Page 79 of Sleeper: The Palisades Edition

WILLA

Orange blossom. Jasmine. Geranium. Lavender. Rosemary.

I’m going to blend all of these heavenly scents together as essential oils when we get home, but for now I’m going to lie here on this chaise lounge on the enclosed patio while Shane is out “running an errand.” We had breakfast in the room. We had in-room massages. We made out in the hot tub. We even Skyped with Summer and Lucky. Summer wanted me to sing “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly” with her, but I was so blissed out I forgot half the lyrics.

It’s like I lose an IQ point every time Shane gives me an orgasm.

I’ll be down to zero by the time we’re back in LA.

This is such a beautiful place, and I don’t want to leave it.

I want to wake up with Shane Miller between gazillion thread count Italian sheets every morning.

I don’t want spring break to end, but it will.

I don’t want to think about the New York job, but I have to.

I don’t want to think about what I’ll do or what it will be like for me and Shane once I stop working for him and Margo hires a permanent nanny, but I have to.

But not yet.

For now, I will lie here with my eyes closed and the sun on my face, enjoying the orange blossom, jasmine, geranium, lavender, and rosemary.

I’m not sure how much time passes, but I’m suddenly hearing music from inside the cottage.

Motown. The Temptations. “Just My Imagination.”

“Aren’t you Nico’s little sister?” asks a familiar voice.

Without opening my eyes, I reach up, take hold of the waist of Shane’s jeans, and pull him down to me. Just like he did to me that time he fell asleep watching Austin Powers. I squint up at him, but it’s not Shane Miller that I see. It’s Greyson Manning.

His hair is gelled straight up, and he’s wearing a blazer, white button-down shirt, and a loose skinny tie. I open my eyes, sit up, and look down at his feet—Converse high tops!

“You wanna dance?” he asks, grinning as he holds his hands out and stands up.

I cover my mouth, nod, and take his hand so he can pull me up.

He leads me over to an open area on the patio, pulls me in, placing both hands on the small of my back. I hold my hands behind his neck and gaze up at him, head shaking in disbelief, heart bursting. “Wow. This is even cheesier than the necklace. I can’t imagine how filthy you’re going to have to be to get me to forget how fucking adorable you are this time.”

“Let’s just say I went to the mall to buy the skinny tie, high tops, hair gel, and some lube.”

I chuckle at that—well aware that he’s kidding but also completely aware that I would probably do anything he wanted me to. “That’s really thoughtful of you, thanks. You are so wizard.”

“You are so welcome.” He kisses the top of my head, and I rest my forehead against his chest. “Never, ever speak of this to Nico.”

“Which part?”

“All of it.”

“Don’t worry. I’m used to not talking about you with my brother. Or anyone else, for that matter.”

“You can, you know?”

“Can what?”

“Talk about me with people. I was thinking we should tell the twins, since Margo knows.”

Oh God, my cheeks are burning. First the slow dancing with Greyson Manning and now this? It’s too much. “Knows what?”