Page 44

To accept or not? What a loaded question. While I’d denied myself another taste of Jarod that night at the fundraiser, the situation I faced was transactional. Jarod’s time and body had been paid for, and if nothing else, the man was a professional.
Hell, he was a lot more than that. And with how he was cautionary before making decisions, I knew he hadn’t agreed to the evening without having thought it through.
Jarod would aim to please—and keep his heart just as guarded as mine.
“I-I’ll be down in five,” I finally said, my tone breathless with the need ramping up inside me.
Ricky smiled and nodded. “Take your time, Ms. Gemberling. My limo is at your disposal until eight tomorrow morning.”
Oh. My. God. I shut the door and guzzled my glass of wine, gaze aimed at but unfocused on the peephole.
A tremor shuddered down through me, and I forced my feet to move. My hands shook while I riffled through the clothes hanging in my closet. Teeth holding onto the inside of my lower lip, I yanked out an off-the-shoulder silk shift in blue and a tight, silver minidress. Elegant or slutty?
I let out a snort of huffed laughter and hung the first outfit back up.
Thank fuck I’d lathered all the lady bits and shaved while relaxing in the tub. I dropped the towel and stepped into the mini, shimmying it up over my hips. The damn thing was snugger than the last time I’d worn it a couple of months earlier. Clingy material never paired well when you carried around fat cells that multiplied like bunnies.
Glowering, I yanked the dress back down. “Blue shift it is.”
The silken material fell mid-thigh, and I turned in front of my full-length mirror, loving how the sheath’s material actually hid the parts of me I didn’t care for.
Panties or no panties?
I nibbled my lower lip while perusing through my bureau’s top drawer.
Jarod would probably just rip them from my body. I hoped he would…and that the stranger in the room with us would enjoy watching Jarod’s desperation to get them off me.
Face hot and core priming for action at the thought, I grabbed a black, lacy thong and headed into the bathroom. While a full face painting with smoky eyes would better fit an evening out, I opted for a few licks of mascara, blush, and pale lip gloss, the same as I’d gone for on our first night together.
I unclasped the clip from my hair and shook my head, running my fingers through the thick waves left over from work. Long red tresses curled over my shoulders, and my face appeared virginal with its barely there makeup, but the spark in my eyes betrayed the arousal flooding through me.
The red flag warning of danger in the back of my mind did nothing to make me pause. Having another chance to enjoy Jarod in a safe environment?
Fuck yes, please and thank you, Jessie.
Giddy and pulse trilling, I grabbed a small purse, threw in a few necessities, and typed a quick text to my friend.
Me: I can’t even right now...
Her reply zipped through before I made it to my front door.
Jessie: I want all the juicy details.
Smirking, I sent three thumbs up rather than get into the whole “How the hell can you afford this” conversation.
I pulled open my door, and Ricky did a quick once-over down my body and back up, his gaze not lingering long enough to creep me out. “You look lovely.”
Beaming, I accepted his outstretched arm. “Why, thank you, Ricky.”
My knees knocked, and my pulse raced. I couldn’t stop grinning either.
“Nervous?” Ricky asked while leading me down my stoop’s stairs.
“Yes.”
He chuckled and patted my hand clutching at his elbow. “Mr. Zimmerman and Mr. Fox will take good care of you.”
Mr. Fox…Jarod’s best friend and Elite’s owner if I remembered correctly.