Page 66 of An Uphill Battle

“Youlittle—”

“Oh, hush up, AzzyJo,” Seraphine hollers from the reception desk. “You’re gonna loveit.”

“You all know? Jesus. Who doesn’tknow?”

Seraphine and Myla Rose exchange knowing glances before Myla smirks at me. “You.”

“Ugh. Whatever. Finish my hair, hooker. I need to get home and put on myface.”

Myla Rose places the last curl and then rakes her fingers through my hair, tousling the curls before slicking them with serum. The final product: loose, sexy waves that cascade down my back like awaterfall.

With my hair looking like a million bucks, I make the quick drive home and head straight up the stairs to my bathroom to finish getting ready. Thirty minutes later, I step back and admire mywork.

I look dewy and fresh, my gold eyeshadow making my emerald eyes pop. Overall, my look is understated. I want two things to shine tonight—my lips, bold and striking, and my dress.The dress.The one I bought with Drake inmind.

Checking the time on my phone, I realize Drake will be here in about ten minutes. I hurriedly apply one last coat of myF-Bomblipstick before stepping into my dress, sliding the side zipper up. I give myself one more once-over, double-checking that everything is just right before slipping my feet into my patent blackpumps.

I’m descending the stairs when I hear a knock at my door. My jaw drops when I see Drake standing on the other side dressed in a pair of fitted black slacks and a black button-down, paired with a red tie the same shade as my dress. “How didyou—”

“Shh,” Drake tells me, his eyes flaring with hunger. “I’m not done looking.” He swivels his index finger in the air, indicating for me to turn around. Which I do—slowly. I can feel his eyes on me as he drinks in the shockingly deep vee of the dress. His stare burns, heating me from the inside out, and when my back faces him and he groans, I can’t help but smirk. My ass looks killer in thisdress.

“Good God, Little Bit.” He bites down on his fist. “You look...wow.”

I blush at his blatant ogling, but I also give as good as I get, and I gesture for him to spin a three-sixty too. His button-down stretches tight against his broad shoulders and his pants hug his ass in the most glorious way. Facing me again, I give him a small wolf-whistle. “You ain’t too bad yourself,D.”

“Glad you approve.” He offers me his arm, and together, we walk to his truck, where he makes a big show of running his hands down my body, gripping my ass and hefting me into the passenger seat. “Hope you brought yourappetite.”

Biting my lip, I nod. Drake growls deep in his chest, the sound causing me to rub my thighs together. Catching on, he places a hand on my knee. “Calm down, Bit. It’s not time forthat.”

“Yet,” Icounter.

“Yet,” heagrees.

* * *

Dinner,while enjoyable and delicious, is an exercise in patience. Every look, every innocent touch, feels charged with so much more, and I’m chomping at the bit to get Drake back to my place. So, when the waiter comes by and asks if we’d like dessert, I all but scream, “No! Just the check,please!”

Drake shoots me a look that screamswtf, leaving me to wonder if I’m the only one feeling this stifling tension. “In a hurry?” Drake asks as he slides his card to ourserver.

“Just excited to get you home,” I tell him, batting my lashes athim.

He pauses to sign the credit card slip before standing from his chair and offering me his hand. “Actually, I was thinking we could head back tomine?”

Outwardly, I’m a mask of composure. “Absolutely. Sounds great.” Inside, though, I’m dying. His house is at least fifteen minutes further away thanmine.

The drive passes quickly-ish, and by the time we’re creeping down his long driveway, I’m squirming in my seat. Drake pulls his truck to a stop almost directly in front of his house and leans over and drops his lips to my cheek. “Wait here real quick,” he tells me, not waiting for myreply.

I watch, dumbfounded, as he hops out of his truck and hauls ass into his house. I also take note that he barely cracks the door open, as if he doesn’t want me to see inside.What in theheck?

The minutes creep by, each one feeling like a small eternity as I wait for Drake to return. Finally, after the longest, most excruciating five minutes of my life, he returns and helps me down from thetruck.

“What were youdoing?”

“Got a surprise for you,” he tells me, leading me into hishouse.

I’m not even fully out of the entryway when a little ball of tan and black fur darts toward me, tripping over his paws in his excitement and running all around between my feet. I drop to my knees, not paying a lick of attention to my long dress, and immediately scoop up the little wiggly pup. Snuggling him right under my chin, I laugh as he peppers my face with sweet doggykisses.

“Oh my God, Drake! You got adog!”

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