Risking the Crown (The Crown 2)

“Oh yeah, this is the one. The smartass.” He chuckled.

I leaned into my chair. “Hey, there.”

“It’s not Friday, and I know a lot of idiots wait for that three-day calling rule, but you’ll learn quickly I don’t play by those rules.”

I sat forward in my chair. He had my full attention.

“I’m coming to pick you up,” he reported.

“You are?” I almost choked on my wine.

“Text me your address and I’ll be there in half an hour.”

“Where are we going?” I hadn’t agreed, but he hadn’t asked either.

“It’s a surprise.”

I twisted my lips together. I liked this kind of game. “What kind of surprise?”

“You’ll see.” He paused. “And wear something short. I like your legs.”

My eyes widened. Had he been checking out my legs last night? I knew I should say something about how objectified that made me feel, but it didn’t. I was turned on.

“And if I can’t find something short? You know I haven’t unpacked everything,” I taunted.

He chuckled. “I think you’ll find something. Send me the address. I’ve changed my mind—I’ll be there in twenty.”

He hung up and my screen went black.

Holy shit. I gulped the rest of the wine either as a way to convince myself to keep moving forward or so later I could tell myself I was going along with this because I was tipsy. Either way it was pumping through my veins and I hustled to my room to find a short skirt to show off my legs for a man I barely knew.

I cursed myself for not unpacking sooner. I shoved one box out of the way and then another until I found one that had my going out clothes. Nightlife in New Bern wasn’t exactly exciting, but I did go out for drinks sometimes and in the past year I’d had a few dates. The problem was most of them never lead to a second or third date. It was one more reason moving to bigger city made sense.

I pulled a black dress out of the box and quickly dashed to the bathroom to reapply my makeup.

Twenty minutes later there was a knock at the door.

I ran through the living room and the narrow kitchen, pulling the door open.

Vaughn filled the frame. His eyes sparked and immediately dropped to my thighs.

“Sexy.” He waggled his eyebrows.

I stepped back to let him in, feeling confident he liked the dress. It was the shortest black one I had.

“And where am I going in this short dress?” I asked.

He walked into the living room and looked around. “I told you it was a surprise.”

He looked just as edible as he had last night. Part of me was reassured he wasn’t a dream or a vision I had concocted. He was wearing dark charcoal pants that showed how athletic his shape was. He had a crisp white buttoned shirt. And he was wearing the same intoxicating cologne.

“This is a cool place.” He walked towar

d the deck. “You said you have a roommate?”

I stood next to him. I had left the lights on and they twinkled from the posts.

“Yes. We were college roommates. Five years later we’re living together again. I think it will be fun.”