Yes. The one that makes grown men go crazy over you.
Me
They hired another bodyguard.
Riley
Oooh. Is he hot?
Me
Irrelevant.
Riley
That’s a yes. Pics or it didn’t happen.
Me
Absolutely not. You have three smoking-hot men.
Riley
You’re no fun. See you at 10.
I pull the black dress out of my closet. It’s the one with thin straps and is dangerously short—I bought it specifically because Ace hated it. If I’m going to be followed everywhere I go, I might as well look good doing it.
The shower helps ease some of my frustration, and by the time I’m done I have almost convinced myself to give Rhodes a break,almost.
I do my makeup—smoky eyes, dark lips, the whole shebang. If Rhodes can survive the night, maybe I can learn to at least appreciate the view like I do with Ace and Vander.
The dress slides on like a second skin, and I turn to check myself in the mirror. Riley was right; this dress is my secret weapon. I grab my heels from my closet. They’re strappy black stilettos that added four inches and approximately ten milliondegrees of difficulty to walking, and I am sitting on the edge of my bed attempting to put them on when there’s a knock on my door.
“What?” I call out.
Rhodes pokes his head in, and his eyes widen slightly before he says, “One of Riley’s men just texted the group chat to say that she’s ten minutes out.”
“There’s a group chat?”
“Ace created it. Named it Maddie and Riley Watch.”
“Of course he did.” I hold up one shoe. “I’ll be ready in five.”
“Need help?”
I raise an eyebrow. “With my shoes?”
“They look complicated.”
They are, actually, as the straps wind up and around my ankle in a way that requires patience I currently don’t have.
“I’ve got it.”
Rhodes leans against the doorframe, watching me struggle with the tiny buckle. After thirty seconds of me fumbling, he pushes off the frame. “Here.” He kneels in front of me without asking, taking the shoe from my hands.
“I said I’ve got it.”
“And I’m saying let me help.” He looks up at me, and my mind goes straight to the gutter. “It’s my job to assist you.”
