She bites her lip and looks like she feels almost guilty. “I’m sorry, Ty, I have to get back to work. This deadline . . .”

“It’s okay, sweetheart.” I pull her into my arms and hug her to me, kiss her head, then lower my lips to her forehead. “Go work.”

She pulls out of my arms and squeezes my hand before letting go. “You’re pretty cool, Ty Sullivan.”

“I’m glad you think so. I think you’re pretty cool yourself.”

She grins and turns her back on me to return to her work. Cleaning the kitchen doesn’t take long. When I poke my head into the office to let her know that I’m leaving, she’s back in her spot, legs pulled up under her in her chair, typing like mad on the keyboard.

Rather than interrupt her, I move up behind her and kiss her head. “Don’t work too late,” I murmur.

“M’kay.” She barely registers that I’m here.

I glance at her screen.

. . . pulls her into his arms and kisses her with a ferocity to rival an angry storm . . .

I grin and back away, leaving her to her work. I set her alarm and let myself out, already looking forward to Thursday night.

Chapter Six

LAUREN

The doorbell rings just as I make one final turn before the mirror. Ty sure has good taste. This dress fits me like a glove, and the shoes are just plain sexy.

I have no idea how he pulled off buying the right sizes, but I’m not complaining. The dress is blue, the color of the sky on a clear summer day. It’s completely backless, leaving everything from my neck to the top of my butt bare. You can even see the dimples over my ass, which makes me grin. I’m not so self-involved to think that I’m the most beautiful woman on the planet, but I’ve worked hard to get my body in the shape it’s in.

My back looks fantastic in this dress.

You can also see my entire tattoo.

I pulled my hair up into an intricate knot and am wearing my mother’s diamond chandelier earrings.

The shoes are sparkling silver heels, and I bet when I stand next to Ty, I will be able to look directly into those sexy gray eyes of his.

I snag my silver clutch off my vanity and descend the stairs to the front door.

“Holy shit,” I whisper as I take in the sight of Ty. He’s in a fitted black tux that makes his shoulders look wide and his hips narrow. His inky-black hair has been tamed into a sleek style, and he’s holding a bouquet of red roses in his hands.

I bite my lip and step back into the foyer so he can come inside and shut the door.

“Turn around,” he murmurs softly. His eyes are on fire as they rake over me from head to toe.

I toss him a sly smile and slowly turn in a tight circle.

“Dear God, stop,” he mutters, and approaches me from behind. The flat of his hand glides down my spine, from my neck to where my tattoo ends, right above my rear. “This is the most beautiful ink I’ve ever seen.”

I smile softly and glance back at him over my shoulder. “Thank you.”

I have a line of brightly colored flowers that fall down my spine on vines.

“What kind of flowers are they?” he asks softly, his fingertips tracing the lines of the vines up and down my spine, sending goose bumps all over my body.

“They’re rose of Sharon.”

“What do they mean to you?”

“I’ll tell you later. It’s a long story.” I turn to face him. My breath stutters at the primal lust burning in his eyes. “Thank you for this dress.”

“Oh, sweetheart, I think I need to thank you for wearing it. I knew the color would make your eyes shine, and it does. But I had no idea that little treat was waiting for me on your back.”

“You look completely hot yourself, counselor.”

He smirks and holds the flowers out for me. “These are for you.”

“They’re lovely.” I bury my nose in the soft, fragrant blooms and take a deep breath, fussing over them. “Mmm, they smell great.”

I turn and head for the kitchen to put the flowers in water.

“Are you ready?” I ask as I return to the foyer.

“When you are.”

“We’re not taking the Jeep?” A classic red convertible Mustang is parked in the drive.

“It’s a beautiful night for a drive in the ’Stang.”

“Uh, I worked on this hair for a long time, Ty. It’s not convertible-safe.”

He laughs and presses a button in the car and the roof closes smoothly. “Better?”

“Thanks.” I sit in the soft vinyl seat. “I didn’t know you were into classic cars.”

“I like to tinker.” He shrugs as he pulls onto the highway. “It’s a hobby, not an obsession.”

“Ah, so that’s why you like to change your oil yourself.”

“Yeah, I suppose so.” He nods, smiles warmly, and takes my hand in his, then pulls it to his mouth. “You are stunning, Lo.”

“It’s the dress.” I smooth my free hand down the soft skirt.

“It’s the woman wearing it,” he murmurs, and kisses my hand again. “Are you okay with coming to this thing tonight, given that Jack will be there?”

“We live in a small town, Ty. I see Jack here and there. I can’t avoid it even if I want to.” Jack is the athletic director for the school district, and given that this is a fund-raiser for the high school athletic department, Jack will be there.