“Well,” he says, clapping a hand on my shoulder. “For what it’s worth, I think she feels the same way. The sparks between you two could power a small city.”
I can’t help the smile that spreads across my face. “You think?”
“Oh, yeah,” he nods emphatically. “Trust me, I know chemistry when I see it. That woman is just as gone for you as you are for her.”
Not wanting to overthink that little tidbit, I gesture with my beer. “Wanna go hang out while the girls do their thing? I don’t need to start getting ready for a couple of hours.”
“Sure.”
We sit and make small talk, TV on low in the background while I send emails and text my assistant to make sure the limo is all set for tonight.
A little over an hour before we have to leave, I head up to my room to shower and get ready while Javier goes to check on the girls.
Welcoming the hot spray against my skin, I try to clear my head. Tonight is important—not just for the gallery, but for me and Lizzy. There’s something shifting between us, and I don’t want to fuck it up.
After washing away the time spent in the pool, I towel off and start getting dressed. My suit guy sent over a custom Tom Ford before I left for Lakeside—charcoal gray with subtle blue undertones that bring out my eyes. I pair it with a crisp white shirt, leaving the top two buttons undone for a more relaxed look.
Running product through my damp hair, I style it into my usual disheveled look, which takes a lot longer than it should. The irony of spending twenty minutes to make it look like I just rolled out of bed has me mentally shaking my head.
As I’m adjusting my cufflinks, there’s a knock on my door.
“Comein,” I call, expecting Javier.
Instead, Ava pokes her head in, a mischievous grin spreading across her face. “You ready for this?”
“Ready for what?” I ask, suddenly wary.
“To see your girl,” she says, stepping into the room. “I’ve outdone myself, darling. She looks absolutely stunning.”
My heart rate kicks up a notch. “Is she ready?”
“Almost.” Reaching up, she adjusts my collar. “I just wanted to give you a heads-up. She’s nervous. And I don’t think she realizes how absolutely gorgeous she looks.”
My pulse quickens.
“Side note: You might want to focus on keeping your jaw off the floor when you see her,” Ava winks.
After she leaves, I take one last look in the mirror. The man I’ve become is so different from the kid who left his hometown to chase a dream. Tonight feels pivotal, like everything is about to veer into a whole other direction.
Pulse hammering in my throat, I head downstairs to find Javier in the library, sitting in one of the chairs by the fireplace, nursing a scotch.
“Looking sharp,” he nods approvingly. “The chauffeur just called. He’s about five minutes out.”
“Thanks,” I mutter.
Too distracted to make small talk, my eyes keep darting to the staircase, waiting for a glimpse of Lizzy all dressed up.
Finally, I hear the sound of clicking heels on the marble floor above and my entire body goes still.
I look up to see Leeza with a satisfied smile on her face. Then Ava, who gives me a cheeky grin, pausing for much too long for my heart to take before stepping aside.
Holy. Fucking. Shit.
My breath catches in my throat when Lizzy appears. Wearing an emerald green dress that hugs every curve, her hairis swept up in an elegant twist with a few tendrils framing her face. The dress has a plunging neckline that showcases her collarbones and a plunging depth of cleavage that makes my dick twitch to attention.
Slowly, I walk out of the library and over to the stairs. As soon as Lizzy reaches the bottom, Ava’s voice cuts through my daze when she orders Lizzy to spin.
The turn reveals the back dipping low, exposing the smooth expanse of her luscious skin all the way down to her waist.
