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And I’m immediately suspicious.
I fold the dress over one arm and head back down the stairs to the kitchen where Sloan and Levi are talking.
“So what the fuck is this all about?” I ask, gesturing to the pile of fabric over my arm.
I expect Levi to finally come clean about whatever he’s been so smug about, but it’s Sloan who answers me, much to my surprise.
“There’s a party this weekend,” he says. “We’re all going, and you’re coming with us. We thought you might need something to wear.”
He casts a glance up and down my jeans and t-shirt, and I narrow my eyes at him.
?
?Are you sure you want me to come?” I ask him. “After the last time you guys took me out, you didn’t seem to approve of my behavior.” I let my voice go dry and sarcastic, so there’s no way he can miss just how I feel about that.
He narrows his eyes right back at me, heat springing into those storm gray depths.
“Then you’ll just have to be on your best behavior this time, won’t you?” he asks, and it’s not teasing even a little. It’s like he’s almost daring me to piss him off at this party, to give him another excuse to haul me into a room alone.
And fuck. I’ve been doing so well at not thinking about that, not giving him the satisfaction of knowing how fucking hot it still is that we did that. Even standing right there, I can feel that clench in my core, the desperate pull that makes me really want to test him, just to see what he’s going to do about it.
My tongue darts out to lick my lips, and I watch his gaze follow the motion, willing myself not to blush and give my own arousal away.
“I know I say this so much I sound like a broken record at this point,” I say, putting my free hand on my hip. “But you’re not the boss of me. I can do what I want.”
Before he can reply, I turn on my heel and go back upstairs with the dress, heart racing just a little.
As annoyed as I am by Sloan, I have to admit—to myself in my own head—that I’m looking forward to this party a little bit. For one thing, it’ll be with other Black Rose members, more than likely, which will give me another chance to learn about the organization and what they might be up to. Ever since I followed Rory to Jen’s house last weekend, my information gathering hasn’t gone anywhere, and this is a chance to fix that.
For another thing, I’m still a bit stir-crazy. I like the idea of going out, and looking nice while doing it.
The next night, the guys tell me to be ready by eight, and they disappear into their rooms to get ready while I do the same. I shower and shave and even take the time to put on some makeup and curl my hair.
If I’m going to be wearing a gorgeous dress, then the rest of me might as well match it, I figure. I don’t get dressed up often, but the few occasions that call for it seem to be a good chance to go all-out.
I line my eyes with liner and a little gold sparkle, making them pop and really bringing out how green they are. My lipstick matches the dress, bright red and killer. I leave my hair loose, letting it fall over my shoulders in soft dark curls that I pin back on one side to keep out of my face.
The dress feels good on me when I step into it, and of course it fits perfectly. I have no idea where the guys got it, or how they guessed my measurements so accurately, but I’m not complaining. It’s comfortable and beautiful, and when I move to go put shoes on, I realize there’s a slit up the side that goes all the way to my thigh, showing a lot of leg.
Grabbing my phone, I head out of my room. I feel sexy as hell as I walk down the stairs later, the dress moving around my ankles as I do.
The guys are already gathered in the living room, talking in low voices, and I get a good look at them before they see me. Of course they look fucking amazing. I haven’t seen any one of them look bad in anything yet.
Like when we went to Sapphire a couple weeks ago, they’re dressed in casual, but nice outfits, clearly designed to show off how well built they all are.
Levi and Sloan are in dark colors, black slacks and a black shirt for Sloan, the sleeves not rolled up this time, but the top two buttons of his shirt undone, showing skin there that my gaze immediately goes to. Levi’s shirt is a rich gray with a slight pattern to it, tucked into his black slacks. It shows off the spread of his shoulders and the trimness of his waist.
Rory’s the only one other than me who isn’t monochrome tonight, and his blue shirt makes his green eyes seem even brighter than normal and sets off the golden tones in his hair.
He’s the first one to see me as I come down, and he stops mid-sentence to stare at me. “Holy shit,” he murmurs.
The other two turn to look, and I fight the urge to blush as all three of them ogle me a little, taking me in from head to toe, paying special attention to the flash of thigh seen through the slit in my dress.
Rory comes over and gives a low whistle and then drags a knuckle down my bare arm, setting off goosebumps in the wake of his touch.
“We did a good job,” Levi says.
“Oh sure, give yourselves all the credit,” I reply, making a face.
