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“Wait!”
He paused and looked around the edge of the door.
“What should I wear? I mean . . . how formal is this di
“It’s black-tie.”
She nodded. He gave her a small smile and walked out of the bathroom.
With him gone, it was admittedly easier to attend to the task of getting ready. With him gone, it was also easier to feel a few flutters of nervousness at the idea of attending a glamorous, high-profile di
The flush of her cheeks and brightness of her eyes didn’t dissipate much after she’d showered and blow-dried her hair. When she left the bathroom, Va
Heartened by the thought and by Va
Fifteen minutes later she examined herself in the bathroom mirror. Cristina had been right. They must have been the exact same size at the time Cristina had bought the dress. Emma had chosen a stu
She turned and looked over her shoulder, flushing with pleasure and sheer amazement at what the dress did for her hips and ass. No wonder stars and models always looked so fantastic, if they could afford to buy dresses like this one. Her bottom felt tingly and slightly abraded beneath the fitted fabric of the dress. Va
She heard a sound out in the bedroom and grabbed the clutch that matched her shoes. Feeling both self-conscious and excited, she exited the bathroom. Va
“Well,” he said after a pregnant pause, clicking the watch into place and walking toward her. “Cristina knew precisely what she was doing in at least one thing. You’re stu
She smiled. “Isn’t it the other way around? If anything, the dress is doing it for me.”
He grabbed her hand and gracefully turned her. Emma stared at him in surprise over her shoulder as he regarded her backside. One dark eyebrow quirked up and his mouth went hard.
“No,” he said grimly, spi
“Then why do you look so unhappy about it?” she teased him as he led her toward the door.
“I’m not so sure I like the idea of you in that dress and a roomful of racecar drivers,” he said. “They’re the worst kind of womanizers, you know.”
“Like it would matter.”
He glanced back at her swiftly, giving her a hard, blazing look, before he swept down and kissed her mouth. His hand cupped her hip and then a buttock, the warmth and pressure on her tingling flesh making her shiver in his arms.
“Just remember,” he said next to her lips a moment later.
“As if I could ever forget,” she whispered.
Much to her surprise, there was a chauffeured sedan waiting for them on the back drive when they exited La Mer. Perhaps it was best that Va
It took Emma a little bit to realize she was one of those glamorous people as she alighted from the sedan and Va
“Just ignore them,” Va
Emma had a feeling Va
The restaurant where they dined was right out of a movie set. A room had been reserved for the racing party. Although they would be eating inside, an entire wall of glass doors had been opened to a terrace and the sea, giving the impression of eating al fresco. A five-piece band played out in the open air. It took them a while to reach their assigned table, as so many people came over to greet Va
Va
“How is it that you always manage to have the most beautiful creature in the room on your arm?” the man asked with an Italian accent and a heavy-lidded look at Emma.
“How is it that you always manage to make a grown woman sound like a pet bird, Mario?” Va
“The driver,” Mario assured her, taking her hand and caressing the edge of her palm. “Montand just doesn’t like to admit it since he picked that rooster Dellis to drive Montand cars. But Niki isn’t going to win on Sunday . . . despite the preferential treatment.”
“All of the drivers had the exact same opportunity to practice on the circuit, Mario,” Va