Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 75107 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 376(@200wpm)___ 300(@250wpm)___ 250(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75107 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 376(@200wpm)___ 300(@250wpm)___ 250(@300wpm)
“No,” Andy said, shaking her head. “I think it’s just enough. It toes that line between classy and sexy. It’s perfect. The men will be clamoring over themselves to give you a check. And the women will want to know where you got the damn thing.”
I smoothed my hand down my belly, which felt like it was vibrating.
“And the makeup?” I asked.
It had been a long time since I had a reason to go full glam. I was worried the smoky eye was too much.
“It’s perfect. You’re stunning.”
“You too,” I said. “I love the up-do.”
“Sammy did it. I get sweaty and angry when I try to do anything more than a messy bun.”
“Where is Sammy?”
“Throwing on her dress. She took Meatball for a long walk after she did her hair and makeup.”
“Andy, are you ready?” Sammy, someone who believed that if you were on time, you were late, called.
“Yep,” she called, heels clicking down my hallway.
I grabbed my heels and clutch before following them out barefoot.
“Damn,” Sammy said, nodding at me.
“Right?” Andy asked.
“You look amazing too,” I told Sammy, eyeing her simple bias-cut slip gown.
“Thanks. Are you sure you don’t want to come with us?”
“No, I’ll wait here,” I said.
I could tolerate being stood up at home where no one could see. I would die of humiliation if it happened in a public place.
“Okay. We’ll see you there then,” Sammy said. She slid an arm around Andy’s back, guiding her away before she could say anything else to me.
I shut the door and exhaled hard.
It was going to be okay. Even if he didn’t show up, it was going to be okay. If anything, maybe it would be good. I would at least know that he was over any attraction to me.
If it had ever existed at all.
Men didn’t kiss you like he’d kissed me if they hadn’t been interested.
Ugh.
I really needed to stop using that single kiss as a reason to justify my stupid crush on a man I’d barely spoken to since.
I glanced over at my Christmas tree, relaxing my eyes until the lights went all blurry and magical, always finding something calming about that.
I was still standing there like that when there was a knock on the door.
A startled yelp escaped me as I whipped around.
I inched toward the door.
“It’s me,” Venezio called before I could look out the peephole.
A deep exhale escaped me, chasing away the tension in my shoulders. But replacing it was a swooping sensation in my stomach.
I pulled open the door.
Then there he was.
He looked devastatingly handsome in his expensive, well-tailored suit: black suit, matte black shirt, black tie. It was all perfectly appropriate but also kind of, I don’t know, dark and dangerous. Especially with all his tattoos.
“Wow,” I exhaled.
“Fuck,” he said at the same time.
His gaze took an exceedingly long time to make it back up to my face. I watched him suck in a deep breath.
“That’s a hell of a dress,” he declared.
“Yeah?” I asked, smoothing my hand nervously down it. “I was a little worried about the slit,” I said, sticking my leg outward to show off the deep slit.
Venezio’s gaze helplessly followed the line of my leg. He cleared his throat a little before he spoke. “Can’t imagine anyone’s gonna complain about that. You got any shoes, though?”
“I’m putting them off until the last possible moment,” I admitted.
“Not a fan of heels, huh?” he asked as I walked over to them.
“It’s been a long time. I don’t imagine my feet are going to be happy.”
I slid one foot in.
But I teetered on the icepick heel.
Venezio was right there, offering his arm to steady me.
It was such a gentlemanly gesture for such a rough-around-the-edges guy.
“Thank you. Okay. I just need my clutch and I’m ready. Should we call for a rideshare? Is showing up in a cab tacky?”
“I have a town car.”
“A town car?”
“With a driver.”
“With a driver?”
“You gonna parrot everything I’m saying?” he asked, lips curving up.
“I’m processing out loud. You hired a driver for tonight?”
“I did.”
“Wow. That was so forward-thinking. Thank you.”
“It’s nothing. But he is double-parked out front.”
With that, he pressed a hand to my lower back. It was just a nice gesture, but I was pretty sure he just wanted to be close to make sure he could catch me if I fell, since I was definitely wobbly at first.
As promised, there was a sleek, expensive black town car out front with a driver in a suit in the front. Venezio waved him off and got the door for me himself before going around the trunk and climbing into the other side.
It was a frustratingly short ride.
I would have preferred to sit in thick traffic, so I could enjoy the press of his body against mine, the spicy scent of his cologne, the warmth I felt emanating from him since a coat didn’t exactly go with my outfit.