Searching for Mine(31)

Then almost dropped the glass.

“How do I look?”

He stared. Speechless, his voice died in his throat and he could only look at the woman before him that was no longer Ella.

She was stunning.

Her hair had been cut and was finally out of the constricted bun. Glossy black waves tumbled over her shoulders and half covered one eye in a flirty manner. Where were her glasses? Instead, wide, dark eyes peered at him with a wariness he’d never seen before, almost as if she was vulnerable, waiting for his opinion. Without the thick frames, her eyes gleamed with gold, giving off an intensity that made shock waves tingle through him. Her face glowed in the low light, and her lips were full and lush, painted a deep, sexy red that contrasted dramatically with her dark hair and eyes.

But her body. Dear God. Her body...

A clingy red tank dipped low in the front and emphasized the full curves of her breasts. A trendy black jacket skimmed the lean lines of her body. Her skirt halted just short of her knee, showing off a tantalizing strip of bare skin before the leather of thigh high black boots began. His gaze dropped to her feet. The boots held a wicked heel that made him imagine all sorts of naughty things. A musky, earthy scent danced in the air and surrounded her, urging him to move closer and bury his nose against her skin.

Blistering heat surged through him. He was hard in seconds, aching to cross the room and touch her. This was not his Ella. This was some other woman bent on seduction and naughty games. What had Kennedy done to her?

She tugged at the jacket and clasped her arms nervously across her chest. The red tank slipped a bit lower, giving him a teasing glimpse of olive skin. “You don’t like it. Oh, my God. Do I look like a slut? Kennedy told me to go in bold so I thought I’d take a chance. She helped me pick this out.”

He tried to speak but he still hadn’t found his voice. She waited, but when he was unable to utter a response, she gave a deep sigh and shook her head.

“Forget it. Just like a man to give no feedback. I’m not going to change. I spent a lot of money on this stupid outfit, and I can handle this. Listen, thanks for watching Luke tonight. I better go. I’m running late.”

Finally, words emerged from his throat. His head spun like he’d gotten clobbered and little birdies were circling him. “You look, you look—great. Umm, maybe you’d be more comfortable in flats, though?”

She waved a manicured hand in the air. He caught the flash of scarlet red nails. “I practiced, I can handle it. Luke, sweetie, I love you. Listen to Connor and don’t go to bed too late, okay?”

“Mom! You look beautiful!”

Her face lit up with pleasure. Why hadn’t Connor told her that? Why was he acting so frikkin weird?

“Thanks, honey. That means a lot to me. Text me if there’s any problem. See you later.”

Her heels clicked on the floor and he followed. “Wait a minute. You’re meeting him somewhere? Why isn’t he picking you up? Don’t you think that’s kind of rude?”

Her red lips curved in a grin that was sexy as hell. “Come on, Dunkle, you’ve never picked up any of your dates, have you?”

He blanched. “That’s different!”

“No, it’s not. I feel safer meeting him at the restaurant, anyway.”

She opened the door but he kept talking. “Be careful. He’ll probably invite you up for a drink, but that’s code for him trying to make a move.”

She gave him a naughty wink. “Oh, goody. Maybe I’ll be later than I thought.”

“Ella!”

“Kidding, just kidding. Geez, calm down, Dad. I have done this before, you know.”

“If you feel uncomfortable, call me. I’ll come pick you up.”

“I have my car, remember? Have you been working too hard? You’re losing it.”

His palms began to sweat. He fought the overwhelming urge to beg her not to go and stay home with him. They’d do their usual and hang out in sweats and play games and argue over Woolf. What if this guy tried to touch her? Was he kidding himself? What guy alive on the face of the earth would not want to touch her looking like this?

“Ella—wait—I—”

“Sorry, I gotta go. Have fun and thanks for this!”

She banged the door closed and left.

He stared through the window and watched her get into her car. The fabric of her skirt slid up even more, revealing a delicious path of skin that led all the way up to heaven. He should’ve told her to change. No, he couldn’t do that. She needed to boost her confidence. But holy shit, that outfit should be illegal.

“Connor! Come on, let’s play!”

Shaking off the fog, he sat next to Luke and grabbed a controller. He had no idea what he was doing, and at this point, he wasn’t going to relax until she came back through that door.