Checking the time, she realized she had ten minutes to get dressed and tidy up before the hairdresser arrived. A smile touched her lips. That man thought of everything. What would it be like to relax and let him take care of her for a few days? It was too tempting. As she lay tangled in the sheets, grinning over memories of the things they’d done, she realized she was in danger of losing her heart.

The smiled faded from her lips. She couldn’t let herself get attached to him. Eli would move on without a second thought, except for a slight pinch in the pocket from his monthly child support payments, and she wasn’t the type to recover easily from being left behind.

During two hours of pampering, every one of her hairs was either put in place or removed, and she was scrubbed and smothered with a hundred different lotions and pastes. The dress stayed in the wardrobe while she was prepared, and then she transferred it back to her suitcase when they were ready to leave. She understood they were visiting Eli’s parents’ house before carrying on to the ball, so she didn’t want to put her dress on too early and risk spilling something on it.

She met Eli and Teri at the door. Teri, wearing a layer of pale makeup with silver eyeshadow and pink lip gloss, wasn’t dressed yet either. Eli looked much the same as earlier. When their gazes locked, his eyes darkened, and heat pooled in her stomach.

“We can stop somewhere on the way and buy you a dress,” he said.

“I have one,” she replied.

“I’m sure you do,” he said agreeably, but doubt clouded his features.

“I have a dress that’s perfect for the occasion,” she insisted. “I don’t need you to buy me one.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.” End of matter. Case closed.

He didn’t argue, for which she was thankful. However, she couldn’t help but be offended by his lack of belief that she was capable of clothing herself correctly.

“All right.” His lips twitched into a smile, which made her want to kiss the corner of his mouth. “Let’s go, then.”

The trip to his parents’ house took only twenty minutes. Aria, prepared to be impressed by his childhood home, was stunned instead. The driveway, edged by cherry trees, continued for nearly a kilometer. They drove past a well-tended garden which covered at least two acres of land, a tennis court, and an outdoor pool. The house, when they finally reached the end of the driveway, was enormous: at least three stories tall, with expanses of glass, metal, and monochromatic tiles. Eli parked next to a fountain featuring a naked water nymph and helped her out of the car.