I didn’t like that shit at all. Eventually, the SUV pulled onto a long driveway lined with towering trees. Their branches stretched overhead, swallowing us in darkness as we continued down the winding drive.
I looked over my shoulder. It would be about a mile-long run to get from the beach house back to the main road. I wondered how fast Rome could run. The trees finally opened up, revealing the beach house in the distance.
Under different circumstances, I would've thought it was beautiful. It was the perfect little romantic getaway right on the beach. Unfortunately, I was forced to be here, which made this more like a thriller than a romance.
Off to my right, I noticed a parking garage. He didn't pull into it. Instead, he parked in front of it and switched off the engine. A moment later, he climbed out of the SUV and walked around the vehicle. My door opened. The driver stood there, holding it for me.
"I'll escort you inside to get changed, Ms. Brooks. Please grab your gift."
I looked down at the box. I didn't want to grab it. But what choice did I have? Stepping out of the SUV, I tucked the box against my side and followed him toward the house. He unlocked the back door and held it open for me.
The beach house was dimly lit, with only a few lamps casting soft pools of light throughout the space. Without saying a word, he led me down a hallway before stopping in front of a closed bedroom door. He opened it.
"This is where we part ways, Ms. Brooks."
I stepped inside. The first thing I did was flip on the light. It illuminated the space, and I gasped.How adorable!The room was decorated in pink and rose gold, and I absolutely loved it. I smiled until a thought occurred to me.
Whose room was this?
“Who does this room belong to?” I asked the driver.
“You must ask Mr. Cattaneo that. After you're dressed, please join Mr. Cattaneo in his office," the driver instructed from the doorway. "It's straight down this hall. The last door on the left. He says you have ten minutes to get dressed. If you're not in his office in ten minutes..." The man cleared his throat, leaving the rest of the sentence unfinished.
Message received.
Gritting my teeth, I closed the bedroom door without responding. I carried the box over to the bed and set it down, along with my purse. My fingers worked the ribbon loose before I lifted the lid.
Inside was a black dress. I carefully lifted it from the box. It was simple but elegant. The material was soft. I held it against myself before checking the tag. It was my size. It would be a little snug in the butt and breast area since there wasn't much stretch to it.
But it should fit. I laid the dress across the bed and slowly looked around the room. I didn't see any cameras. That didn't mean there weren't any. Looking back into the box, I realized there was something else inside.
A pair of black thongs. I picked them up with two fingers and stared at them.Seriously, Rome?I looked back toward the dress. Halter top. Which meant I wouldn’t be wearing the sports bra I currently had on.
I closed my eyes and slowly inhaled through my nose.I could do this.I would not get frustrated and tear all this shit up. I would hold it together and see where he was going with this. I would remain patient and keep my smart remarks to myself.
Opening my eyes, I picked up the dress and panties before heading into the bathroom. Leaving my jewelry on, I stripped out of my clothes. I stuffed my socks into my boots and slid them into the corner.
After folding my jeans, shirt, panties, and sports bra, I placed them neatly on the long bathroom counter. Naked, I looked atmyself in the mirror. I needed to do something else with my hair. These pigtails just weren’t doing it for me.
I quickly undid my braids, pulling the tracker hairpins free as I worked. Once I had it unbraided, I slipped the hairpins into the pockets of my folded jeans. Fluffing my curls with my fingers, I shaped them into a cute little afro.
Much better.
After washing my hands, I stepped into the panties. It felt like I wasn’t wearing anything at all. I looked at myself in the mirror. These damn things were see-through. Thankfully, I kept my kitty shaved because...damn.
I turned around to look at myself from the back. All of my brown cheeks were out. I needed to lotion up before I did anything else. I raced into the bedroom and pulled a small bottle of hand lotion from my purse.
Returning to the bathroom, I lotioned up before washing and drying my hands, then pulling the dress over my head. I smoothed the material down over my hips and thighs, allowing it to drop to my ankles.
There was a long split up the leg that I hadn’t noticed at first. Finally, I looked up at my reflection. The first thing I noticed was that the dress was just as sheer as the panties.
"What the hell?"
Turning sideways, I looked over my shoulder. The back dipped low. Very low. Almost to my ass. And because the material was sheer, you could see my ass.
"Fuck you, Rome."
It wasn't like Rome had never seen me naked before. Even so, this was a bit much for an official first meeting. But at least my ass looked good in my dress. My time on the treadmill had me looking right.
