to be . . . but you’re going to charm and captivate everyone.” His compliments bolster me, at least enough to get out the door. “Now, let’s go. The car looks great after it’s detailed.”
I can’t really notice too much of a difference. I think Scott’s ride always looks amazing, but the inside does smell great, and as we drive over, it almost feels like I’m riding a horse, the rich smell of saddle oil giving me good vibes. “We use this same oil at the shelter.”
“Really?” Scott asks, surprised. “What for?”
“The leashes and collars. May got them for free but then had to pay the money on the oil to keep them in good condition.”
Scott keeps up his questions, and I know what he’s doing. He’s trying to keep my mind busy, and his distractions mostly work, but as I see the Danger Tower approaching, I start trembling. When I see the twin search lights stabbing the sky and the traffic starts to back up as we circle the block in a line of limos and other cars, Scott reaches over, patting my hand. “Relax. It’ll all be okay.”
“Tell me again who’s going to be here,” I say, needing the names fresh in my head even though I’ve already memorized them.
Scott indulges me again. “My dad and my mom, my brother and sister, but you’ve got all of them pegged. The business folks to know are Neil Johnson from Lightspeed—that’s Chase’s proposal company. Kenny Mackleroy from AlphaSystems—that’s mine. And Winnifred Smith from—that’s Olivia’s company. All the rest of the people there will be executives and staff of Danger Enterprises, one of the three proposed companies, or a date, maybe a few city bigwigs. That’s it, my family and three company head honchos are all you have to remember. The rest is just regular mingling like you do on a Saturday night at Stella’s.”
I nod, feeling like the names are solid in the forefront of my brain, and give him a tight smile as we’re waved to the front of the line, pulling even with the red carpet. Scott jumps out, leaving the valet to handle the driver’s side and quickly coming around to my door. The flashes startle me as he opens the door to help me out, but I do my best to grasp his offered hand and then take his elbow. “See? Nothing to it,” Scott remarks quietly, just for me, as he gives another nod to a photographer. “Listen to them. They think you’re amazing. They don’t know the half of it. If they only knew that your pussy is the most delicious thing I’ve ever tasted, they’d be amazed. But I’m not sharing. Your pussy is mine.”
The shock of Scott’s words hits my brain, and for a split second, I’m sure I look like a deer in the headlights, but then I laugh, which I’m sure was his goal all along. I hear a mad rush of clicks as photographers catch our interaction, my laughing smile and his cocky smirk.
His obscene humor calms me and turns me on, making all this seem less important than the two of us. At least for a moment, which is all I need to get myself in check.
I start to look around as we walk toward the grand entrance, taking in the scene surrounding me. Everyone looks like somebody, and the fact that Scott is proud to have me on his arm is doing wonders for my self-esteem. He’s showing me off to the cameras and giving waves and nods to some of the other people he knows. And each time, I see . . . do I see approval?
Oh, my God, I do. It calms my nerves bit by bit, but as we enter the atrium of the Tower, my heart jumps again when Scott’s steps tighten and he leans over. “My family is just ahead. See my father?”
I’ve never seen Robert Danger in person before, but I’ve studied his photograph over the past week as I’ve tried to prepare for this. I give Scott a nod, but my feet feel like they’re weighed down with concrete.
He smiles at me, guiding me to his family. He raises his voice, greeting them. “Glad to see everyone. Mother, it’s been too long.” There’s a formality to his voice that I’m not used to, and I realize this is Executive Scott Danger. He sounds detached, professional, and while his baritone is sexy no matter what, I prefer his more casual, teasing