Free Brash by Nicola Marsh

Jess leaped to no avail, considering Chantal had four inches on her—seven with her trademark towering stilettos.
    “Not ‘til I make sure you’ve got everything you need,” Chantal said, chuckling as Jess made a final lunge, only to be one-upped by Adele, who sauntered into the office at that moment and plucked the list out of Chantal’s hand.
    “What’s this?” Adele held it aloft. “And why do you want it so bad?”
    Jess blushed. Last thing she needed was these two elegant, gorgeous women comfortable with their sexuality reading her pathetic list.
    “It’s Jess’s,” Chantal said, her wide smirk alerting Jess to the fact her cousin must’ve caught a peek at the title. “I think it’s her checklist to seduce the hot Aussie chef and I just want to make sure she’s got all bases covered.”
    “Some things are private.” Jess frowned when she caught the shared glance of amusement between the other two women. “Give me that.”
    “You should’ve said please.” Adele smirked and unfolded the piece of paper with taunting slowness.
    “Please—”
    “Too late, Cuz.” Chantal rubbed her hands together in glee. “Besides, some things may be private but when it comes to getting the guy, you’re in the company of experts here. We only want to help.”
    Jess didn’t buy Chantal’s faux innocence for a moment, while Adele muttered, “Expert? Speak for yourself.”
    Chantal waggled her finger at Adele. “You still know how to work it.”
    Adele rolled her eyes. “Trust me, the only thing I know how to work these days are my spreadsheets.”
    “Going through a dry spell?”
    “More like a drought.” Adele absentmindedly tapped the list against her other hand. “If I go any longer without a date, I’ll be forced to revoke my secret Bombshell membership and hand in my feather boa.”
    Chantal rubbed her hands together. “Let’s take care of Jess’s love life first, then we’ll move onto yours.”
    Adele shot Jess a look of pure panic. Considering the woman held her embarrassing list, Jess was out of sympathy.
    “Are you going to read that list or shall I?” Chantal tapped her silver spangled pump against the floor in impatience and Jess, resigned to the inevitable, slumped into the nearest chair.
    Adele murmured “sorry” but by the gleeful gleam in her eyes, she wasn’t.
    The incriminating paper crinkled between her fingers as Adele smoothed it out and handed it over to Chantal. “You do the honors.”
    “Put me out of my misery and get on with it already, you nosy sneaks.” Jess slouched further into the chair, knowing what was coming, a small part of her curious as to what the girls would think.
    If anyone knew how to seduce a guy these two would. Adele, a statuesque redhead, could turn guys’ heads by walking into a room and Chantal, a showgirl who’d taken Vegas by storm in her younger days, brought a definitive va-va-voom to the burlesque scene if gossip around the club was anything to go by.
    While Jess had been hanging around the dancers the last few days picking up tips, she’d also enjoyed chatting with the glamorous girls and learning everything she could about the sensual art of burlesque.
    She’d also researched it extensively on the Net. Guess she could take the librarian out of Craye Canyon but she couldn’t take the librarian out of the girl.
    “Nice title.” Chantal cleared her throat. “How To Get Jack Naked.”
    Adele smothered a chuckle at Jess’s death glare and Chantal gave her a thumbs up sign of approval. “Shall I continue?”
    “Please don’t,” Jess said, wishing she hadn’t read that stupid self-help book after dumping Max, the one citing list making for taking control of her life.
    “Please do,” Adele said, and shrugged when Jess glared. “Hey, if I’m not getting any, at least let me live vicariously through you.”
    With a heavy sigh, Jess waved at Chantal to continue.
    “This is a pretty long list so I’ll abbreviate to the checked