to tip them, they waved me off.
“Please, honey,” Juan began. “Brad has tipped us well over what is normal. You’re good.” He placed his brushes in his oversize pouch and zipped it up.
“Over is an understatement,” Carole added with a wink. “I hope you have another made-up evening real soon. Have fun.”
After our farewell greeting, they left, and I nearly skipped to the bathroom. I shut the door and took in the beauty in my full-length mirror that hung on the back of my door.
“Wow. Take that, Replacement Girl.” I popped out a hip and pushed out my nonexistent chest. “This is going to be fun.”
An hour later, I slipped into the body-hugging, boob-enhancing, floor-length, backless dress. The shimmery blue V-neck spaghetti strap dress fit tightly up to my thighs and then tapered off in waves of simple ruffled fabric and into a mermaid tail. But the showstopper was the back of the dress—or lack thereof—where the beginning of the fabric cinched at my tailbone.
The knock on the door had my body tensing.
“One second.” I did one more mirror check. Then, I grabbed my purse, slipped on my heels, and rushed to the door. “Brad?”
“Did you invite someone else to this wedding?”
Crap. There was no way he could come into my apartment. First and foremost, it was a mess. Second … my eyes followed the poster of him full of dart holes on my wall.
Yep. Nope, can’t let him see that.
“Coming.” I hurried and slipped into the hallway, and my eyes took him in.
All of him. In a tailored navy-blue suit, a skinny gray tie, and a smile that could drop panties anywhere.
Goodness, Brad was a fine sight.
My thought from earlier popped back into my head. Yes, this was going to be fun.
Brad
I blinked. Whatever I was going to say got jammed in my throat.
From the curls to the light sheen of pink on her cheeks and lips and the dress that fit as though it had been made for her, Sonia was magnificent—a princess in real fucking life.
“You’re beautiful,” I whispered without a second thought.
She stared, quietly, and her piercing eyes locked with mine. Then, as though she snapped back to attention, she playfully slapped my shoulder. “You aren’t too bad yourself.”
Without her eyeglasses, her brown eyes shone brighter. She looked like a different woman—still Sonia, but enhanced—one who showed her beauty and didn’t hide it.
She turned around and headed to the elevators, and I stopped breathing. Her bare back was the sexiest thing I’d ever seen. I wanted to run my finger from the base to the top of her slim, pale neck and then back down again but this time with my tongue.
I swallowed.
Shit, I was in trouble. Deep shit trouble because I doubted all the self-control in the world and all the big-brother threats would keep me away from this woman.
This was going to be an interesting night. That was for sure.
When we stepped off the elevator and into the lobby, a low, hoarse whistle had me turning to the side.
“Hot damn, Sonia.”
A taller male with light hair and dark gray eyes and a coffee mug in hand walked toward us. When he reached for Sonia, my whole body tensed.
“Kyle.” She lit up, moved toward him, and wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him in greeting. “You’re back from South America.”
My jaw locked, and I stifled a growl in my throat. Where the hell did that come from?
When he wrapped his arms tightly around her waist, my hands fisted at my sides.
“I am. Just got back yesterday.” He held her at arm’s length, and his eyes took her in from the curls on the top of her head to her sexy neckline.
When his hand skimmed the bare of her back, I gritted my teeth and forced my body to stay put even though every molecule in me wanted to pounce and pull her back against me.
He wanted her. There was no doubt. I could read it in the way he leaned into her, the look of longing in his eyes. I could also read that Sonia was utterly clueless about it.
They made small talk before I cleared my throat and introduced myself. I stepped between them and offered my hand. “Brad.”
“I’m sorry,” Sonia said. “Brad, Kyle. Kyle, Brad.” She motioned between us, and his smile slipped as though he’d just noticed I was in the room.
For shit’s sake, we’d walked down together.
“Hey, man.” Then, he eyed Sonia with curiosity. “Date?”
“Wedding,” she clarified as if tonight