Flirting With Danger Read Free Page A

“Come on, let’s get this over with.
     We’ll have to pick up my flowers on the way. Honestly, if I’d known this bridesmaid
     job was going to be such a hassle…”
    “You would still have done it. For Leanne’s sake. Gosh, Aaron’s looking particularly
     yummy today, isn’t he?” Sasha glanced over her shoulder.
    “Yummy?” She pulled a face. “How old are you, six?”
    “Are you sure you’re not interested in him?”
    “Absolutely sure. And don’t you get any ideas about him either. I told you, he has
     a limited attention span.”
    She meant what she said…she wasn’t interested in him in the slightest, but for some
     inexplicable reason, the fact that he’d complimented Sasha, while doing nothing but
     joke about her looks, had sent a spike of indignation through her. Which was ridiculous
     because they didn’t have the type of relationship that included flattering each other.
     Quite the opposite. It certainly didn’t include flirty smiles.
    So what was her problem?

Chapter Two
    The party had been in full swing for a while. The afternoon sun had given way to darkness
     hours ago, yet it was still warm. Not warm enough to have Jasmine dreaming about a
     dip in the pool that was tucked away in a corner of the garden, but balmy enough that
     she felt no need to cover her bare shoulders.
    Every tree in the large garden had been hung with spherical paper lanterns that lit
     up the area with a golden glow. Leanne was glowing too. Jasmine had managed to exchange
     a few words with her before her new husband had whisked her onto the temporary dance
     floor, and they were still waltzing now, oblivious to their guests, to everything
     but each other.
    For just an instant there Jasmine had envied her friend, envied her happiness with
     her soul mate. She’d tamped down on that emotion pretty quickly. She didn’t need a
     man to make her feel whole…she was self-sufficient and quite capable of looking after
     herself.
    There was that word again. Capable .
    Jasmine sighed and sipped her champagne. She and Sasha were sitting with Leanne’s
     aunt Zoe who, as a young woman, had often collected Leanne from primary school and
     had always had pockets full of sweet treats to share with the three girls, far more
     than their parents would have condoned. Now they were in their twenties and she was
     still a bad influence—only now she was encouraging them to drink more champagne than
     they should.
    “You, me and Zoe are the only women here who are single.” Sasha leaned forward and
     propped her elbow on the table to support her chin.
    Jasmine took another sip from her glass. “You might be right,” she said with a shrug.
    “It’s not fair. When am I going to get to dance?”
    “I’ll dance with you,” Zoe offered. She was in her forties, a career woman and proof,
     if Jasmine needed it, that a girl didn’t have to marry to lead a full life. Sasha
     pulled an omigod face. “You have got to be kidding. I’d rather stick hot needles in my eyes than waltz
     with a woman. No offense.”
    “None taken.” Zoe frowned. “It’s just that I’d rather like to dance, too, and there
     doesn’t seem to be much chance of that.”
    “Mac, we’ve been looking everywhere for you.” Dave’s voice jolted Jasmine from her
     thoughts. She looked up to see Kane and Aaron strolling up behind him.
    “Woo-hoo, look at you,” Dave continued. “Not planning to wear that for your next shift,
     I hope?”
    “Ha! I’ll wear my dress if you’ll wear yours.”
    While Kane laughed at Dave’s expression, Jasmine watched Sasha batting her lashes
     in Aaron’s direction. And Aaron smiling back at Sasha. Good Lord . Had Sasha not listened to a word she’d said? She had to stop this before it really
     got started.
    “Hey, Kane,” she said. “Sasha was just saying she’d love to dance. You’ll dance with
     her, won’t you?”
    Kane scratched his ear. “Er, yeah, I guess so.” Looking at Sasha, he jerked his