
    “I’ll have a white wine—” The woman looked at her expectantly. Hadn’t she firmly put her white wine days behind her? “I’ll have a Patrón Silver margarita on the rocks,” she said.

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    When the waitress