Page 46 of Mine

I was done fast—showered and shaved, the cologne Landry had bought me for Christmas clinging to me as I waited for him in the living room. I had one suit and I was in it, my beige Armani that I was wearing with a white dress shirt underneath.

When Landry emerged, I almost swallowed my tongue he looked so good. The black Prada suit fit tight, and the red dress shirt underneath was very sexy.

“No velvet?” I teased him. “No leather?”

“It’s my parents,” he said flatly, and there was a shadow in his eyes. “They don’t find my eccentricity the lyrical thing that you do.”

“I find you lyrical?” I teased him.

“Yeah, you do.”

I chuckled, holding out my hand.

“You’re breathtaking, by the way,” he assured me as he laced his fingers with mine and we headed for the door.

“And you’re the only one who thinks that.” I grinned, kissing his ear loudly, wetly, making him giggle.

“Knock it off, I can’t wrinkle.”

I shook my head and he laughed, deep and loud. I liked it.

“Well don’t you two clean up well.” Cece beamed at Landry and me when we met them in the driveway. The limousine was there to take us to the party.

The two of us had neglected to wear ties, but when I asked Cece if we needed them, she said no. But all the other men had them on.

“It doesn’t matter,” she assured us.

“Of course it doesn’t,” Landry said under his breath so only I could hear. “Because she’s already stunned that we even had suits. You heard her: we clean up nice.”

“Which was a nice thing to say,” I assured him, pulling him closer to me so that his head leaned against mine.

“It was a backhanded compliment at best, and I hated it.”

“You’re overthinking, maybe?” I offered.

“No,” he said, hand on my thigh.

I hated ties, and it had never even crossed my mind to put one on. Neil, Chris, Scott, and Hugh did all look very polished, but it was a party in a hotel on the Vegas strip. Was it necessary?

“The necklace looks gorgeous on you,” I told Jocelyn, who had chosen a crushed silk, low neckline wrap dress to show off her gift from Landry. I loved that the first opportunity she had, she wore it. Landry’s mother had chosen a diamond necklace, like a long tennis bracelet that laid flat. I understood––it was stunning––but it was not Landry’s piece. And no, he had not made it specifically for her, but he had still chosen two of the best pieces from his collection and gifted them to his mother and sister. My opinion of his mother dropped quite a bit, while his sister’s stock rose.

“Oh I just love it,” she cooed, hand on the necklace, smiling at Landry.

He nodded and nestled closer to me.

As we neared the strip, Cece turned to Landry and asked how he and I had met.

“We met at a party,” he told her.

“Yes, but how? Did you walk over to him? Did he walk over to you?”

“He walked over to me,” he told her. “And that was it. I knew he’d never lie to me and I knew he’d keep me safe and I knew everything would be okay.”

“Safe?” She looked concerned.

He shook his head. “It’s old news.”

Her brows furrowed. “I have so many questions.”