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“Behave yourself,” Hana says. She looks at Mack. “I’m sure she will. She’s a good girl.”
Caro elbows her hard. I close my eyes for a moment. When I open them, Mack’s giving us all a wry look as opens the door and holds out his hand to me. “Shall we?”
I slide mine into his, throw them a glare, and follow him out to the car.
He walks me around to the back passenger door and opens it for me. That’s enough to melt my heart, and the evening hasn’t even started yet.
I let go of his hand reluctantly, get in, try as elegantly as I can to swing my legs in, then watch him stalk around to the other side.
Then, for the first time, I look at the driver. “Oh, hello.”
“Evening.” He smiles at me in the rear-view mirror. “I’m Jamie.”
“Sidnie.” I reach a hand over his shoulder. He laughs and shakes it as Mack slides in next to me.
“I was just introducing myself,” I say.
My heart is racing. I’m terrified and excited and ecstatic and sad all rolled into one. I like him so much. Now I just have to wait and see if the evening plays out the way I’m hoping.
Chapter Five
Mack
Jamie drives the car to the end of Sidnie’s street to join the traffic heading into the city.
It’s a little after seven, and the sun is setting on top of the tall buildings of the CBD to the west. The city glows orange, and shadows lie across the street like fallen trees.
I haven’t slept much the last few nights, caught up in my latest research project. Tonight, the strange buzz that accompanies being overtired has kicked in, and I feel wired, too afraid to sit still in case I fall asleep.
I glance across at her. The silver-gray dress she’s wearing has ridden up to reveal her long, slender legs that I’m sure, after her comment about applying body lotion, are going to be soft and silky smooth. She said she wasn’t going to wear any underwear—was that just a line, or is she really going commando?
Back at the house, I noticed that she’s wearing high-heeled sandals, and she’s painted her toenails a sexy cherry red. This girl knows how to ring every bell I possess.
She’s released her hair from its clip, and it looks freshly washed, cascading down past her shoulders in a mass of glorious golden curls. She’s going to turn every head at Huxley’s tonight. And she’s with me. I know I’m wealthy, but right now I could be penniless and I’d still feel a million dollars with her on my arm.
She looks nervous, though, her spine stiff, her hands clasped in her lap.
“So,” I say. “You let your friends read my texts? I should put you across my knee for that.”
She glances at Jamie, who I can see is hiding a laugh, then back at me, maybe not sure whether I’m joking. “I’m so sorry,” she says. “They didn’t read all of them. They happened to be standing there when you made the good girl comment.”
“I don’t care—I’m teasing you because you look nervous.”
Her blue eyes are large and alluring with their smoky-gray eyeshadow. “Sorry, it’s my default setting. I’ve had a couple glasses of wine, though, and that’s helping.” She clears her throat. “So Gus isn’t coming with us this evening?”
“No, he’s at home with Jamie’s girlfriend. He doesn’t like parties.”
“Gus or Jamie?”
Jamie grins at us in the rear-view mirror. “Both,” he says.
She runs her fingers along the wooden inlay of the Aston. “This car is beautiful.”
“She is,” I reply. “She drives like a dream, too.”
“She’s big, powerful, and sleek. A bit like you.” She wrinkles her nose at me.
I chuckle. “Thank you.”
