multipurpose gruff.”
She laughed. “I see.”
His gaze moved to the garment bag tossed over her right shoulder. Her hanger was crooked over her fingers. “What is that?”
“It’s your tuxedo and shoes,” she said matter-of-factly and swung it off her shoulder. “Here.”
Eddie took the heavy bag and held it at arm’s length. “My tuxedo?”
“Yep.” She grinned impishly. “You’re taking me to the wedding tonight.”
“Oh, I am?” He groaned inwardly. The last thing he wanted to do was go to a wedding. Lowering his voice, he asked, “I thought Mick was taking you?”
“He was, but one of his colleagues has food poisoning so he has to cover the night shift.” She stepped closer and put her small hand on his chest. When she turned those big doe eyes up at him, Eddie melted. “Please?”
He gave an exaggerated sigh. “Okay. What time?”
“Seven, but we should probably meet up around six. You mind heading over to my office? We can take my car. It’ll be easier for the valets to park than your monstrosity.”
Eddie chuckled. “True.” He jiggled the bag. “How the hell did you find a tux so fast?”
“Honey”-Whitney petted his chest-“I’ve got connections.” She got serious. “But don’t spill anything on that, okay? It’s a loaner from a friend’s styling closet. Dribble steak sauce on the jacket or scuff those shoes and you’ve just bought yourself about three thousand dollars’ worth of clothing.”
He blew out a stunned breath. “What? Is it lined with gold?”
“No, it’s very well made.” She touched his jaw. “And it’s going to make you look deliciously sexy.”
“Deliciously sexy, huh?” He grinned at her teasing remark. The desperate urge to run his fingers through her soft hair and kiss those sweet lips made him antsy. He was keenly aware of the curious stares from his coworkers.
“I should go.” Whitney checked her watch. “I popped over here on my way back to the office from a branding meeting. I left our intern in my car.”
“Did you crack the window?”
Whitney snorted and smacked his arm. “Be nice! She’s a sweet kid. Such a hard worker and really smart. Kind of reminds me of me when I first started in the business. All starry-eyed and eager.” Whitney shook her head. “God, those were the days, huh?”
Eddie rolled his eyes. “Yeah because you’re so old.”
“I’m staring twenty-six in the face, Eddie. My life is rushing by, you know? Professionally, I’ve made it.”
His gut clenched. “And personally?”
The happiness in her eyes warmed his heart. “I’m getting there.”
“Glad to hear it.” A calm sensation settled over him. He reached out and took her hand. “You look beautiful today.”
“Oh?” She gestured to her dress. “I got the feeling you weren’t all that impressed with the outfit today.”
Eddie grunted. “It’s nice. I’d prefer to keep you covered from neck to ankle, but what do I know about fashion, right?”
She giggled. “Exactly.” Whitney glanced around. “Can I give you a kiss or is that, like, prohibited here?”
“Well…”
“Not even a small one?” She held up her fingers with an inch of space between them.
The hopefulness in her voice got him. “Okay. A quick one.”
“Jeez”-she laughed-“don’t sound so enthusiastic.”
“Come here, woman.” Eddie slid his arm around her waist and hauled her close for a chaste kiss. Even without tongues and only minimal touching, Eddie felt the familiar zing of arousal. As if electrified, his body vibrated with desire for her.
Whitney seemed to feel it, too, and took a step back, breaking the connection. Her flushed cheeks made him smile. “I’ll see you later.” She squeezed his hand. “Be safe.”
“I will.”
“Bye!”
“Bye, sugar.”
Eddie titled his head as he watched the wicked swing of her hips. She tossed a wink and kiss over her shoulder before disappearing around the corner. Groaning, Eddie decided a cold shower was in order. Like now.
“Goddamn, boss!” Danny swore and shook his head. “Where the hell do you find girls like that?”
“There aren’t any other girls like that.” She’s a one of a kind, he thought to himself. “Besides,” he added with a smile, “she found me.”
Chapter Ten
Whitney touched up her makeup and fingered the tousled waves of her hair. The office-bathroom counter held her beauty supplies. She checked her reflection. The deep V-neckline and spaghetti straps of the cerulean silk dress complemented the fitted waist and slim-fitting skirt. There were ruffled petals adoring the waist and bodice. When she’d spied the dress on a hanger, Whitney had been skeptical. It seemed a bit busy for such a small piece, but once on her body, it looked totally different.
Satisfied, Whitney stepped away from the counter. The dress gaped in the back because she couldn’t reach the zipper, but she didn’t pay it much mind. Hopefully Kadie or Judy were still hanging around out in the office.
She packed her things into the backpack she’d carried into work that morning and grabbed the gold heels she’d chosen for the outfit. Heels dangling from her fingers, she left the bathroom and made her way down the hall to her office space.
As she came around the corner, Whitney caught sight of Eddie. She gasped at the transformation. He looked drop-dead sexy in the tux. And uncomfortable, she realized, as he fidgeted with his cuff and stretched his neck.
“Eddie?”
His gaze snapped to her. His face relaxed. “Wow! You look amazing. I mean…wow!”
“You look so hot. I’m blown away. Really.” Whitney smiled and strode toward him. She spun around and presented her back. Lifting her hair, she asked, “Can you zip me up?”
“Sure.” Eddie slowly tugged the zipper up her back. His big, strong hands settled on her shoulders. The caress sent goose bumps rippling along her skin. “You smell so good.”
Whitney hummed as Eddie’s lips ghosted across her bare collarbone. Heat flooded her core. She worried about getting too turned on before the wedding and stepped away. “Let me get my things, and we’ll head out.”
Eddie trailed her to her office area. “I like this. It’s nice and open.” He glanced around. “But how do you do meetings?”
She pointed toward the ceiling. “We have conference rooms upstairs.”
“I was happy to see a guard downstairs. Especially since you work late some nights,” he added.
Whitney smiled as she switched off her computer monitor and slipped into her heels. Leave it to Eddie to size up the place for safety and completely ignore the beautiful architecture. “This building houses mostly women and a lot of us work late. Delilah and Isabel, the founder of the graphic design firm on the top two floors, share the costs of security.” She handed her backpack to Eddie. “And, yes, I do ask George or Nate to walk me out to my car when it’s dark.”
“Good girl.” Eddie pecked her cheek. “You got everything?”
“I think so.” She cast one final glance at her desk before gesturing toward the elevator. They made small talk about their days as they rode down to the ground floor and left the building. Whitney searched for her keys as they approached her car. “You want to drive?”
“Yes.” He happily took the keys and walked around to the driver’s side. Whitney hadn’t expected anything less.
