“Right, well, I…” I jerk my head toward the stairs, and Glen nods.
“Of course, of course. We won’t keep you. See you in there.”
I nod. “Yep. See you.”
I breathe a sigh of relief as they step away, down the hall and toward the main party, and I turn back to look up the stairs again with a grin.
But the air arrests mid-movement, and my chest seizes in toward my heart.
In fact, I find it so hard to maintain my normal basic human functions, my hand has to go out to the rail to hold me up.
At the top of the stairs, in a fittingly ruby-red gown, the woman of my dreams looks down at me with big, magically engaging blue eyes and shrugs.
Ruby.
Dear God.
I put the other hand to my chest as a smile lights my face on fire. She is fucking stunning. I can’t help the power of my beam, can’t hold it back. But I’m surprised to find it’s actually just the icebreaker my sometimes companion needs.
Ruby’s face reciprocates wildly, pulling into the most radiant smile I’ve ever had the pleasure of receiving. I wait patiently as she gathers the silken material of her gown at the front in one hand and grabs for the rail with the other. She watches her feet painstakingly as she moves down the stairs, and I take the opportunity to study every beautiful aspect of her form without restriction.
The contour of the dress is formfitting and pulls her breasts up and together in a daring display, thanks to the V-shaped neckline. The flattering material hugs the perfectly curved lines of her hips, and it isn’t until the bottom, at about the level of her calves, that the material kicks out in a bell-shaped skirt.
I wait eagerly for her eyes to meet mine again—for the fall of sexy, curled, blond hair to move back to a position that reveals her face—and will my heart to slow.
It’s never raced like this before, and I don’t know what to make of it. Surely, I didn’t have any more caffeine today than I’ve had any other day.
But maybe I’m developing an intolerance?
I move back a step as Ruby makes it to the bottom of the staircase, to allow her to get both feet on flat ground. She lets go of the material of her dress, swipes both hands down over her abdomen and hips self-consciously, and then finally meets my eyes.
I don’t hesitate. “You look beautiful, Ruby.”
She blushes, but I’m not done, so I push onward. “You always look beautiful. But tonight—tonight, you take my breath away.”
Heated cheeks accompany a drawn brow in her expression, and the combination of the two throws up a red flag. The woman who walked into the hair and makeup room is peeking around from behind the woman who came out, and I’m not ready for the full transition.
I hold out an arm before she can comment with something that will belittle my compliment. Because for all of my showboating and plotting and one-liners, I meant what I just said with a sincerity even I can’t comprehend. “Shall we?”
She nods and then looks me up and down. I’ve been through a makeover since we last saw each other too, having traded in my jeans, flannel, and boots for a tux and dress shoes. She doesn’t say anything, but it’s quite obvious she’s noticed.
I loop her arm through mine to guide her to the hall, and then put a hand to the small of her back as we walk side by side.
She fidgets nervously, rubbing the fingertips of her free hand against the front of her dress, and I tense my fingers at her back like a reflex born out of a need to comfort her.
“So…” she hums, looking down the long hall in front of us and then glancing up at me. “What exactly should I expect here? Elephants? Silk dancers? Or, like, a Presidential State Dinner?”
I laugh at her imagination and smile. “Somewhere in between, I’d say. My dad isn’t really into the whole dog and pony show, but Vicky is. She likes to keep up a certain appearance, and my dad likes to keep her happy. It’s all very complicated.”
She shrugs and giggles a little. “I don’t know. That kind of sounds like every married couple I’ve ever met. Just…with a lot of money.”
“Are you saying my parents are normal?” I grin suspiciously. “Because I’m having a hard time believing that’s what I hear you saying.”
She laughs. “Well, I don’t know. You’d know better than me, seeing as I haven’t officially met them yet. I’m just saying their dynamic doesn’t sound all that out of the ordinary.”
When we turn the corner at the end of the hall, the lights from the tent shine through the open French doors and reflect in Ruby’s wide eyes.