up and over her knee and then disappeared beneath the hem of the robe.
“I’ve got a gaggle of interns I could rope into this,” Mick said thoughtfully as his fingers stroked her inner thigh.
“You’d be surprised at how quickly you’ll get volunteers to sift through all of this. You remember what it was like when you were an intern hungry for recognition and opportunity, right?”
“Mmmhmm,” Mick answered as his lips danced over her knee cap.
She enjoyed the sensation of his soft mouth pressing kisses to her leg but gently stopped him when he started to explore further. “Later,” she said with a hint of promise in her voice. “But first I want dinner.” She slid off the desk. “And dancing.”
“Yes, dear,” Mick said with a laugh. He shut down his laptop, turned off his desk lamp, and followed her out of the office. “May I pick out my own outfit this evening, Mother?”
“Behave.” Whitney smacked his arm. “Yes, you may but no sweaters!”
As Mick sarcastically laughed behind her, Whitney returned to her bedroom and went straight to the closet. She flicked through the hangers until she found the perfect flirty number. Black. Slinky. Ruched. The kind of dress that transitioned seamlessly from restaurant attire to club wear.
She plucked a pair of strappy heels from her shoe rack and then dug through her lingerie drawer for something sexy. Eventually, she picked a pair of cotton-lined black lace boyshorts and a matching pushup bra with padded cups and feminine lace overlay. She slicked on a layer of coconut-and-lime-scented lotion before slipping on her undies and sitting down to fix her hair. She went simple with a little smoothing serum to tame frizz and a quick blow dry to create waves. Makeup took a bit more time but not much. No watch or necklace, she decided, but definitely the bracelet Mick had given her for Christmas and the earrings Eddie had picked out for her birthday.
By the time she got around to picking through the contents of her big purse for the must-haves, Mick was standing in her doorway. She glanced over and gave him a critical once-over. He’d gone for the classic look with black pants, a white shirt, and a black jacket, double button front with a notched collar. Whitney whistled appreciatively and transferred her cell phone, wallet, keys, and small necessities-only makeup bag into a clutch.
Mick laughed as he crossed the room. He surprised her by kneeling down to put on her shoes, his nimble fingers fastening the straps without fumbling. Quite a feat for any man considering the teeny-tiny size of the buckles.
“I’m impressed,” she said with a smile.
“I’m a surgeon,” he replied matter-of-factly and rose to his feet.
She giggled. “Well…there’s that.”
Mick took her hand and led her out of the house. They played musical cars as she backed out and slid into the open space where Eddie’s truck had been that morning and Mick backed out of the spot she’d been blocking. Whitney got into the front seat and buckled her seat belt.
“So what would you like for dinner?”
“It’ll have to be some place quiet. It’s Saturday night, and we don’t have reservations. You know how rough that can be at the hot spots.”
Mick made a face as he turned off their street. “No joke. Have you been craving anything? Mexican? Thai? Indian?”
Whitney’s nose wrinkled. “I’m not sure I’m up for all that spiciness tonight.”
“What about that yummy burger place that does the upscale sliders?”
“Oh! The place where Eddie took us, right? Oh my god. They had the best beer there!”
“It was Czech I think.”
“Sorry you’re driving tonight.”
Mick laughed. “Yeah, sucks for me.”
“Too bad Eddie had that training thing this weekend. He’s going to be so pissed when he finds out we ate at his fave burger joint.”
Mick shrugged. “So take him next week. I switch to nights on Monday, so he’ll have you all to himself most nights for the next few months.” He reached over and held Whitney’s hand. “I’m glad we’re getting out tonight. Kind of a last hurrah.”
Whitney pouted. “I wish you weren’t switching around your schedule.”
“Maggie’s baby is due in the next five weeks, and I feel like it’s the right thing to do to give her days for a while. It’ll be a hell of a lot easier for her and Charlie to deal with daycare and all that if she isn’t on nights.”
Although Whitney hated the wrench this new scheduling would throw in their routine, she secretly was happy Mick had stepped up to help out his colleague. A lot of men probably wouldn’t have given up their cushy day schedule that they’d earned via seniority for a new mama. It spoke volumes about how much Mick valued family.
Mick eyed her as they sat at a red light. “What you thinking about, Whit?”
“You. Chivalry. Kindness.” She lifted his hand and kissed his knuckles. “Stuff like that.”
“Aw,” he said with a playful gleam in his eye. “I’m touched.”
She snorted. “You’re a dork.” She pointed to a side street. “There’s better parking on that side, remember. Eddie even found a space for his truck.”
“The man is like a walking GPS. Knows every street, every shortcut, every construction zone.” Mick shook his head as they looked for parking. “Don’t know what we’d do without him.”
“Get lost. A lot.” She spotted an open space. “There’s one!”
Mick hit his blinker and scooted into the space. Whitney checked her lipstick as she waited for him to come around and open up her door. It was one of those things that it seemed only Mick and Eddie did. In all her years of dating, no other man, save those two, had opened her car door.
His hand settled in the small of her back as they headed into the cozy little place. There was a mixed crowd, mostly dates it seemed, and most dressed to head out for dancing or a movie or maybe even the theater. They were seated in a corner booth and ordered their drinks, peach iced tea for Mick and a beer for Whitney.
“Look at all these people on their damn cell phones.” Mick frowned as he scanned the restaurant. “That is so rude.”
Whitney caught sight of a nearby diner’s phone. “They’re playing that word game. I hear it’s addicting.”
“Word game?”
Whitney leaned across and plucked his cell phone from the inside pocket of his jacket where he’d tucked it away before leaving the house. She went straight to the app market, located the game, and selected the free version. While she waited for it to download, she tried to go back to the main screen but accidently swiped her finger twice and went a screen too far. Internet search results for engagement rings popped up.
“Shit,” Mick swore and quickly took the phone from her. “You weren’t supposed to see that.”
“Um…sorry?” Her mind reeled. Engagement rings? Did Mick want to marry her? Or was he helping Eddie shop?
Stunningly, Whitney discovered the idea of getting engaged, of marrying one or both of them, no longer scared her. If anything, it lent her an amazing sense of calm and completeness. With everything they’d been through, there was no doubt in Whitney’s mind they all belonged together. All those other things that had troubled her, the logistics of kids and the views of others, no longer mattered. She’d come to the realization that she couldn’t live her life in fear of offending or making others uncomfortable. If she was happy, that’s all that mattered.
“So…er…yeah.” Mick rubbed the back of his neck. He looked incredibly uncomfortable. Even his cheeks were flushed. “I guess I’ve, uh, ruined the surprise.”
“No.” Whitney touched his fingers. “I ruined the surprise. That’s what I get for messing around on your phone.”
Mick humphed. “So…uh…well. I mean, you know.” He growled in aggravation as he fought to find the right words. “Are we totally off base here? Are we going too fast?”
She shook her head. “No. Just right.”
Mick visibly relaxed. “Okay. Great.”
“I don’t want to ruin the surprise, but have you two decided which one of you will do the proposing?” It was a
