toward Dane when he came to stand next to me, taking his hand as I smiled up at him. “So, boss. What’s next?”
Chapter 20
DANE
Back at the hotel after the photo shoot, Leah and I had parted ways to go to our separate rooms to get ready for the rooftop party. I’d organized a limo to drive us there, and I was waiting for her outside it.
Nervousness wasn’t an emotion I was overly familiar with these days, but I felt it as I watched the doors, waiting for the moment she would appear. Something weird was going on with me. Something that had occurred to me when I’d called a stop to a photo shoot being done by a revered photographer just because Leah had been looking a little uncomfortable.
I’d acted like a protective boyfriend, jumping in at the merest sign of distress. But I definitely wasn’t a fucking boyfriend and she definitely wasn’t a damsel in distress.
It had felt like the right thing to do at the time, though. Whether it was something I’d said or something the assistant had said, I didn’t know, but Leah had come into her own after our little timeout. So I couldn’t bring myself to regret it.
For now, I was leaving it at having done what was necessary to save the shoot. Even if the way I’d behaved hadn’t been ideal. Thankfully, it wasn’t the first time I was dealing with these people. They knew me well enough to know that I did what I wanted, when I wanted. As long as it got the job done.
Movement at the doors drew me out of my thoughts, and I nearly fell over when I caught sight of Leah appearing in the glow coming from inside. She was dressed to the nines, looking like an actual fucking princess in a sleek gown, gloves that came up to her elbows, and what appeared to be a delicate tiara woven into her hair.
I wasn’t much of a fairytale guy, but I’d get behind this princess any day of the week. Letting out a low whistle as she approached the car, I put my hands together in a slow clap and made no secret of checking her out.
“You look amazing,” I said, leaning forward to plant a kiss on her cheek when she finally came to stand in front of me. “Where did you get that dress? I don’t recall seeing it that day at the boutique.”
The silvery, pale pink color of the material seemed to change when she moved. It was unique enough that I’d definitely have remembered it, especially considering the low back and the high slit.
“Jefferson sent it to the hotel for me,” she said, glancing down at it. “It was waiting in a box in my room when we got back. The gloves, tiara, and shoes were in there too.”
“He thinks of everything,” I said, stepping back to take another look at her. “You truly do look stunning. Do you like it?”
She smiled softly. “It’s not my regular style, but I’m becoming okay with stepping outside my comfort zone, so yes. I do like it.”
“You’re going to be the most beautiful girl at the party,” I said sincerely, but she laughed and gave my arm a playful swat.
“Stop being cheesy,” she said as she rolled her eyes and moved past me to get to the limo. “On the other hand, I like cheese. Maybe you should keep being cheesy and we’ll see if you get lucky at the end of the night.”
I rubbed my hands together like a villain, arching a brow as I reached past her to get the door. “Oh, I get it. Now that you’ve sampled the goods, you just can’t wait to get to me again.”
“It must be tough being such a sex god,” she teased, her soft laughter drifting to me as she climbed into the limo.
I ducked in after her, fighting to keep a somber expression on my face. “It really is. I prefer to be noticed for my intellectual capabilities, but that just doesn’t happen often enough.”
“Poor baby.” She reached up to cup my cheek, her touch light as she stroked her fingertip across my cheekbone. “Now you’ve gone and made me want to throw a rainbow at you.”
Her response was so unexpected that I burst out laughing. She dropped her hand from my face, winked, and scooted back an inch. “That one usually stops people from fake pouting.”