Jade
Meet you in the lobby.
Matteo
You should just give me a key. Then you wouldn’t have to come down to let me in every time.
Jade
And give you access to my place whenever you want?
Matteo
Duh.
Jade
Hmmm…
I’ll think about it.
Matteo
See you soon, Sunny baby.
Jade
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
MATTEO
“How contradicting for someone to be so maddening, yet so enthralling at the same time.” - Julian Hart, Painted Inferno
Standing in front of the mirror, I adjust my tie, my eyes raking down the length of my suit before bouncing back to my face. I look like a younger version of my father, although I have my mother’s hair and darker features. The dark gray eyes are undoubtedly a Ford trait.
Jade’s been in the guest bathroom upstairs for the last hour. She came over yesterday evening and has been here since. I like having her here. I never noticed how quiet my house could be until after having her over the first time.
I smooth my hand over my damp hair, brushing it to the side before rolling my wrist to check the time on my watch. We need to leave in thirty minutes. I don’t want to rush her along, but I also don’t want to be late.
The last thing I need is for Coach to get on my ass about showing up late to a scheduled event, even if it doesn’t have to do with us being on the ice.
The annual gala is a huge event for the Hillford Ice Hawks organization. There are a lot of big people who show up—sponsors and investors. The entire team is required to be in attendance. A lot of friends and family are invited, along with other people in the community who are there for the charity tax-write offs.
I grab my dress shoes from the closet, carry them out to the mudroom, and leave them by the side door. My footsteps are light as I make my way through the house, walking to the foyer and up the stairs that lead to the second floor.
I stop outside the bathroom, raising my fist to knock on the door. “I don’t mean to rush you at all, but how much longer do you think you’ll be? We need to get going soon.”
The door pulls open just as I get the last word out and the air rushes from my lungs at the sight of Jade standing in front of me.
She’s wearing a long, black silk dress that stops just at her ankles with thin straps over her shoulders. The left side has a slit in it that stops just along the middle of her thigh. It’s not too tight, yet not too loose, hugging her body in the right spots to accentuate her curves.
Her hair is brushed away from her face, revealing her slender neck, a thin chain around it with a small diamond resting in the hollow at the base, and matching diamond earrings. Her cheeks are tinted pink, her lips a shade darker, and the makeup on her eyes makes the bright blue stand out even more.
Jesus Christ.
“You look amazing,” I murmur, my voice barely more than a whisper. My gaze rests on hers as I take a step closer. “You’re breathtaking, Jade.”
She laughs quietly. “I don’t normally get dressed up like this.”
