was going to enjoy it. Please don’t take that from me.” She bats her eyelashes.
“Oh, fine,” I concede with a laugh.
“That’s my girl. Now, you have a good time this evening. Just be you, Layla.”
“Thank you.” I lean in and give her a hug. “I promise I’ll return your earrings. I’ll take good care of them.”
“Just take good care of you and my son, and we’re all set.” Deep voices carry up the steps. “He’s not going to let us play this game long. Not knowing you’re up here. I’ll call for you.” With another quick hug, she’s rushing out the door and back down the stairs.
Glancing around the room, Owen’s childhood room, I try to picture him growing up here. Trophies are still sitting on top of his dresser and there’s a football jersey framed and hanging on the wall. I would have loved to have known him then.
“Layla! Your date’s here,” Lena calls up the steps.
“Really, Ma?” I hear Owen chuckle.
“Here goes nothing,” I whisper into the quiet room. With one foot in front of the other, step after step, I make my way downstairs. I hear Owen’s intake of breath as our eyes lock. I get lost in an ocean of dark blue as his heated gaze stays on me. Once I reach the bottom step, he holds out his hand, helping me clear it.
“Hey, baby.” He leans down and kisses my cheek.
“No funny business with my girl,” Stanley says. He tries to sound stern but fails miserably as Lena smacks his arm.
“I need a couple of pictures.”
“By a couple, she means a couple hundred.” Stanley laughs.
“You’re— I don’t have the words, Layla. Breathtaking, gorgeous, beautiful, magnificent, Hell, all of it. You’re everything,” Owen says, sliding his arm around my waist and pulling me to his side.
“I’m going to need you all to look at me for a few of these,” Lena announces.
I turn to face her and realize she’s been snapping pictures. I can’t wait to see them. “Don’t worry, sweetheart, I’ll make you copies,” she assures me, reading my mind.
Owen and I pose for countless pictures, and she even has Stanley join us and then has him take a few of her with us as well.
“Mom, we really need to get going.”
“Have a great time.” She hugs me then Owen. We wave goodbye, and with my arm hooked inside of his, we walk outside, and I gasp.
“W-What is that?”
“A limo.”
“Where’s your car?”
“I knew I wouldn’t be able to keep my hands off you tonight, and it’s a special occasion. I took the off chance that you hadn’t ever ridden in one before.”
“We’re going to look silly, pulling up in this thing.”
“No, we won’t,” he assures me. “The majority of those there tonight have their own drivers who will be driving them in their own personal limos. Trust me.”
I nod. “This is like a fairy tale,” I say, more to myself than him, but he hears me.
“Just call me Prince Charming,” he says, kissing my temple.
The driver opens the door for us, and I dip my head, sliding across the soft leather seat. “This is so cool,” I say, looking at Owen. “I’m sorry, I know that’s lame, but—” I start. He places his index finger over my lips.
“It’s cool,” he agrees. “You know what else is cool? You are. You’re also sexy as fuck.”
“Sexy, huh?” I tease to lighten the mood. I like the way his eyes are taking me in.
“So sexy,” he says, sliding his hand under the slit in the side of my dress.
“Owen Riggins!” I scold. “I’m nervous enough. I don’t need to be walking up in there smelling like sex.”
“Just a taste, come on, Layla. You’re killing me here.”
“Tonight. When we get home.”
“Oh, I forgot to tell you. We’re not going home tonight. The gala is held at a swanky hotel downtown. I got us a room, just like we would have if it were prom night.”
My mouth falls open. “You had a hotel room on prom night?”
He shrugs. “Everyone did.”
“And your parents let you?”
“Hold on now, don’t go talking crazy.” He chuckles, the deep sound warming me. “They thought we were staying at a friend’s, and in turn, that friend’s parents thought they were staying with us.”
“You never got caught?”
“Nope.”
“I bet they knew.”
“No way. Dad would have called us out on it. Hell, Mom would have too.”
Before I can reply, the limo pulls up in front of the hotel. “Let’s go have some fun.” Owen grins.
“You trimmed your beard,” I