I draw in a calming breath as I feel my suspicion tick toward rage, and pull a black dress from its hanger. I snag a pair of sexy black heels from the shelves lined with brand new women’s shoes- untouched like the new clothes-, and go back down stairs.
When I reach the solarium doors I shove them open, ready to throw them at her and demand her to get dressed- then I see her and my entire chest freezes. Baggy overalls, a lime green crop top, brown gloves. She’s got her blonde hair thrown into a messy bun atop her head, a black bandana over her mouth, and I even from where I stand, I can hear the heavy metal music blasting from her ear pods.
Beautiful.
She doesn’t see me. Doesn’t even know I’m here. She’s too absorbed in this new creation of hers. A day ago it was barely more than a slab of blue marble, but now I can clearly see a muscular chest chiseled out of it. Clear ridges of pectoral and abdominal muscles. A man trapped in stone.
A man that looks…likeme.
I’m enthralled by watching her work, so much so that I forget my anger, forget that I’m standing there like a totaldebilizm-a putz. Then she notices me. Those crystal blue eyes turn in my direction and meet mine, sending a shock of electricity through my entire body.
The hum of heavy metal deadens, she pulls down the bandana from her face, and she smiles. Smiles like she is truly happy to see me.
Fuck.
“How long have you been standing there?” she asks me, stepping down from the raised platform I had built for her so she wouldn’t have to use a ladder. It was safer, steadier than a ladder.
“Not long,” I reply.
She bounds toward me like a happy puppy and I feel my heart begin to race. Clean suit or not, possible betrayal or not, I snatch her up and kiss her hard. On her lips I taste black cherry tea and immediately want more. Cupping the back of her neck, I press her closer and force her lips wider with my own, then thrust my tongue into her mouth.
Her soft whimper has me wanting to rip her dusty, baggy, overalls right off of her and take her right there on the solarium floor. And then reality comes crashing back. What I heard today cannot be ignored. I cannot let great pussy threaten my life- my family.
I pull her away from me, even as my entire body screams for the opposite, and take a step back. She gives me a strange look, but then her eyes widen as she looks me over, and the most adorable blush fills her cheeks.
“Oh, no,” she sighs, starting to brush me off, “Your suit. I got it all dusty.”
The sound of her genuine concern has me lowering my defenses again, and I let out a chuckle as I glance down at the flecks of dust scattered along my black jacket. At least the dress and shoes I still held in my free hand were unscathed.
“It will brush off,” I tell her. I want that concern wiped from her face. I don’t want anything to bother her. Ever.
Catching my thoughts, I clear my throat and take another step back.
“Here,” I say, holding out the dress and shoes.
She gives them a curious look, then goes for her rag so she can clean off her hands and arms.
“What’s that for?” she asks.
“We’re going out,” I tell her. “Soon. So you’ll need to stop for the day and go clean up.”
Her eyes light up and damn it if my heart doesn’t flutter again.
Enough, you fool,I curse silently to my body.
“We are?” she asks, her voice full of excitement.
I nod.
“There’s an auction tonight. The other families will be there. I’ll need you by my side to represent us.”
She takes a long look at the dress and shoes I’m holding, but doesn’t take them.
“You got these for me?” she asks.
“I got you an entire closet full of new clothes. It is you that refuses to wear them,” I say. I don’t hold back the bitterness in my voice; finally having an excuse to show my irritation.
I expect her to fight with me. Yearn for it even. I want proof that she is against me, even just on this subject, but to my surprise, she gives me another guilty look.
