Pure Sin (Privilege 5)

Then she turned her back on Conrad’s dumbfounded face. Shaking her head as she walked away, it was all she could do not to hurl a string of curses back at him. She’d always thought that Conrad was such a good guy, but apparently she was wrong. Still, he’d have to do for now. He was all Lexa had. Once she got back on an even keel she could break up with him and find a real man. A good man. Someone who would stand by her, no matter what. In the meantime, Ariana would take that role. She’d be there for Lexa. Someone had to be.

Ariana whipped out her cell phone in the lobby. She hit a speed dial button, lifted the phone to her ear, and shoved open the door, stepping into the frigid November morning.

“Beaura Day Spa,” a woman answered in a clipped tone.

“Yes. I’d like to make a reservation for this Saturday for a full spa day for five people.”

There was a condescending laugh on the other end of the line. “Miss, I’m not sure if you’re aware, but we’re always booked months in advance, and Saturday is obviously our busiest day.”

“Oh, I’m aware,” Ariana replied, tossing her hair off her cheek. “Now let me make you aware of exactly how much money I’m prepared to spend.”

Ariana leaned back in the heavenly leather pedicure chair at the day spa, a cooling cucumber mask slathered over her face, while her hands were massaged by her manicurist, a diminutive woman named Shelly, while her feet soaked in bubbly rose water, prepping her for her pedicure. Surrounding her in four identical chairs, enjoying four identical treatments, were Lexa, Maria, Soomie, and Tahira. They were all wrapped snugly into deep red terry-cloth robes, and Ariana felt gooey and relaxed after the most intense full-body massage she’d ever experienced. It turned out that once the Beaura Day Spa heard exactly what Ariana had in mind for today, they’d had a miraculous number of appointments open up.

It was good to be Briana Leigh Covington.

“So, Soomie, whatever happened with Jasper?” Lexa asked, resting her head back against her neck cushion.

Instantly, Ariana tensed up. Her manicurist paused, noticing it. Ariana cleared her throat and forced herself to relax, embarrassed over the idea that this stranger might be able to read her body language. She shot Shelly a relaxed smile and told herself that the important development here was that Lexa was engaging with her friends. That she was interested, alert, and aware.

Very not crazylike.

“I don’t know,” Soomie said. She turned her hand over casually, checking her white gauze bandage. “Ana, whatever happened with Jasper?”

Ariana’s throat closed over. What did Soomie know? What had she seen? But then, as the other girls looked at her expectantly, she realized that Soomie meant something else entirely. Ariana was supposed to talk to Jasper for her. Which she’d done. Almost a week ago.

“I’m so sorry, Soomie,” she said. “I . . . I’ve been so busy. I just never got the chance to talk to him.”

“If he’s not interested you can just tell me,” Soomie said moodily. “I’m a big girl.”

Ariana bit her lip, snagged. Her cheeks were aflame. “It’s not that—”

“Whatever. I should have just gotten up the guts to ask him myself,” Soomie said, leaning her head back against the small leather pillow.

Suddenly Ariana felt the touch of Jasper’s lips on hers. Tasted his tongue. Felt his hands on her stomach. It was like every cell in her body was pulling her toward Jasper. Pulling her toward his confidence, his sexiness, his mystery, his sense of adventure, his willingness to break the rules. He may not have been the wise choice, but her heart, her soul, her body . . . all of her wanted him. She tensed up again, and her manicurist raised one eyebrow. Ariana blushed and looked away.

“Well, there’s still time,” Maria said, lifting her fingernails to check her black nail polish. “The ball’s tomorrow night. I say call him right now and ask him.”

Ariana bit down on her bottom lip to keep from protesting. Because how was she supposed to support her protest without sounding jealous? She racked her brain for a reason that Jasper might be unsuitable for Soomie but could think of nothing. Probably because Jasper was so very, very perfect.

“Easy for you to say,” Soomie said. She glanced at Tahira in the next chair. “People in long-term relationships always forget how hard it is to put yourself out there.”

“So true,” Tahira replied, then blew on her fingernails.

Ariana’s heart stopped. She glanced at Maria, whose eyes were wide and startled.

“What do you mean? What long-term relationship?” she asked. “I haven’t even hooked up with anyone since the summer.”

“God, Maria, everyone knows you and Landon are together,” Tahira said, rolling her eyes. “Who do you think you’re kidding?”

“What?” Maria blurted, sitting up. She almost knocked over a tray full of lemon water one of the waitresses was toting around from chair to chair. “We’re not—”

Lexa laughed, shaking her head. “Maria, just stop,” she said. “We’re your best friends. Of course we know.”

“Really? Are we still best friends?” Soomie interjected.

Ariana’s body heat skyrocketed as Lexa balked. “What do you mean?” Lexa asked.

“It’s just that you haven’t been around much lately, Lex,” Maria said, shifting in her seat. “And clearly you’ve been upset about something, but clearly it’s not something you’re willing to share with us,” she added, giving Ariana a pointed look.