Page 22 of Forecheck
A moment later, heels clicked on the floor above, the sound getting closer as she moved down the stairs. All thoughts left my brain the second she rounded the corner.
I thought Berkley was beautiful in general—in short shorts on a hot summer night at the bar, in the jeans and sweaters she’d worn in her recent Instagram photos, in her sexy little Halloween costume.
But Berkley in this dress? It was tight, black, and fell just above her knees, with long, sheer sleeves and a square neckline that left her collarbones exposed, a tiny charm on a gold chain resting in the hollow between them. My brain short-circuited at the sight of her.
She walked toward me in strappy black heels that were pointy enough to be weaponized if needed. And even with the added height, she was still tiny enough that I could easily pull her in and tuck her head under my chin.
“Hi, Brent,” she said.
It took my brain several long seconds to formulate a response, and when it did—urged on by a sharp elbow to my ribs from Kimber—I blurted, “You’re fucking stunning.”
She beamed at me, her cheeks turning pink. “Thank you. You clean up pretty well yourself.”
“The boy does have a good suit game,” Amelia said appreciatively, walking up behind Berkley with her coat. Berkley slipped it on, though her eyes never left mine.
“These are for you,” I said, at last passing the bouquet of flowers over to her.
She accepted them and immediately stuck her nose in the blooms, inhaling deeply.
“Peonies are my favorite,” she said, a small smile tilting up the corners of her lips. “Thank you.”
I beamed, pleased to have gotten at least one thing right. Once she’d handed them off to Kimber with instructions to put them in water and bring them to her bedroom, I asked, “You ready?”
“Definitely. Lead the way.”
I turned around and opened the door, and Berkley hugged her friends goodbye before walking out ahead of me.
“Don’t bring her home too late!” Kimber called after me.
“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!” Amelia yelled at Berkley.
“You don’t even live here!” Berkley shouted back, and her friends’ laughter followed us to the elevator.
“Your friends are fun,” I said when we reached my truck and I helped her inside. “Although, I’m surprised Lexie isn’t here, too.”
Berkley rolled her eyes and settled back into the seat. “They’re certainly something. And Lexie would’ve been, but she’s out of town for work.”
Once I slid behind the wheel, I took a deep breath and started the engine. “Are you ready?”
Berkley turned her face toward mine, and our gazes locked and held. “You’ve already asked me that,” she said with a giggle. “And the answer is yes. I’ve been really looking forward to this.”
“So you’re excited, huh?” I said, cutting her with a smirk as I navigated us out of the parking lot.
She tugged her coat tighter around her and burrowed deeper in the seat. I liked having her there. “Yes. Although, I’d be even more excited if you told me where we’re going!”
“Not a chance.”
“Am I at least dressed okay?”
“You’re perfect,” I told her.
I couldn’t be sure in the barely-there glow of the dash lights, but I guessed by the shy smile she wore that her cheeks had once again blushed.
That blush was becoming my favorite thing.
“You don’t mind a short walk, do you?” I asked once I’d pulled into a parking garage up the street from the restaurant, eyeing her shoes nervously.
“Not at all,” she said. “Although, I’d have worn pants if I’d known an outdoor stroll was involved. It’s not even December yet! It shouldn’t be this cold.”
