[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

lock of Beth s hair to obey.
 Yup. I take care of all of that. I know all of the pseudonyms he uses when he doesn t want anyone
to know he s the one who gifted the charity. Piotr doesn t really dabble in politics beyond attending
dinners where politicians are also invited. She laughed.  He thinks most of them are soul-sucking
ghouls.
Beth blinked. Yeah, Piotr would have a basis of comparison, wouldn t he?  Any idea why Dante
and he don t get along?
 Nope. Andi nodded her approval and patted Beth s shoulder.  There. That ought to hold. Now,
let s get the dress on.
Beth stood, wondering just what Andi had done to her. Her bestie had refused to allow Beth to see
herself until she was finished, and that included the makeup job Andi had insisted on doing.  But you
trust Piotr completely?
 Well, not completely. Do I trust his integrity and his sense of honor? Absolutely. If I listed the
charities he helps out with no one knowing you d be stunned. Hell, the man has set up a widows and
orphans fund in his home country that he oversees personally.
 And you have access to that information too?
Andi nodded and slipped the dress over Beth s head.  He can t keep me out. I know everything
about Piotr Romanov, including what he likes to eat after a night with one of his ladies, what he
drinks when he s stressed and what his voice sounds like when he s really pissed off. I can tell you
that tomorrow I ll be asked to check into Warwick Computing, because he s been going over their
files like a madman lately.
Beth slipped on the gold shoes Andi held out.  That s a creepy level of stalking, Andrea Hancock.
 That s a good personal assistant, Elizabeth Rand. Andi grabbed her and shoved her in front of
the mirror.  Now take a look, Cinderella, and tell me what you think.
Beth stared at herself in the mirror.
This is so not me.
What the hell had she been thinking? She should have known better than to ask Andi to lend her an
outfit. Andi had completely different tastes than she did, and now Beth was stuck with a dress that
was so far outside her comfort zone it wasn t even on the same planet.
 Knock it off, Beth. You look fantastic.
She turned sideways, sucking her stomach in with a grimace.  If you say so.
 I do, so shush. Andi helped her clip on her gold bracelet with a satisfied grin.  You look like I
always knew you could, sophisticated and sexy.
Beth wasn t convinced. It was a simple little black dress, at least for someone who wore dresses
on a regular basis. But Beth, who preferred jeans and tank tops, was having trouble adjusting to an A-
line hem that ended above her knees. The V-neck and thick straps were comfortable at least, and
allowed her to wear a real bra, with real straps, but she hadn t been sure that the ruched satin would
look good on her. She still wasn t sure whether she liked it or not, even if it did make her ass look
amazing.
Hell, even the heels were torture four-inch stilettos that made her legs seem a mile long and her
feet wish she d worn flats.
She turned her foot in, staring at the kicky gold heel.
All right. She had to admit that she secretly loved the shoes. But she wasn t budging on the dress.
Andi had carefully bound her hair up in an elegant twist that showed off her neck and,
unfortunately, the love bite Dante had gifted her with. Andi had taken one look at it and showed Beth
a quick trick to hiding it that didn t involve a turtleneck. She d finally managed, with Andi s help, to
dull it down, but it was still there, still obvious.
On one wrist she wore a gold bracelet, and a diamond heart pendant graced her throat, a gift from
Andi and Sam on her twenty-first birthday. In her ears was a pair of gold hoops Abby had given her.
 You look incredible, Andi said gleefully.  Dante s not going to know what hit him.
Beth swallowed hard. She didn t recognize herself. She looked soft and dainty and somehow still
kick-ass. She glanced at her feet and wondered how fast she could get the heels off if she needed to
fight.
She wanted to kick something. That, or hide under the bed. This could not end well. Dante s family
was going to hate her. She was going to get Andi s perfect dress barbecued by Nephilim. She was
The doorbell rang. Beth turned and tried to dart back into the bedroom in a panic, but found her
way blocked by Andi.
The doorbell rang again.
I guess I m going to answer the door.
Taking a deep breath, she told her screaming nerves to quiet. What was the worst that could
happen? Dante wouldn t like her dress? She opened the door...
And gulped at the sight of a Detective Dante Zucco who was seriously dressed to impress.
Holy shit, the detective cleaned up nice. He d worn a black suit with a brick red shirt and black
and red tie underneath. His cologne was subtle, enhancing his natural warm scent. The stubble that
always seemed to grace his face was gone, leaving behind smooth, lean cheeks she longed to touch.
 Hi. His gaze roamed over her, his expression warming with approval and desire.
 Hi, she replied nervously. Behind her she heard Andi getting her coat and purse, but she couldn t
turn around. She found herself mesmerized by the heat in his dark eyes. She swore she saw flames
dancing within them, but he blinked and they were gone.
The two of them would have been frozen in the doorway, in more ways than one, if not for Andi.
 Excuse me, I have to be going now. She gave Beth a kiss on the cheek.  Have a good time, Beth.
 Thanks. Beth tore her gaze from Dante long enough to hug Andi back. She had her nerves under
control again or so she hoped.
Andi smiled up at Dante and inched her way around him, muttering a quick goodbye. He waved
absently at her as she whistled her way down the stairs and out to her car.
He turned back to Beth.  You look...unbelievable, he said, his voice barely under control.
 Thanks. You too. She grabbed the gold clutch and black wool coat Andi had also lent her, telling
her that the parka she d planned on wearing wouldn t look right with her dress.
Hell, Beth was just hoping not to kill herself in the four-inch heels. She really didn t care if her [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]