ME: Jesus Evie
ME: I don’t understand. Are you making the damned dress?
EVIE: Almost there I said!
ME: You said that twice already
EVIE: And I meant it twice!!
Any texts after that went ignored and I wound up sitting in the back of the car for another twenty minutes, killing time by checking scores around the league. But just as my patience ran up again and I whipped out my phone, she texted me first.
EVIE: I’m here
“Finally,” I groaned, climbing out of the car. I stretched my shoulders and massaged the back of my neck as I stepped onto the sidewalk, and just as a large group passed in front of me, I spotted Evie.
She was turned around, talking to the bouncer and as my eyes took her in, I felt my jaw drop.
Fuck. Me.
My hand slid slowly off the back of my neck as I soaked in the sight of her wearing a black dress, a lace choker and a ponytail so high and bouncy I wanted to wrap it around my hand while I spanked her all night. She deserved it for the way she stood all cute – hip cocked and skirt stretched all tight skirt over that gorgeous ass. Christ. That ass. There was no way in hell she was wearing panties under there. I’d bet anyone my entire fucking apartment that she wasn’t.
Suddenly, I forgot about the hour-and-a-half wait it took to get to this point because the view in front of me now was something I could stare at all night. I was pretty sure it didn’t get better than this.
But then she turned around.
11
EVIE
Breathe, Evie. Lock those knees, girl.
I needed the reminder as I stared at Drew Maddox staring at me. He looked scary good in a crisp white button down with his hair still kind of wet. Did wet hair make me picture him in the shower? Sure did. Did I need that image in my head when I was already breathless from just the way he looked at me?
Nope.
But I’d asked for this.
Admittedly, I got dolled the fuck up for this impromptu hang, but who wouldn’t? In all likelihood, I was going to be photographed by strangers and paparazzi all night. I’d already seen the way it happened yesterday morning, and I could only assume the cameras came out faster at clubs and bars where it was darker, and people were drunker, more brazen.
Also, today’s tabloid pieces on yesterday’s date had quickly piqued an interest in me, which meant tonight, some gossip hounds might actually recognize my face. And that meant I was going to be watched and scrutinized way more than I’d been just yesterday.
So why not dress up like crazy?
I don’t know. Maybe to avoid moments where he looks at you like this and you wonder why not just fuck him for fun since the world already thinks you are?
Also a valid point.
Because while I’d been dealing with male attention for about fifteen years, nothing – and I mean nothing – in the world could prepare me for the way Drew was looking at me now.
He stood so still but that wolfish stare drank me in. His enormous body was completely unmoving as those green eyes traveled shamelessly up my legs then to my hips before getting caught on my breasts. I couldn’t help but feel a thrill for the fact that I’d fully captivated something so big and powerful. It made me feel objectively sexy, which was far different than feeling normal sexy – and for all the confidence I had, it was definitely something I’d never felt before in my life.
“Hi,” I said once I couldn’t take the heat of his stare any longer. Drew looked up at me.
“Hi.”
“So… are you going to take me inside or what?” I asked. I cocked my head when he just blinked, seeming to have forgotten that that was why I was here. When he finally shook his head and offered no further detail, I frowned. “What? Why not?”
“Because there’s no way in hell I’m letting the guys go near you right now.”