The next second, the screen lit up with Ryker’s name. I debated answering, but instead rejected the call, typing yet another message.
Heather: I’ll call you after I put Avery to bed, okay? About half an hour.
Ryker’s reply came almost immediately.
Ryker: Non-PG 13 call? I like the sound of it.
I blushed violently. I finished Avery’s routine with ten minutes to spare, took the invitations, and darted to my bedroom. It was small—since I was single, I’d left the bigger bedroom to Avery, and even that wasn’t too much space. I’d pushed a small double bed against the wall and had a tiny nightstand next to it. My dresser was just at the foot of the bed.
Instead of calling Ryker right away, I took a dress out of my closet. It had a black lace corset and golden organza skirt that flowed to the floor. I’d worn it at a newspaper event at the Plaza but hadn’t had another occasion worthy of this beauty since. I slipped it on, admiring myself in the mirror.
Even my messy hair looked as if it was messy on purpose. Of course, it helped that the room was semidark, hiding any imperfection, giving me a mysterious air. For a brief second, I forgot all my troubles. I wasn’t a reporter chasing her bonus or a single mom. I was a woman.
My blood thrummed when Ryker called. Thirty minutes on the dot, as if he didn’t want to give me a chance to change my mind.
I picked up the phone, returning in front of the mirror, admiring the dress some more.
“Heather,” Ryker greeted in a low, gravelly voice. If I closed my eyes, I could almost imagine he was in the same room with me.
“Hi! I was just about to call you.”
“So....”
“You made good on that promise to win me over,” I said.
“I did well, didn’t I?”
“Yes. She was so happy, feeling like a lady.”
“I’m glad to hear it.”
“You did it on purpose, didn’t you?”
“I’m not going to answer that. So is that a yes?”
“Well, I’m trying on a dress right now, so I guess you have your answer.”
“Describe it to me.” His voice sounded even more gravelly than before. Dangerous, somehow. I licked my lips.
My voice trembled lightly as I spoke next. “It has a tight corset out of black lace. The skirt is organza.”
He said nothing.
“Are you having trouble picturing it?”
“Yes. All I come up with is you wearing absolutely nothing.”
Holy shit! A flash of heat lit up my body. I gripped the edge of the mirror with my free hand, leaned my forehead against the cool surface. It was no use.
“Goodnight, Ryker. I’ll see you at the gala,” I said. “I can’t wait.”
My breath was still shaky when I hung up. The tips of my breasts turned hard, brushing against the fabric of the bodice. The contact of the dress on my outer thighs made my skin turn to goose bumps, as if Ryker was here, touching me. I wouldn’t be able to wear this dress and not remember this exact moment, when he’d made my entire body feel like a live wire.
Chapter Eleven
Heather
On the day of the ball, I received a message from one of Ryker’s sisters, Tess, asking me if I wanted to come earlier. I jumped at the opportunity. I was curio