“I’m going to stand out, don’t you think?” Michaela smoothed a hand over her hair. “Of course, you won’t even tell me where we’re going so I have no clue if I’m going to stand out or not.”
The irritation in her voice made Austin smile, and he parked the car in the large downtown parking lot. “You’re definitely going to stand out. That was the reasoning behind your outfit.”
She wore a white silky knit halter dress that was the sexiest thing he could find in her closet. He had no clue where she had worn it before or for whom but he considered himself lucky to see her in it tonight.
The neckline was embellished with clear stones, as was the band of trim that rested just beneath her breasts. It had a cut out between her breasts as well as on the sides and her entire back was bare. The white only emphasized her peachy golden skin, the short skirt showed off the long length of her sexy legs. Scarlett had come over and made her up with pale, iridescent colors, using a heavy hand on her eyes. Her cheeks were flushed pink, her lips matching, and he thought she looked like an angel set out for a night of sin.
The exact look he’d been hoping for.
They exited the car and he took her hand, clasping it tight in his as they walked across the lot and toward the row of buildings in the distance. The lot was half full, the sidewalk abandoned, and she glanced about curiously, drinking everything in.
“Where are you taking me?” she asked for what felt like the fiftieth time.
He lifted their linked hands and kissed the back of hers. “You’ll see. We’re almost there.”
She looked like she wanted to squirm. She hated surprises, she always had and he was torturing her on purpose. He wanted to keep her on edge, keep her guessing. It added a certain sense of anticipation to the night.
“You look like the devil and here I am in all white.” The tone of her voice caused him to glance at her, and he saw the nervousness on her face. She looked uncomfortable, uncertain, and he didn’t want that. He didn’t understand why she was such a bundle of nerves, though. Didn’t she trust him to take care of her no matter what?
“Why do you say that?”
“You’re dressed completely in black and with your black hair, the way you tower over me, I don’t know.” She shook her head, a little smile curling her lips. “You look like you’re taking me to the lion’s den to corrupt me.”
“You don’t know how close your description is.” He stopped in front of a nondescript three-story building, the lights within the windows dim, the double doors huge and painted blood red. “We’re here.”
There was no sign indicating what lay within, no people hanging out in front, no indication whatsoever that it was a place of business, and Michaela tilted her head back, taking it all in. “What is it?”
He yanked her close so he could whisper in her ear. “It’s called Tom’s.”
She turned to look at him, a smirk on her face. “Sounds classy.”
He chuckled. “It is. It’s called Tom’s as in peeping. Get it?”
Realization dawned on her face. “Like peep shows?”
“Close. More like a voyeuristic club.”
Her delicate brows drew together in that look she got when she was a little confused. “What do you mean?”
“Let’s put it this way. There are the watchers and then there are the doers.” He leaned in closer, breathing in her scent, his lips touching her soft earlobe. “And I know how much you like to watch.”
“So we watch people, uh, do stuff?” Sh
e shivered.
“Uh, huh.” He squeezed her hand. “What do you think?”
“I think it’s crazy that you even know about this place.”
He shrugged. “I’ve never been here. A friend of mine told me about it.”
“Who?”
“You’ll never guess.”
“Brad?”
“Hell, no.” He moved away from her with a grimace. “Scarlett.”