Chapter 4
Chapter Four
Angie checked her hair and makeup for the fourth time in five minutes.
She had to stop fussing, or she would ruin what her hairdresser and a makeup artist at the salon had worked so hard to do.
Her hair was pulled up in a romantic up-do with one ringlet falling around her face from the top of each cheekbone.
She had so many bobby-pins and so much hairspray on that it felt like a helmet, but there was no way she could mess it up, as long as she stopped fooling with it.
The makeup was more than she usually wore, yet it was still understated.
The shadow, liner, and mascara around her eyes made the green color pop, and she loved the effect.
She wore simple jewelry, a pair of diamond stud earrings which had belonged to her mother, and a gold bangle bracelet Jimmy had given her when she’d graduated from art school.
She looked at her reflection in the wardrobe mirror on the back of her closet door and rechecked her dress too.
Thank goodness she kept up her workouts three times a week, or the thing might not have fit.
She’d gained about five or six pounds, mostly in her hips and thighs, since she’d been at her friend’s wedding, but the spandex lining in the black size-ten dress had enough give so it still looked great.
The halter-style top looped around her neck with a gold chain, and the front had a built-in bra support, so her girls were fine.
The chiffon material stopped under her arms, leaving her shoulders and most of her back bare before starting again at her waistline and falling straight down to her feet.
There was a slit up her left leg that went to the middle of her thigh, and she completed the look with a pair of shimmering gold Michael Kors shoes with four-and-a-half-inch stiletto heels.
She was glad Ian was so much taller than some of the guys she had dated, because she could wear the really high heels she loved.
Her mind drifted back to when Ian had dropped her off after dinner last night.
He’d escorted her to the door, taken the keys from her hand, and opened the lock for her.
He didn’t turn the doorknob because she would’ve only had thirty seconds to get inside, close the door, and enter the alarm code before the cops were sent.
When he’d stood near enough for her to feel his body heat, but not touch, she’d wanted to pull him closer.
Handing her back her keys, his voice became low and sexy. “So, did you have a good time?”
A shiver had assaulted her body. She’d known what he was asking. He’d said earlier if she had a good time, he wanted a goodnight kiss. And she’d definitely had a good time, in fact, she had a great time. “Yes, I did. Does this mean you’re going to kiss me?”
She had frozen in place, unable to believe she’d said the words aloud. She’d never been shy about dating, foreplay, and sex before. However, she wasn’t usually too forward either, taking her cues from the man she was with most of the time.
Ian’s mouth had ticked up in an amused grin before he lifted his hand to cup her chin and pulled her toward him. With their lips a scant inch from touching, he’d whispered, “It does.”
And then sparks flew.
Holy shit, could the man kiss! He’d been gentle at first, using only his lips as they moved seductively over hers, allowing her to pull away if she wanted to.
When she didn’t, his tongue began probing the seam of her lips, encouraging her to open them and grant him access to her mouth.
She hadn’t been able to refuse, and the instant her lips parted, his tongue was inside her, tasting and exploring every inch of her mouth.
He hadn’t been sloppy as some men could be with their tongues—no, his actions were a cross between tender and insistent as if he was savoring and devouring her at the same time.
He didn’t do anything else but hold her chin and kiss her.
No other parts of their bodies touched. When he’d all-too-soon ended the kiss, easing away from her, she’d groaned and almost begged him to take her right there outside her front door, where anyone could see them.
He’d paused a minute to let them both catch their breath before telling her to go inside, turn off the alarm, lock the door, and reset the alarm.
She noticed through the long, narrow window beside her front door that he’d waited until he saw her re-arm the control panel before he smiled and walked back to his car.
She had been rooted to the spot for a long time after he’d pulled away, remembering every second of the incredible kiss.
After she’d shed her clothes and gone to bed nude, which was normal, her mind was still focused on how her body had come alive the moment it had made contact with his.
While her brain wandered, her hand had moved to the juncture between her legs almost on its own volition.
It hadn’t taken her long to stroke herself to an orgasm so strong that, afterward, she’d drifted asleep with her hand still between her legs and dreams of Ian in her head.
The doorbell rang, and she was startled out of her reminiscing.
Grabbing her evening purse and shawl from the bed, she practically ran to the front door and swung it open.
Good Lord, he was gorgeous standing on her doorstep in what she believed was an Armani tuxedo, which had to have been made for him because the fit was perfect.
The five o’clock shadow that had graced his jaw the night before was gone, and she wanted to rub her hand across the soft, recently shaven skin.
There wasn’t a thing out of place from the top of his dark-haired head to the tips of his shiny, formal black shoes, and the man exuded power, authority, and, most of all, sex.
She was sure she’d be fighting the women away from him tonight.
When she took a deep breath, his cologne hit her nose, and she almost swooned.
It was her favorite—Oud Wood by Tom Ford—and knowing he wore it with her in mind made her lightheaded.
It took a moment for her to realize they were both silently staring at each other when he cleared his throat. “I’m going to be the envy of every man at the gala tonight. Angel, you look stunning.”
As she blushed from his compliment, her eyes almost filled up.
No one had called her “Angel” since her older brother, Sam.
He’d been killed in a car accident along with three other members of his senior high school football team in a tragedy that had shocked their hometown.
Nine years older than Angie, her brother had adored and doted on her, and he’d been her hero.
She realized how much she missed hearing someone call her the pet name, as if she were the most precious thing in the world.
Swallowing hard, she opened her mouth to tell Ian how good he looked, too, when the alarm control panel next to her started beeping rapidly, warning her to enter the code before the police were alerted.
“Crap!” She scrambled to enter the six-digit number, fumbling once and needing to start over while Ian remained where he was, chuckling at her dilemma.
When the alarm was silenced and the light turned green, she turned to him with a sheepish smile.
“Sorry. What I was about to say is you look wonderful too.”
He reached out to take her wrap and held it up for her, placing it over her shoulders when she turned around for him.
Pivoting back to face him, she took in his heated gaze and thought, if they didn’t leave now, they’d be heading straight to her bedroom.
As if he had the same thought, he took a step backward and held out his arm for her to take. “Shall we?”
Angie reset the alarm, locked the door before pulling it shut behind her, and tucked her hand under his proffered arm.
With evening traffic being heavier than usual, the ride took closer to thirty-five minutes.
As Ian drove his dark gray Audi RS 5 coupe, instead of his SUV, through the streets of Tampa, she told him what she knew about the exhibit they were going to see when he asked her about it.
The extensive collection on loan from France consisted of 18th-century art worth about $200 million.
While it centered on most forms of paintings, there were also numerous sculptures in many different mediums included.
It’d taken the Tampa Museum of Art almost eight years to negotiate and plan for the exhibition, which would remain in Florida for six months before returning to its home at the Louvre.
Angie had spent a two-week class trip in Paris during the break before her final semester at art school and had seen the exhibit there.
However, she always wanted a chance to see the beautiful works of art again and study them at her leisure, and she was so excited to have that chance.
But, she thought, being on the arm of her handsome date was going to make the experience unforgettable.