Wicked: Jade Butterfly [Wicked Series Book 3] Read Free Page B

head, studying her. “I remember you. You're the photographer that did our shoot in New York, aren't you?"
    "Yes. Jessi McClure."
    "Thought so,” Mick said, winking at her before looking back at Christian. He stared at him and crossed his arms over his chest before shaking his head. “Playing the card on someone you know isn't allowed, my friend. Technically you loose. You'll have to play another one."
    "What?” Christian said, horrified. “I didn't know it was her until she turned around!"
    "That true?” Mick asked.
    Jessi grinned. “It's possible. He did look quite surprised when he saw my face."
    Mick stared at them both before smiling. “All right, since it's your birthday, I'll let you have it this time."
    "It's your birthday?"
    Christian smiled and said, “Yes. And my present from the guys was to humiliate myself, which I accomplished."
    "It wasn't that bad, was it?” Mick asked.
    "No,” Christian said, blushing. “The kiss was worth it."
    "From where I was sitting, it looked like it was,” Mick asked, grinning.
    Christian gave him a look and hoped he wouldn't say what he thought he was going to. When Mick took a step closer to Jessi, he knew he was going to.
    "Well, I don't suppose you're going back to the hotel with him, then?"
    Jessi grinned and even in the low lighting, Christian could see her cheeks flush. She stepped away from him and the heat from her body was stolen with the small distance.
    Mick's question hung in the air and he waited to hear her answer. Part of him wanted her to say yes, and the other, the one that knew the guys would tease him endlessly, wanted her to decline. He waited silently and when she spoke, he remembered to breathe.
    "I can't,” she said, turning her head to look at him. “I have a five a.m. flight to catch back to New York."
    "Got a boyfriend waiting for you back home?” Mick asked.
    If possible, her cheeks flushed brighter. “No."
    "All right then. Now we're getting somewhere,” Mick said, clapping his hands and rubbing them together. “So, if the pup here gave you a call, you wouldn't turn down his offer, then?"
    "Depends on what he's offering,” she said, turning to look at Christian. “Next time you're in New York, give me a call and we'll see what happens."
    She leaned toward him and placed a soft kiss on his cheek, whispering, “Happy Birthday,” to him before walking away. They watched her until she vanished in a sea of bodies and Christian knew it would be the last time he saw her. The tour had them hopping the globe for the next year and the closest they'd get to New York was still too far away for a casual visit.
    He sighed and looked at Mick when he draped his arm around his shoulder.
    "You're an asshole."
    What?” Mick laughed. “You want her, don't you? And now you know she's single."
    "That's beside the point."
    "Why?"
    Christian stared across the bar in the direction she'd gone and let out a long breath. “Because I'm not sure she wanted me."
    "You just weren't fast enough, my friend,” Mick said. “You spent all your time talking when you should have had her pressed into some dark corner with her skirt up around her ears."
    Christian shook his head and laughed. “I'm sure a girl like that would just love to have her ass shown to half this bar while I fucked her silly in front of anyone looking our way."
    "You can't ever tell,” Mick said. “The girl might be a freak and would have ridden you right up here on the bar!"
    "Somehow I doubt that."
    "And now you'll never know. Seriously though, you do know what your problem is, don't you?"
    Christian sighed. “No, but I'm sure you're going to enlighten me."
    Mick grinned and nodded. “You think too much,” he said. “You let that little voice in the back of your mind tell you you're making a fool out of yourself and by the time you realize you aren't, the girl you want has already moved on. You need to lighten up a bit. Get over the whole shy thing and just go with the flow more."
    "Easy