Free The Naughty List by Tiffany Reisz Page B

It’s where she felt most in control. This I understood. When I was in the kitchen creating a signature dessert, my sense of power was immeasurable.
    “Your flight leaves pretty soon,” she said, checking her watch. “Now you gain an hour when you hit Denver, but that’s actually a good thing because it means you’ll be in the air somewhere between Denver and Jackson Hole at midnight and when you land in Jackson, it’ll be a new year.” She handed me my ticket.
    “We’ll take good care of her,” Ben said.
    I almost got whiplash when I turned my head in his direction.
    “I don’t have to like you to make sure you’re okay,” he said. “I’d do the same thing for a stray animal.”
    “Geez.” I smiled tensely. “Thanks.”
    Scott’s laughter was throaty, deep, and sexy as hell. “Ben and I grew up in Jackson. We work there, we know the locals. We’ll make sure Lucy finds her footing.”
    Rachel leaned toward the table and got practically nose-to-nose with the two cowboys. “We just met you. But I’m usually a good judge of character. It’s a skill I’ve honed in my line of work. I’m a head hunter. I sell people for a living.” She paused and I sensed she was waiting for them to snicker, but neither made a sound.
    I smiled inwardly.
    “It’s rare, but on occasion I have misjudged someone,” she said, tempering her tone. “I certainly hope I haven’t done that with you two. But I’ll guarantee you this, if anything happens to my best friend, I will hold you both accountable. I don’t care how good you think you are at your job, I’ll make sure your reputation is ruined. And by ruined, I mean that by the time I’m finished, you’ll be lucky to be hired as rodeo clowns.” She looked directly at Ben. “And God help you if you hurt her heart.”
    Neither of them responded.
    “Okay, then,” she said cheerfully and stood. “We should probably get to the gate because your flight is about to board.”
    * * *
    “Well, now that you verbally castrated them I don’t think we have to worry who I’ll be kissing at midnight,” I said, catching up to Rachel. “I doubt I’ll ever see either of them again.”
    “Too much?” Rachel glanced at me. Her blue eyes softened and erased the hard lines that had formed on her forehead.
    “Rach, I love you and your heart. But those guys aren’t who you’re angry with.” I gently grabbed her forearm and stopped her rapid pace down the concord. “I should have told you I bought a one-way ticket.”
    She lowered her head and her blonde hair swung in front of her face. “No,” she said, sweeping her hair out of her face with a wave of her hand. “I should have seen this coming. It happens with my clients when I land them a once-in-a-lifetime job. They sign the offer and never look back.”
    “Hey.” I lifted her chin toward me. “That’s not going to happen.”
    “That’s what they all say.”
    “I’m different. My goal is to kick some serious Wyoming ass with my desserts. So much so that I’ll then get hired out to cater private events. And…” I bumped into her with my hip. “We all know that private events lead to larger soirees with more connections. Before we know it, I’ll have offers to come back to Cali and set up shop.”
    Rachel laughed. “Wow. Soirees. You’ve really thought this out.”
    “I have.” The conviction in my voice made her stop laughing. “I’m in it to win it. I’m not giving up an entire year of my life for nothing. I have a plan, a timeline, and thanks to you, I won’t have two cute cowboys distracting me.”
    “I knew it!” Rachel practically screamed. “You like Ben, too.”
    “I barely tolerate him. He may have a wicked body and…”
Lips I would love to nibble.
“…great hair, but he’s still somewhat of an ass.”
    “Eh, nothing a little midnight bubbly can’t overcome.”
    “There’s not enough booze on that plane to make kissing Ben right,” I said.
    “Famous last words,” she