“I made plans for us tonight. I hope you’re free.”
“You did? What are we doing?”
“I’m taking you to dinner.” When her mouth opens to argue, I raise my hand. “No one we work with will be there.”
She frowns. “How do you know?”
“Because they’re not going to pay a couple hundred dollars a plate, and that’s what this place charges.”
Her eyes widen. “Oh. What should I wear?”
“Something dressy, maybe a little sexy.”
A shy smile tilts her lips as she stands from the couch. “How much time do I have to get ready?”
I glance at my watch. “An hour.”
“I’ll make sure I’m ready.” She heads out of the living room but swings around at the last minute to face me. “Thank you for planning this, Bastion.”
I nod, thankful when she disappears from view.
An hour later, on the dot, I’m waiting in my suit at the door when she glides around the corner looking like a fucking goddess. She’s wearing a one-shoulder electric-blue dress with a ruched waist that goes to her knees and has a slit up her left thigh. She paired it with a set of silver sandals that have a heel higher than any I’ve seen her wear before. Her hair is pulled up into a tight, high ponytail, showing off the curve of her neck, and it makes me want to tug her into me and bite down on it.
Hattie is gorgeous in the limited makeup she wears on a daily basis, but tonight she’s wearing eyeliner and lipstick, and it makes her look more her age.
“You look phenomenal.” I rest my hands on her waist.
“Thank you.” She bats her eyelashes, and I don’t think she does it on purpose, but it makes her look like a minx.
“You realize how hard it’s going to be to get through dinner with you looking like this and not spread you out on the table and eat you for dinner, don’t you? Or maybe that’s what you want.” I lean in and run my tongue up the column of her neck, and she shivers under my touch.
“Not at the restaurant, but after.”
I groan at the thought of her taste on my tongue again. “I’m going to hold you to that.”
I pull away and take her hand, leading her out of the condo. We make our way to the parking garage and my SL-Class Mercedes-Benz. I open the door for Hattie, and once she’s seated inside, I close the door and make my way around the front of the car.
“I’ll be a gentleman and keep the top up so the wind doesn’t ruin your hair.” I start the car and put on my seat belt before pulling out of the parking spot.
“This is so much nicer than my car back in Wisconsin.” Hattie laughs as she looks around the interior, almost in awe.
“Nothing but the best for you.” I pull out of the parking garage onto the street.
“Are you going to tell me where we’re going?” she asks.
“It’s a surprise, but even if I told you, you probably wouldn’t know it. I’ll tell you this—the food is spectacular, and the view is great. It overlooks Lake Union.”
“I’m pretty sure I’ve never been to a restaurant this fancy before. I’m afraid I’m going to mess up and make it obvious I don’t belong there.”
I glance at her when I stop at a traffic light, hating the expression of defeat on her face. I remember the first time one of my marks took me to a fancy restaurant. The pressure, the eyes I felt, the judgment as if they could see who I really was underneath the expensive suit. It took me a while to not feel that way, and I would never want anyone else to feel the same.
“Hattie, you belong there as much as anyone else. All you have to do is eat and relax, okay?” My hand drifts through the slit of the dress on her left thigh, touching her soft, silky skin. Fuck, I hope I can control myself tonight.
She nods and bites her lip. “Okay.”
I run my hand up and down her thigh, and the tension builds between us. The temptation to inch my fingers closer to her pussy is so great, I’m not sure I trust myself.
There’s a honk behind us, and when I look forward, I see that the light has changed. I retract my hand and put it on the steering wheel for the rest of the ride.
