She winks, and we follow her friend into the store.
No one would think of me as an innocent child in this outfit, that’s for sure. I give myself one last look in the mirror. Danielle outdid herself. I’m wearing lace shorts long enough to cover my butt, but short enough to showcase my legs, a billowy coral top that bunches at the waist and hangs loose off of one shoulder, and a pair of wedge peep-toe ankle boots. I completed the look by curling my hair into big, thick waves and adding a long necklace.
Now, what to do for makeup? If I were back home, I’d go all-out with a contoured look and fake lashes, but somehow that doesn’t seem right for my date with Grayson. Glam isn’t something he expects, and that takes a giant weight off my shoulders.
I smile at myself in the mirror and decide to go with less-is-more. I put a little color on my cheeks, a swipe of gloss on my lips, and top it off with a coat of mascara.
There. Fresh and sophisticated, yet fun and flirty.
Eat your heart out, Grayson Calhoun.
There’s a knock on the door. I hurry across the room and swing the door open to find Grayson standing on the other side.
He’s holding a bouquet of wildflowers.
“Wow…you look…” His heated gaze lights me from head to toe as his eyes travel the length of my body. “Stunning. You’re absolutely stunning. These are for you.”
“Thank you.” I take the flowers and bring them to my nose. “Come in. I’ll put these in water before we leave.”
“There should be a vase under the sink.”
I nod and find it. I arrange the flowers and set them on the nightstand beside my bed.
I hook a loose strand of hair behind my ear and turn to Grayson. “I hope I’m not underdressed or overdressed.”
“You look perfect.” He closes the distance between us, touches my cheek softly, and kisses me. “How am I supposed to keep my hands off of you?”
“Well, the whole point of this outfit is that you won’t be able to.”
He laughs. “It’ll definitely be hard, but I’ll try not to maul you in public. Let’s get out of here.”
Grayson leads me out of the loft. I lock up and follow him down the stairs.
“Now you’re just showing off,” I say, dragging my finger along the hood of another muscle car. “Where’s the Challenger?”
“In the garage. You have a thing for Mustangs, so I thought we’d take the Shelby.”
Grayson opens the door, and I slide into the car. My body melts against the soft leather seats. The inside looks pristine.
“By the looks of it, I’m guessing you don’t drive this car much.”
“You guessed right.” He puts the key in the ignition and cranks it over. The Mustang roars to life. “Dad and I restored this car together when I was a kid.”
“How old were you?”
“Ten when he bought it. Sixteen when it was finished. I don’t get to drive it much because there isn’t a ton of room, and with three kids, I need room. Also, I don’t trust them not to destroy it.”
“Speaking of kids, where are they? I thought we’d have to drop them off.”
“I did that before I came to get you. Emma was mad at me because she didn’t get to see you all dressed up.”
“She’s so sweet.”
Grayson puts the car in drive, pulls down his lane, and makes a right turn.
“What did you tell the kids?” I ask.
“The truth. I don’t ever want to lie to them. I told them I was taking you out to dinner. Henry just babbled.”