Until We Touch

“I already talked to Percy,” he said. “He’s going to feed Dyna tonight and spend some time with her. Taryn knows you won’t be back until tomorrow.”

“What did she say when you told her where we were going to be?”

He took her hand and laced his fingers with hers. “She said I was going to get into more trouble than I could handle.”

“Did you believe her?”

“Sure. Taryn’s never wrong.”

Larissa laughed.

They drove into the city and the driver dropped them off at the wharf. She and Jack walked around for a couple of hours before getting lunch in a waterfront restaurant. After they’d eaten, he excused himself to make a few more calls. Larissa sat at the table, content to stare out the window and enjoy the warm sunny day in the beautiful city.

Tomorrow she would return to her regularly scheduled life. Tomorrow she would have to face the consequences of what she’d done today. But that was okay—the price would be worth it. She loved Jack—of course she wanted to spend time with him.

He returned to the table and paid the bill, then they walked out of the restaurant and he hailed a cab.

“Where are we going?” she asked.

“To the hotel.”

Already? Her toes curled in her athletic shoes.

“The Ritz,” Jack told the driver.

The Ritz? As in the Ritz-Carlton? “I’m not dressed for a fancy hotel,” she said, aware that while she’d brushed her teeth that morning, she hadn’t showered. And that her jeans were a little frayed at the hems and her T-shirt had seen better days. She’d been planning to rescue dogs, not go to the Ritz.

“Don’t worry,” he said and took her hand in his.

Good advice she couldn’t follow. Not only did she look as if she didn’t belong, they weren’t checking in with luggage. That couldn’t be good.

“I’m going to need a toothbrush,” she told him. “And shampoo. And something to wear tonight.”

“Not to worry. It’s all taken care of.”

They pulled up in front of the magnificent hotel. An elegantly dressed middle-aged woman was waiting and smiled at Larissa. “Ms. Owens?” she asked.

Larissa nodded.

“I’m Francine. If you’ll come with me, please?”

Larissa looked at Jack. “What are you doing?”

“You’re going to have to go with her to find out.” He leaned in and lightly kissed her. “You’ll like it. I promise.”

She wasn’t sure but decided to go along with whatever had been planned. She was in the Ritz-Carlton. It wasn’t as if anything bad could happen here.

Francine led her through the luxury hotel to the spa. Once she was there, she was checked in for an afternoon of relaxation and pampering, according to the very perky attendant. There would be a facial followed by a manicure and pedicure. After that she would get her hair done.

“It sounds wonderful,” Larissa said, grateful Jack hadn’t booked her for a massage. There were only a few people she trusted to do that.

She spent the next couple of hours relaxing in a treatment chair while her face was steamed and wrapped and smothered in various concoctions. Later she had a wonderful manicure and pedicure. By the time she was led into the salon, she was feeling relaxed and pampered.

José, a charming young man with a big smile, played with her hair for a few minutes before declaring the color “perfection” and the length “a disaster.”

“How much do you want to cut off?” she asked warily.

“Trust me,” he said.

“That so isn’t going to happen.”

“It’s hair. It will grow back.” He fingered the ends. “Maybe a few inches. It will still be long, but you’ll have layers and style.”

She’d never been much for style, she thought humorously. Taryn had enough for all her friends. Still, it would be nice to be glamorous for once.

“Okay, do what you think is best, but not short.”

José nodded. “You’ll see.”

He whipped up a mysterious brew and gave her a few highlights. When her hair was wet, he went to work with a razor. Strands went flying. When he was done with the cut, he used a big round brush to blow out her hair, then put in a few hot rollers. During the entire session, she wasn’t allowed to see herself in the mirror.

After José, a woman came over and applied makeup. Larissa listened carefully as she gave advice. The last time she’d tried to conquer the smoky eye, Sam had asked if she’d gotten in an accident.

When the makeup artist was done, José reappeared. He pulled out curlers, teased, finger-combed then applied enough hair spray to turn her into a plastic doll. At last he spun the chair so she was facing the mirror.

She almost didn’t recognize herself. She was still a blue-eyed blonde, but instead of looking like the fresh-faced girl next door, she’d been transformed into a sexy, elegant stranger.

Her hair tumbled in big soft curls that shifted every time she moved. José had given her long bangs that softened her features and made her eyes look huge. Or maybe it was the expertly applied makeup that made her eyes so large. She couldn’t decide. Either way, she loved it.

“Wow,” she said. “Just wow.”

José patted her shoulder. “You’re a swan now. A beautiful swan.”

Francine was waiting when she left the spa. “Ms. Owens, did you enjoy your time with us?”

“I did. It was magical.”

The older woman smiled. “I’m glad. Now just one more stop.”

They went into what looked like a conference room. Only instead of long tables and plenty of chairs, there was a rack of fancy dresses, boxes filled with shoes and a makeshift dressing room.

“I’ll be right outside,” Francine said. “Come out when you’re done.”

Larissa stared at all the clothes. They were in her size and from designers she’d only ever seen Taryn wear. She reached for one, then pulled back her hand. No way she could wear any of these.

“Oh, good. You’re here.”

A petite brunette walked into the room and smiled at her. “I’m Holly. I’ve brought cocktail attire, along with everything you’ll need to wear with it.” Holly was beautiful and wearing a simple red dress that looked custom-made for her. “Your guy said the trip was impulsive and you didn’t even have a toothbrush.” Holly winked. “He sounds like my kind of man. So what do you like?”

Larissa felt overwhelmed by too much input. “I’m not sure.”

“Reach for one and let’s see what it is.”

Larissa started to bite her lower lip and remembered the lipstick. So she settled on just feeling nervous. She reached for the rack of clothes and chose a simple black dress.

It had a scooped neck, front and back, with a fuller skirt that looked to be about knee length. The fabric was interesting, with a texture, but not too thick.

“Nice,” Holly said. “Oscar de la Renta. A silk cloque cocktail dress. You have good taste. Try it on. Oh, you’ll need these.”

She held out several black bras along with matching pairs of low-cut panties, also in black. Larissa took everything with her and went into the dressing area.

She found the right bra immediately. It added a little something to her modest assets. The dress slipped over her head and when she zipped it, the fit felt perfect. She stepped out and Holly grinned.

“You go, girl. Now try these.”

She held a pair of lace peep-toe pumps with a bow. The heel was only a couple of inches—a good thing considering she didn’t have Taryn’s ability to walk in anything higher.

After slipping on the shoes, she walked to the mirror and stared at herself.

The woman looking back was vaguely familiar. Same face shape, same eyes. But the hair, the clothes, the makeup were all different. While it wasn’t something she would do every day, she was starting to see the value in making a little effort.

“You like?” Holly asked with a grin.

“I do. It’s amazing.”

“Good. I’ll have your clothes delivered to your room. Come on. Francine is waiting.”

Larissa and Francine went to the elevator bank and rode up. Larissa pressed her hand to her stomach and tried to hold in nerves. Because with everything that had been happening, she hadn’t had time to think about what Jack had said. I’m going to help you get over me.

Did that mean what she thought it meant? It had to. She had told him she wanted to have sex with him in her effort to get over being in love with him. At the time the words had probably made sense, but she was less sure now. He was everything she wanted. The possibility of not loving him seemed impossible.

But that was a problem for another time. Tonight she was going to enjoy everything as it came. She had a fabulous new look and she was going to have dinner with the man of her dreams. That was enough for now.

Francine led her down an elegant hallway. They stopped in front of wide double doors and Francine let her inside.

“Enjoy your stay,” she said.

“Thank you.”

She went inside.

Her first impression was of space. There were sofas and chairs, all done in taupes and beiges. On one side of the room was a baby grand piano, which was so over-the-top, she started to laugh. Through glass doors was a terrace about three times the size of her apartment back home. She could see a private dining room and at the other end of the room was the bedroom.

It was too much, she thought, dazed by all she was seeing. And it was exactly what Jack would do to seduce her.

She heard a sound and turned. The man of the hour stood just outside the bedroom. He wore a dark suit with a white shirt and red tie. He looked good. Better than good. The laughter faded, replaced by a sense of her world being made right. Even nicer was his wide-eyed appreciation as he stared at her.

“Larissa,” he breathed. “You look beautiful.”

“Thank you.”

He started toward her, so tall and strong. Her heart fluttered just a little.

“Great dress,” he told her. “You make it shine.”

He took her hand and lightly kissed her knuckles, then led her into the dining room where a bottle of champagne waited in an ice bucket. Next to it were two Tiffany boxes.

“Don’t get too excited,” he told her. “These are on loan.”

“You can do that?”

“I know people.”

She’d bought his goodbye gifts to his various girlfriends for years now and, per his request, always shopped at Tiffany. She knew the beauty of the selection and loved how her favorite associate always made her feel special. She was used to the sparkle, the elegance, the perfect presentation. What she wasn’t used to was seeing a diamond necklace that nearly blinded and was probably worth as much as the GDP of California.

“Oh, my.”

He put it on her, then handed her the matching earrings. The style was simple. A single row of diamonds with a diamond-studded X-shaped clasp. But the size, the clarity, the sheer brilliance was enough to make her rethink her philosophy that she wasn’t the least bit interested in jewelry.

“You’re allowed a night off,” Jack said, turning her so she could see herself in the mirror. His gaze met hers. “There is a second bedroom attached to this suite,” he told her. “I want you to have a good time. But at the end of the night, if you’ve changed your mind, that’s where I’ll sleep.”

“I’ll never change my mind,” she told him as she turned and faced him. A statement that was also a challenge, she thought.

Ever smooth Jack simply smiled. “My kind of woman,” he told her as he handed her a glass of champagne.

They settled on the sofa. Jack pulled out a remote and started the music, then they toasted each other.

“Impressive,” she said after she’d taken a sip. “No wonder you have women lining up to date you.”

He chuckled. “This isn’t what I usually do for a date. I’m more the dinner-and-a-movie type.”

Which meant this was especially for her? She hoped so.

She smoothed the front of her dress. “When we get home, I want to talk to Taryn about her castoffs. I never got the whole designer clothes thing before, but I’m starting to see the appeal. This feels really nice.”

“It looks better than it feels.”

“You can’t know that.”

His smile was slow and sexy. “Yeah, I can. So tell me about the chiweenies.”

The change in topic caught her off guard. “What do you want to know?”

“What are they?”

“A Chihuahua-dachshund mix. So not purebreds. They’re cute and have good characteristics of both breeds. I guess that’s what makes them popular.”

“And a breeding program had gotten out of hand?”

She nodded. “I can see how it would happen. Someone who doesn’t have the experience thinks it might be fun and moves forward. Then a couple of years later, there are too many dogs and not enough buyers.”

“Like the people who think a baby alligator would be fun and then it grows?”

“Right, but I don’t think chiweenies endanger as many chickens.”

“We’re all against chicken death.”

She laughed, then picked up her champagne. “I checked my phone while I was getting my hair done. The dogs are safely in Sacramento. They’ll be evaluated by veterinary staff. The ones that are okay will be treated for parasites, vaccinated, then put out to foster.”

“Which is where you come in.”

She nodded. “I have already checked with a few people to see if they’ll take in a dog or two temporarily.”