My whole body heats in a good-bad way. Especially as he slowly nears me, never breaking from my gaze. And then his hands fall to my waist. And then lower. To my ass. My heart thuds. Especially as his hands vanish beneath my dress.
Oh wait…he saw me bend down and…
He snaps the hem of my panties, and I almost crumble in his arms.
“Where’d you get these?” he asks, turning me around, so my ass faces him. And then he lifts up my dress. I’m caught already.
“They were supposed to be a surprise,” I tell him as he checks out my butt, and he even squeezes. I can’t—holy shit. “Lo…” My breath shallows.
He kisses my neck and then rotates me once more, my ass no longer his visual. My arousal has peaked a little bit. And he says, “Later tonight, I’m fucking you hard.”
I nod with growing eyes. Yes. Yes, please.
He spanks me lightly. Oh my God. I fling my arms around his waist, holding on tight. This is nice.
“Do you need me to zip you?” he asks.
“Wha…？” I frown.
“Your dress, Lil.”
“Oh yeah. Sure.”
Without moving me, he raises the zipper up to my shoulder blades. My sisters’ chatter in the closet is muffled by the wall, and for the most part, a heavy silence falls in Rose’s room.
I look up at him and realize he’s no longer smiling from ear-to-ear. He seems far off in thought.
Under his breath, he says, “I came in here to talk to you about tonight.”
“Oh…” It’s one of the last Hale Co. events before the board picks a new CEO. During it, Moffy and Jane will be with the best babysitter in the world. Poppy even told me that was her official title, so I haven’t worried too much about him.
Now the meaning behind this event hits me like a tidal wave. Lo and I haven’t talked about the CEO position much. There’s been this quiet understanding between Ryke, Daisy, Lo and me that we’re all trying to win the spot for each other.
Lo holds my face, his fingers now combing through my hair. “Lil…” His eyes bore into mine, so powerful that it steals my breath. “I need you to believe in me.”
The bottom of my stomach drops. “I do…I always do.”
He licks his lips. “Then please, trust me to take this job. No one thinks I can handle it, but I at least need you to.”
I frown deeply. For me, it’s always been more than his addiction. “I don’t want you to work for Hale Co. if you don’t want to.”
“I’m telling you, I want to.”
I don’t know if I believe him. And that’s what he’s asking of me. That’s the scary part.
His chest falls heavily as he reads my reaction. “Please, Lil.”
He’s asking me to self-sabotage. I see it in his eyes. I open my mouth but nothing comes out at first. I want to believe him. More than anything.
He draws me closer to his body. “I would be more hurt watching you in Hale Co. than I ever would by being there. I don’t want to suffer through that. Please.” The conviction and sincerity in his voice pushes me to one side and solidifies my choice.
I don’t hesitate this time. “Okay,” I agree, and my anxiety starts to lessen. I’d planned to schmooze tonight—or at least try and put my best foot forward, even if it’s like swimming with sharks.
He exhales like I just lifted a hundred pound weight off his chest. It makes me feel like I chose right this time. He hugs me and then kisses my temple. “Thank you.”
I whisper, “Not that I was your biggest competition.” I ranked near the bottom of the list. Daisy and Ryke are far worthier adversaries.
I can sense him smiling before I even look up. “You were a great opponent,” he tells me. “I think Ryke was scared of you.”
I perk up. “Really?”
He nods. “Oh yeah.” He partially teases me, and I punch his arm lightly. He mock winces and rubs the spot.
“What do I do then?” I ask him. “Should I not go?”
“No, you have to go,” he tells me. “Just be standoffish. Stay by a plant or something and eat.”
“Like we usually do?” I ask with a smile.
He doesn’t share it. “I have to talk with the board, so you’ll be alone…”
Oh. Right. “Yeah, yeah,” I say softly. “I can be aloof though.” It’s my natural state of being. “I’m rooting for you, just so you know.”
He breaks into a laugh, his eyes welling with tears—like it’s the first time he’s heard those words. In this context, I realize that it most likely is.