“Whitley, you look…” I had to clear my throat before I continued. “My God, you look stunning, sweetheart.” I looked down into her eyes.

The blush spreading across her face made my dick even harder.

Fuck dinner. I just want to take her home and make love to her all night.

She slowly made her way over to me and used her finger to gesture for me to move closer to her. As I moved my ear closer to her mouth, I felt her hot, sweet breath.

“I can’t wait for you to take me out of this dress. I have a surprise for you underneath it.”

I pulled my head back and looked at her. I couldn’t even think straight. “Ah…excuse me for one moment, ladies.” I stepped around Whitley and Courtney and made my way out the front door.

I took a few deep breaths to calm down my racing heart. “Damn the things that girl does to me.”

I pulled out my phone and made my first of two phone calls.

Chapter Twenty-One: Whitley

I stood there and watched as Layton made his way out onto the front porch.

“Jesus, Whit! What in the hell did you say to that poor boy?” Courtney said with a laugh.

I shrugged my shoulders. “I just told him that I had a surprise underneath the dress, and I couldn’t wait for him to take it off and see it.” I turned and looked back at Court.

Courtney started laughing. “Way to give the poor guy a hard-on right at the very beginning of the night!”

I covered my mouth up with my hands and started shaking my head. I felt my face turning hotter. “My God, Courtney, this is all your fault!”

Courtney’s face dropped, and she just looked at me with a stunned expression. “What? What’s all my fault? That you finally discovered your own sexuality? That you’re actually able to wear a sexy dress and have a man appreciate it? He couldn’t pull his eyes away from you, girl!”

“You turned me into a horny bitch, Court! It’s that damn book’s fault…and that stupid vibrator you gave me. Do you know I had a dream about Layton last night, and I had to take that damn thing out? I closed my eyes and thought about him the whole time while I used a stupid vibrator to have an orgasm!”

The smile spreading across Courtney’s face instantly told me that Layton was behind me. I glanced over my shoulder and saw him standing there with his mouth hanging open.

“Ah…I think I need to take a cold shower before we leave.”

Oh. My. God. Where is the hole for me to crawl into?

Courtney walked right up to me and smiled. “Oh, the power of a good erotica book!”

She walked up to Layton, laughing, as she closed his mouth with her finger.

I tried to smile. “Layton, I didn’t know you were standing there.”

He walked up to me and took me into his arms. He kissed me so passionately it almost felt like all the air left my body. He slowly pulled his lips away from mine. The smile crossing his lips caused me to giggle.

“Will you do me a favor?”

“Anything,” I whispered.

“Go back upstairs and get that vibrator.”

I let out a chuckle and held up my clutch. “I don’t think it will fit in here.”

He smiled. “Put it in something else.”

Oh my God. I can’t believe I’m going to even entertain this idea!

“Mr. Morris, are you planning on being naughty later?”

He closed his eyes and then slowly opened them, capturing my eyes with his. I sucked in a breath at the smoldering look in his eyes.

I stepped back and made my way upstairs to get the Lelo vibrator, my heart pounding the whole way.

By the time I got into Layton’s truck, my heart was slamming in my chest.

I can’t believe I went back upstairs to get a vibrator, for Christ’s sake! I’m never reading another one of Courtney’s books again.

Layton got in, shut the door, and gave me a panty-melting smile.

Jesus…he is so damn good-looking. I need someone to pinch me ’cause I have to be dreaming.

“I can’t believe I did that!” I felt the blush on my cheeks.

Layton placed the back of his hand on my cheek and slowly moved it down. “My God, you’re so beautiful. I can hardly believe you’re here with me.”

Oh. My. God. I can barely breathe, and my stomach is in knots.

“I was just thinking the same thing about you!” I said with a giggle. “Hey, why did you go outside earlier?”

Layton shook his head and laughed. “Jesus, Whit, it’s bad enough, just seeing you in that sexier-than-hell dress, but when you tell me you can’t wait for me to take it off and see what’s underneath…there’s no way in hell I am going to be able to wait to get you back home. I called and booked a hotel room in Austin.”

My mouth dropped open before I let out a laugh. “Layton, do you know how happy you make me?”

He leaned over and kissed the tip of my nose. “I hope to always make you happy, baby. Come on, let’s go get our groove on.”

“I can’t get my groove on in this dress!”

“Fine, let’s go mingle around in a room full of tight-ass investors and maybe take a spin around the dance floor a time or two.”

I smiled and laughed. “Sounds like the fun will be after dinner—at the hotel,” I said with a wink.

My feet were killing me, and I was pretty sure I was getting dirty looks from almost every woman in the room. It seemed like we had been here for hours already. Layton and I had danced a few times, and it reminded me of the dinners I had gone to for my father’s practice—or Roger’s investment dinners.

I was standing there, talking to a Melinda Ross, hearing all about her fiancé and how he had been cheated out of a promotion because the boss’s son got it instead. I tried to seem interested, but I just wasn’t. I kept looking over at Layton, who was deep in conversation with the only man in the room wearing cowboy boots.

I couldn’t help but giggle. My cowboy.

Every now and then I would say, “Oh, really?” Or I’d nod my head like I was listening. Finally, Melinda must have followed my eyes to see whom I was staring at.

“Is he yours?”

I snapped my head back to see she was practically panting while looking at Layton. I turned back just in time to see him looking at me. I smiled, and he winked.

“Yes, he is,” I said as I gave him a little wave.

“Lucky girl. He’s drop-dead gorgeous. What investment firm does he work for?”

I let out a chuckle. “He sits on the board for Smithson Advisory here in Austin, but his real job is far less glamorous. He’s a cattle rancher in Llano, Texas, and he also dabbles in racehorses.”

“He’s on the board for Smithson? How old is he?”

I felt a sense of pride just bubbling up inside me. “Twenty-five, almost twenty-six.”

“Holy shit.” She looked back over at Layton.

Layton shook the hand of the older gentleman before he started to make his way over to me. Right as he reached for my hand, an announcement was made, saying that dinner was ready and asking for everyone to be seated.

I quickly introduced Melinda to Layton. “Layton, this is Melinda Ross. Melinda, Layton Morris.”

I watched as the red moved across her cheeks when Layton took her hand.

“It’s a pleasure, ma’am.”

“For the love of God, I’m only twenty-three. Please don’t call me ma’am,” she said with a fake laugh.

“Yes, ma’am,” Layton said.

The moment he placed his hand on the small of my back, guiding me over to the table, my heart started pounding, and I swore I was suddenly aroused. I was so fucking horny that I couldn’t even think straight. All evening, I kept thinking about Layton asking me to bring the vibrator. I was even beginning to have fantasies of him using it on me.

Shit! Shit! Shit! Whitley, get a damn grip, girl. This is insane.

Layton pulled out my chair for me, but before I could sit down, he brought me in closer to him.

He whispered in my ear, “You look so beautiful. Every man in this room can’t take his eyes off of you.”

I was ready to apologize for what I was wearing, but then he brought his lips closer this time. The feel of his hot breath on my bare neck was driving me insane.

“I just want to make love to you right this very second. I think we need to skip out after dinner and make our way to The Intercontinental.”

I let out a giggle. “The Intercontinental? What’s that?”

“The Intercontinental Stephen F. Austin hotel. It’s only one of the most luxurious hotels in Austin.”

“Layton, I don’t ever have to stay anywhere fancy. As long as I’m with you, we could sleep in the truck for all I care.”

He let out a laugh and kissed me quickly on the lips before taking my hand as I sat down in the chair. As he pushed my chair in and then sat down next to me, I noticed Melinda sitting a few seats down from us.

“Whitley, I want to introduce you to my fiancé,” she said with a smile.

As I looked over at the young man taking a seat, his eyes met mine.

I let out a gasp as Nick smiled.

“Oh my God. Whitley! What an unbelievably nice surprise to see you here.”

My head instantly started spinning. Clearly confused, Melinda looked back and forth between Nick and me.

Layton leaned over. “Whit, do you know him?”

I couldn’t talk. My heart was pounding. I immediately started looking around the room for Roger.

If Nick is here, does that mean Roger is here, too?

Melinda grinned. “So, Whitley, how in the world do you know my Nick?”

I reached for Layton’s hand and squeezed it. “I, um…I…” I glanced around the room again and then down the table, scanning all the faces. I didn’t know anyone else besides Nick.

“Baby, are you okay?” Layton asked as I squeezed his hand again.

Nick laughed. “Melinda, I know Whitley from New York. She used to date Roger.”

I noticed Layton sit up straighter as he grabbed my hand tighter.

Melinda looked at me and smiled slightly. “You poor thing. He is such an asshole.”

“Melinda!” Nick said.

“What? He is.” Melinda practically drank down a whole glass of wine. She looked back at me and frowned before giving me a small smile.

“No, she’s right. He is an asshole,” I said as my voice cracked.

“Well, it’s a good thing he isn’t here, huh?” Melinda said with a wink.

She must have noticed how nervous I was.

I slowly felt my body relaxing just a bit.

Oh my God! I told Melinda Layton’s last name and where he lives. If she tells Nick, and he tells Roger—

“Would you like to leave, baby?” Layton asked.

I shook my head, my eyes never leaving Melinda’s. “Actually, if you’ll excuse me, I need to use the restroom.” I stood up.

The men at the table, including Layton, stood also.

Melinda jumped up, startling Nick. “I’ll join you. Nick, please, would you order me another glass of wine?”

Nick smiled. “Sure, sweetheart.”