Jessa hated shopping. She didn’t consider herself a tomboy. She wore makeup — okay, maybe not on a regular basis, but still. She highlighted her hair and enjoyed getting her fingers and toes painted. That was where her girly-ness ended. She was way more comfortable barefoot, wearing jeans and a T-shirt than in one of the fancy dresses that were stored in the back of her closet. She rarely dressed up for work either, since she did most of her stuff remotely, whether from a sky box, a hotel room, or the home she still shared with her dad.
Jessa didn’t know much about fashion, and didn’t really care. Another thing that made her weird to the women she’d tried to develop friendships with over the years. To save herself time and frustration, she’d walked into a fancy department store, found the nearest sales person who looked about her age, and gave herself over.
Now she had another dress for her collection. She chewed on her bottom lip, her stomach flipping end over end.
The salesgirl had sworn the dress was perfect for dinner. It wasn’t the dress that made Jessa nervous; it was the lack of it that gave her pause.
She studied her reflection. The shimmering, black halter dress glittered as she swayed her hips from side to side. The plunging neckline accentuated her breasts, the material forcing them into cleavage she’d never have otherwise. The fabric was snug along her trim waist, only to flair out into a flowing skirt that ended right below her knees. Sexy, yet not over the top.
She’d balked at the salesgirl’s suggestion for new lingerie. It’s not like she could wear a bra, since the dress was open to the curve of her lower back. But the girl insisted and Jessa had to admit it was a rush — the thigh-highs and garter a secret only she knew.
Jessa leaned in and reapplied a light pink gloss to her lips. The woman who’d done her hair also happened to do makeup — lucky her — so she’d willingly let others put on her armor for the evening. And the truth was, she felt pretty. Not something she usually worried about much, but as she smoothed her hands over the shining ringlets that tumbled over her shoulders, she wondered how she’d appear through Garrett’s eyes.
Not that she cared. She didn’t. Nope.
A knock on her door startled her out of her musings.
It wasn’t too late to back out. She could throw on some shorts and a T-shirt and curl up with a movie.
No. She wasn’t a coward. Garrett hadn’t told her who was joining them, but he’d assured her everything would be fine. And even if it wasn’t, she’d been down this road thousands of times. It came with the territory when you had a father who was not only rich, but famous as well.
She grabbed the tiny purse that held her essentials, pasted a smile on her face, and jerked open the door.
Garrett’s eyes went wide at the sight of her. His gaze made a slow descent from her face to her feet, then — with the same agonizing pace — headed back up. She stood still, forcing herself not to fidget as he took her in.
Her hand shook as she placed it in the one he offered and he eased her into the hallway.
“Holy shit.” Garrett whistled as he spun her around.
Jessa laughed, pleased with his reaction. “Such the Southern gentleman.” She bobbed a curtsy. “You like it?”
His eyes turned dark and her chest constricted. “Princess, that dress is gonna make me forget my manners.”
She raised her chin. “I’m going to take that as a compliment.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Garrett?” A thrill of excitement shot through her as his tongue swept across his lips. It was wrong to delight in his reaction, but she couldn’t keep the smile from her face. “We don’t want to be late.”
Chapter Five
The restaurant was crowded, but not packed like she’d expected. She’d never been here before, but, at first glance, Jessa knew it was her kind of place.
Comfortable-looking leather chairs accompanied mosaic tabletops in rich, warm colors. Exposed beams were stained dark, and candles lit every table, giving off an intimate, romantic feel. A huge brick oven and open fire grill took up an entire wall. The delicious array of aromas made her mouth water.