* * *
"Whoa!" Shawna paused on the sidewalk outside her Brooklyn apartment complex and gaped at the limousine idling in the street.
"You went all out."
"Not me," I said dryly, checking out her tight red shorts and strategically slashed Six-Ninths screened T-shirt.
Her bright hair had been pulled up and teased, and her lips were painted to match her shorts.
She looked hot and ready to party, and I felt vindicated in my clothing choice of ultra-short black leather pleated skirt, fitted white ribbed tank top, and cherry red sixteen-eye Doc Martens.
Gideon, who'd had his back to us while talking to Angus, turned to face us, and I found myself as dumbstruck now as I'd been when I first saw him after he had showered and changed.
He wore loose-fitting black jeans and a plain black T-shirt with heavy black boots and somehow made the severely casual combination look so f**king sexy, I wanted to jump his bones.
As Dark and Dangerous as he was in a suit, he was even more so when ready to rock.
He looked younger and every bit as mouthwateringly gorgeous.
"Holy shit, tell me that's for me," Shawna whispered, gripping my wrist like a vise.
"Hey, you've got your own.
That one's mine."
And it gave me a huge thrill to say so.
Mine to claim, to touch, to kiss.
And later on, to f**k to exhaustion.
Oh yeah .
She laughed when I rocked onto my tiptoes in anticipation.
"All right.
I'll settle for an introduction."
I did the honors, then waited for her to hop into the limo first.
I was about to climb in after her when I felt Gideon's hand slide up beneath my skirt to squeeze my butt.
He pressed against my back and whispered in my ear, "Make sure I'm standing behind you when you bend over, angel, or I'll be spanking this pretty ass."
Turning my head, I leaned my cheek against his.
"My period's over."
He growled, his fingertips biting into the flesh of my hip.
"Why didn't you tell me that earlier?" "Delayed gratification, ace," I told him, using a phrase he'd once tormented me with.
I was laughing at his curse when I dropped onto the bench seat beside Shawna.
Angus slid behind the wheel and we headed out, breaking into a bottle of Armand de Brignac on the way.
By the time we pulled up to Tableau One, a hot new fusion bistro that had a healthy line out front and energetic music pouring out onto the street, the combination of the champagne and Gideon's hot gaze on the nearly indecent hemline of my skirt had me feeling giddy.