I nodded to Destanie and then opened my mouth to ask my mom where exactly Tuck was sleeping but decided not to. He was probably in my old room, the one my mom and dad now used as a guest room. He was probably sleeping in my childhood bed. Which made me feel…weird. I pushed that hazy visual aside. “Hey, I’ve gotta go. Charlie’s here and a car’s waiting.”

“Tell Charlie I said hi. And please, please consider what I said. Tuck seems…lost. A second chance, Em. You have the power to give one, and I know you have the heart.”

“It’s not about heart, Mom.” It was about practicality. And safety, meaning not surrounding myself with dangerous criminals because my mom owed an old—dead—friend a favor. “But I’ll think about it,” I murmured as a knock sounded and Charlie leaned around the door.

“Thank you, Em. I love you.”

I gestured at Charlie, and he opened the door all the way, handsome in a classic black tux, his dark golden hair combed to the side. He grinned, showing me his megawatt smile.

“I love you too, Mom. Bye.”

I disconnected the call, smiling at Charlie. “Well, hello there. You look amazing.”

“So do you. Wow.”

I turned slightly, giving him a sultry look over my shoulder. “Will you zip me?”

“It’d be my pleasure.”

Charlie kissed my shoulder before pulling my zipper. I sucked in my breath as the dress came closed, groaning as the zipper moved slowly up my back and Charlie struggled to move it inch by inch. “Do you want to hold on to the bedpost like Scarlett O’Hara?”

“I don’t have a bedpost.” Or a corset. Unfortunately.

“Damn,” he said, working for a few more minutes before finally making a sound of victory in the back of his throat. “Got it!”

I turned slowly. It felt like my boobs were resting right under my chin, but by Charlie’s heated stare as his eyes hung on my—decidedly high—cleavage, I must look better than I felt.

“I guess I won’t be eating tonight.” I half laughed, half groaned.

He raised one brow as his eyes grazed my body. “Or sitting,” he said. “Or climbing stairs. Or… Can you breathe?”

“Barely.”

“Does it help to know you look drop-dead gorgeous?”

The only one who was at risk of dropping dead was me. A laugh bubbled up, but I swallowed it down. There wasn’t much room for that either. “It does,” I said. “Breathing is overrated anyway.”

Plus, Destanie would have a fit if I told her this dress wasn’t working. I linked arms with Charlie, pushed the door open, and then walked out into the main room to a loud chorus of oohs and ahhs. I grinned, batting my lashes, slipping far more effortlessly into my Nova persona than I had into the red dress.

chapter seven

Emily