“And what?”
“Well, if your dad has a habit of making things shitty, won’t my presence make it worse?”
“If I cared about what my dad thought, I’d say yes. But I’m a selfish bastard, and the idea of being away from you feels…shittier.” He gives me a winsome smile. “Hell, I even tried. I came down here because I felt like shit, and I didn’t want to wake you, but the only thing that made me feel better was when you showed up and reminded me what’s important, you know?” My heart flutters. “So, what do you say?” he asks. “Will you go with me?”
Will I go with him? Selfishly, I want to say no. And selfishly, I want to say yes, too. I peek up at him. The sincerity in his expression. The little glint of hope in his dark gaze. The softness of his brows. I think…I think he’s telling the truth. I really do make things easier for him. And even though the idea of facing his father isn’t exactly how I’d like to spend an evening, seeing this side of Jagger? The vulnerable side. It’s enough. More than enough. A small part of me wonders if I’d walk through fire for this man just to catch a glimpse of this side of him again. It’s a scary thought, but for some reason I can’t understand, all I feel is…light.
“Vi?” he prods.
With a gentle nod, I murmur, “But what will I wear?”
He smiles. “I’ll have something delivered to your apartment.”
“Are you serious?” My brows raise. “Jagger, I was joking?—”
“It’s a black-tie event.”
“So, you’re saying I won’t be able to find anything appropriate at the thrift store?”
He laughs. “Probably not.”
“Sounds fancy,” I note.
“It is. But first.” Wrapping his arms around my torso, he takes me to the mat, peppering kisses along my sweaty face as I laugh and try to shove him away. I don’t know why I bother. Theman’s twice my size and could dominate me with about a quarter of his energy. Add in that I’m an exhausted mess, and I’m done for. Then again, I have a feeling the man owns me already, even if he doesn’t know it yet.
41
VIOLET
With the exception of Jagger’s home, I’ve never been on this side of Harden Heights. There are rolling hills. Mansions with acres of manicured front yards and winding driveways. Beach front properties with gates and security guards. I can’t help but take it all in with wide eyes. At least, I won’t look like a fish out of water this time, thanks to Jagger fulfilling his promise to buy me an outfit for tonight’s festivities.
I never saw it. The movie.Pretty Woman, I think? The one about the girl who’s a prostitute and winds up dating a sexy millionaire who dresses her up and takes her to fancy restaurants. Or at least, I think that’s the gist. Regardless, I feel like I’m playing the part, and despite wanting to hate it, I look incredible in this dress.
It arrived in a large black box with a pretty white bow. June watched as I opened it, running the obsidian velvet between my fingertips until she insisted I try it on. The dress fit like a glove, wrapping around me and reaching to the floor with a high slit on one side, and a sweetheart neckline. And the short sleeves? They melt off the shoulders in a way that feels seamless, yet oh so deliberate. Add in the pair of black Kate Spade heels, a silvernecklace, and simple stud earrings, along with Lexie’s insistence she handle my makeup while June curled my hair, and I’m pretty sure I’ve never felt more beautiful in my entire life.
“We could always turn around,” Jagger offers. “Go back to my place. Open a bottle of wine.” Lifting our entwined hands, he kisses the back of mine while his opposite rests on the steering wheel in an effortless way. It’s so hot, it shouldn’t be legal.
If I didn’t know any better, I’d say he’s bored. But the truth is, he’s nervous. I can tell by the way he keeps shifting in his seat and fiddling with the music. The signs are subtle, and I doubt most would notice the simple idiosyncrasies, but I do. And even though it’s kind of adorable, I have a feeling the consequences of skipping tonight would be less than palatable. And if that’s the case, then I can’t be the one to let him off the hook. Not without a little fight, anyway.
“You’re right. We could totally turn around,” I tell him. “But then this dress would go to waste, and what a shame it would be. Don’t you think?”
His eyes heat, trailing along my exposed clavicle and shoulders. “Don’t worry. I’d make sure you got plenty of use out of it.”
My brows raise. “Oh?”
“Mm-hmm.” He kisses the back of my hand again like he can’t help himself, his lips lingering on my skin. “Bunch it up around your waist and take you from behind.”
My eyes widen even more as I picture it. The idea of Jagger behind me, pushing into me, my dress bunched up around my waist. Not gonna lie, it sounds hot as hell…and totally inappropriate considering we’re on our way to his family’s banquet.
“I picked one with a slit on purpose,” he adds, convinced I’m close to caving and letting him turn his truck around. “I can see it now?—”
“Of course, you can.” I snort in an attempt to dispel the hazy but oh so toe-curlingly good picture he’s painted. If it were any other circumstance, I would totally cave, but not tonight. “And maybe, if you’re lucky, I’ll let you follow through on those plans. But first, we need to get through this banquet.”
His expression sours. “Why?”
“Because your father requested it,” I remind him. “Despite knowing you have no problem giving him two middle fingers in everything you do, since I’m kind of the girlfriend, and this is kind of our coming out party, and I’m kind of wearing the prettiest dress I’ve ever seen in my entire life, it would be kind of nice if I made a decent first impression.”
“Kind of huh?”
