Page 72 of Midnight Dissonance

Multiple times the past two days at work, she found herself humming and smiling for no reason. And she knew why.

Lexi was in love with Josh Ryan.

It shocked her too. The man had done the unthinkable. He’d crawled past all her hard-fought defenses and taken up residence in her heart.

And his intentions to collar her, to have her move in, weren’t just lip service. While she was at work, he’d spend the day moving things in his closet and clearing out space for her. And he’d hung up all the clothes she’d brought with her.

He’d surprised her with it when she arrived home from work. And it was why they were having a late dinner at this Michelin-star Italian grill. Because the moment he’d shown her what he’d done, she’d jumped him.

He backed up his words with actions. Every day that passed, her belief in them deepened. They had the chance for a real future together. And for the first time in her life, she leaned, realizing she didn’t have to do it all on her own because Josh put as much effort into their relationship.

There was more they hadn’t discussed yet. Like why she really was living at her sister’s house or his marriage and what happened there. But she knew they would get there.

With a final check on her appearance, she grabbed her clutch purse from the nightstand and headed downstairs. Josh stood waiting near the windows in the living room. His back was to her. He wore a dark charcoal suit that was so dark it was almost black. And boy, did he make an impressive figure.

At the sound of her stilettos on the hardwood, he turned. And she sucked in a breath. He was so damn handsome. And the one shot of color in his outfit was his deep royal blue tie.

Her breath shuddered in her lungs. The man took her breath away with his sexy looks.

He stalked her way, his eyes hot. “You look fecking delectable. Turn.” He motioned with his fingers in a circle.

She did a little three-sixty twirl. And when she finished the rotation, his eyes blazed with an inferno of need.

“Let’s go. Now.” His words were short and clipped through clenched teeth.

“Something wrong?”

“Yep. If we don’t leave now, we’re not leaving. Because all I want to do is find out what you’re wearing underneath that excuse for a dress, bend you over the nearest surface, and fuck you until your legs give out.”

“And if I said I would be okay with it?” She was melting from the dirty image he painted.

He growled with a furious scowl. “Don’t tempt me, woman. You have no idea how close my control is to snapping. I’m taking you on our first fecking date, and that’s final.”

Was it wrong that she wanted to shove him over the edge? She wanted to see what happened when he did lose control. But she took pity on him. “Well, I am hungry. And once I get some food in me, it will go a long way toward giving me the energy to ride you like a bronco when we get home.”

His eyes narrowed, but he was fighting a smile. “Sassy wench. I’ll make you pay for the fact that I’m going to have a hard-on all night long thinking about that.”

And it’s why she didn’t mention that she wasn’t wearing any panties beneath the dress. There wasn’t room. Because the last thing she wanted to do was have panty lines on their first date. Even her tiniest thong didn’t work in this dress.

“I’m ready to leave when you are.”

He nodded and helped her into her coat, a knee-length black wool number that would help keep the chill at bay. While her legs would freeze, the black stilettos looked amazing with her ensemble.

Then, with a hand on her back, he escorted her out of the penthouse and down to his car. The drive to the restaurant was brief. The only reason they didn’t walk was temperatures had dipped close to zero. Which, to her mind, was too damn cold.

The Grande Toscano was a Michelin-star Italian bistro. Inside, the heady aromas of tomato, basil, garlic, and parmesan greeted her. The lighting was muted in golden tones that gave the restaurant this dreamy, seductive quality.

They were taken to a small private booth near the back. The small circular booth was perfect for them to sit side by side for their intimate dinner.

He really had gone all out. Lexi never would have thought about coming here. But she liked the ambience with the ivory linen tablecloths and the candles on each table in these darling mosaic candle holders. The mood was festive with guests talking and laughing.

She absolutely loved it.

Once they were seated, Josh ordered a bottle of Pinot Noir and calamari. The waiter scurried off to fill the order, leaving them alone.

“I forgot to tell you earlier that I perused the trust your grandparents set up for you.”

“Oh, you did?” She leaned against the table, loving the way he looked at her as if she was his whole world.

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