“Okay. I’m done for the day. Maybe I’ll take a swim, then have a glass of champagne.”

“Now you’re just trying to make me jealous. It worked.”

“Another layer of success to my day.”

“Such a bitch.”

Amused, Laurel watched Parker walk to her car in her pretty buttercream summer suit and hot pink heels.

She wondered idly if Emma was done for the day. They could take a swim together, laze around with a glass of champagne before Jack got home. She was in entirely too good a mood to be alone.

She considered her own heels—donned for the consult—and the walk down to the guest house. She could go inside and call, but if Emma wasn’t ready to quit, she’d have a better time convincing her face-to-face. Better to go in, change her shoes, and wander down to Emma’s and seduce her with pool time and champagne.

She went back in, changed to her kitchen shoes, then headed out from the back of the house.

The hot, close summer evening absolutely demanded a swim, she decided. She listened to the hum of bees busy in the garden, took in the scent of grass mown early that morning, of flowers drowsing in the heat. It all felt so lazy and endless.

Tomorrow, she thought, they’d be set up for rehearsal for Friday night’s event by this time. And there would be no lazy moments for days.

So she’d savor it now. The blues and greens of summer, the scents and sounds of it, and that feeling that it would go on forever. Maybe she should call Del, she thought, see if he wanted to come over. They could all have a cookout. Fire up the grill, sit outside, and enjoy the summer night and the company of friends.

Later they could make love with the terrace doors open to the sultry air. She still had time to toss a strawberry shortcake together.

Warming to the plan, she came around the house. Mac’s studio came into view first—and the hot little sports car parked in front of it. And, an instant later, the hot blonde preparing to open the door Mac wouldn’t have bothered to lock.

“Linda!” She called out the name sharply, pleased when the woman jolted. Linda, dressed in a breezy summer sundress and mile high strappy sandals, whirled.

The brief flicker of guilt on Linda’s face brought Laurel another shot of dark pleasure.

“Laurel. You scared the life out of me.” Linda gave her golden, windblown hair a shake so it settled to frame her inarguably lovely face.

Too bad the inside didn’t match the packaging, Laurel thought and strode toward her.

“I drove in from New York earlier to meet some friends, and was just popping in to see Mac. It’s been ages.”