slightly. Just slightly, but I’ll take it. “Of course. Find out where Tessa got the black dress, and I’ll have it replaced. You can wear the cardigan I gave you last night.”
“Okay… What about pants?”
He nearly smiles again. “I guess I didn’t leave your dress in working condition as a skirt.”
“No, you didn’t.”
He stands. “I’ll find you something. Next time, bring a change of clothes.”
Next time? A thrill surges through me.
“In fact,” he says, “bring over several things. Or if you want to leave me your sizes, I’ll have some stuff delivered.”
He wants to buy me clothes? “That’s okay. I have plenty. I can bring some over.”
“Good,” he says, his voice going darker, “because I plan to destroy a lot of them.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
“I’m still wearing his sweatpants and shirt,” I tell Tessa on the phone once I’m home. I turn the phone to speaker and hug myself. Wearing his clothes makes me feel…close to him, but it’s more than that. It’s like he let me take part of him home with me. “I can’t bring myself to take them off.”
“So the second time was just as good?” she says.
“Better.” I can’t stop the ridiculous smile that’s pasted on my face. I look toward my full hamper. Time to do some laundry. I need clean clothes to take to Braden’s. Which reminds me… “Oh, by the way…”
“What?”
I gather items from my hamper. “He kind of…destroyed your dress.”
“What?” she says again.
“He ripped it off me. Literally.”
No response for a few seconds. Is she in shock? Then, “When you say “literally” you mean literally.”
“Yeah. I’m sorry, but he’s going to replace it. I just need to know where you got it.”
“Ross, I think.” She sighs. “It looked better on you than me anyway. Tell him it was Chanel and I’ll take the cash.”
“Tessa…”
She laughs. “For God’s sake, Skye, I’m kidding. Don’t worry about the dress. If it helped you let go and get laid, I’m happy to donate some clothes to the cause.”
“You’re the best, Tess. I’m really sorry.”
My phone beeps at me. “I’ve got another call. Hold on.” I look at the screen. Addison.
“It’s the boss,” I say.
“Braden?”
I guffaw. “Of course not. It’s Addie. I’ll see you at lunch tomorrow.”
I click on the next call. “Hey, Addie.”
“I guess you had quite the time last night.”
“It was okay. The post is doing well. I just checked it.”
“The post is fine. What were you doing there with Braden Black?”
Huh? How did she know? “What are you talking about?”
“Please. Photos are up on the MADD website. There’s a doozy of you and Braden sitting together at a prime table.”
I throw a dirty sock to the ground in irritation. “Braden was at the benefit. We said hello. Remember? I met him at the office that day?”
“You looked pretty cozy.”
I walk to the kitchen and put my Bluetooth in my ear. Then I fire up my laptop at the kitchen table and find the website. “We were just talking at a table.” And why is this any of your business?
“I told you he’s a douche, Skye.”
“He seems nice to me.”
Bingo! I find the photo. The caption reads, “Braden Black and friend.” At least the dance-floor lighting makes me look glam. I don’t recall anyone taking a photo, but of course, several photographers were working the ballroom.
“Are you sleeping with him?”
My cheeks warm and I actually feel my nostrils flare. “What kind of question is that?”
“A direct one.”
No kidding. “Who I sleep with is my business.”
“That answers it for me. He’s bad news.”
“I don’t even know him, Addie.” True words. But yeah, I’m sleeping with him.
“Take my advice,” she says. “Keep it that way. See you tomorrow.”
That’s it. She ends the call. I get up from the table and upend my hamper onto the floor. I’m mad as hell, and now I have to do fucking laundry. But first, I need to talk to Tessa again.
“She’s obviously jealous,” Tessa says into my ear after I call her back. “I can’t say I blame her.”
“I don’t think so,” I say. “She can’t stand him.”
“She says she can’t stand him.”
I consider Tessa’s words. Yeah, Addie and Braden have a history, but I’ve been working with her for more than a year and never once has she mentioned him despite his face being plastered all over the media.
“That’s probably it,” I lie. “See you tomorrow.”
Whatever Addie’s beef is with Braden, it’s not my problem.
…
Addie isn’t in the next morning when I get to the office. Monday mornings are always busy answering