Dismayed, I said, “You are mad.”

“I’m not.” She put her hand on my forearm and looked me in the eyes. “I’m not.”

A slam of the door alerted us to Colin’s arrival. By the time steady footsteps trekked up the stairs and to the doorway, I’d already fled to the bathroom.

“Just a minute,” I called out. I wanted to brush away my pizza breath and freshen up my makeup before Colin saw me. Tonight had to be perfect.

Through the door, I heard the murmurs of Shelly and Colin, and I stepped up the pace. They’d gotten along well so far, but no need to press my luck.

When I opened the bathroom door, Shelly and the other dresses had vanished. She was probably already curled up in the armchair in Bailey’s room with a book.

Colin stood at the window, looking out at the street. He still wore his jeans and T-shirt from work at the restaurant. His suit was laid out on the bed where I’d left it.

He turned, saw me, and froze. Framed by the soft evening glow, I couldn’t see his face. I swayed, swishing softly. “Do you like it?” I asked.

A slight nod.

That left something to be desired.

“Are you sure?” What if he really didn’t like the dress? What if it wasn’t the right thing to wear to the ballet? What if he was tired of me? For all I knew, I was just the flavor of the week. Intuition was nice, but it wasn’t security.

Sometimes his terseness could be downright unnerving. I didn’t want to mess this up, but at this point how would I even know until he kicked my ass to the curb?

I took a deep breath and approached him, all timidity. “Are you sure this is okay?” I asked.

He nodded.

“Tell me the truth,” I said.

“It’s a nice dress.” His leashed body and hot eyes said he liked it very much.

I blinked up at him. “Really?”

“Yes.”

A smile spread across my face. “You’re sweet.”

I threw my arms around him. He stiffened and then put his arms around me too. And wow, I guess it was okay, considering the thickness I felt press against my hip.

“Hey.” I put my hand on his cock through his jeans. “I can take care of that.”

His hips backed away. “After the ballet, or we’re never getting out of here.”

“Are you sure?” I mused. “You don’t want me to kneel down right here in front of you, with my new dress on, and make you feel better?”

I would’ve sworn I had him, but he tightened—all over—and then shook his head on a long exhale. “Later,” he said.

Then he went into the bathroom to put on his suit. He looked just like I knew he would. Perfect.

*     *     *