As I stare at her, taking it all in, all I can think about is what a lucky son of a bitch I am.
“Wow,” I breathe as she reaches the bottom. “You look stunning.”
For the first time ever, she blushes and looks down at the floor. That reaction alone is different for her, and the fact that I’m able to cause something new sends a warmth all over my body.
“Are you ready to go?” I ask, offering her my arm.
She nods and looks back at Lennon. “Bye. Love you.”
“Wait!” Lennon shouts. She pulls her phone out of her pocket. “I have to get a picture.”
We stand against the one wall as instructed and I place my arm around her. Lennon snaps one picture after the next, until I can’t hold back my amusement.
“Is it just me or does she look like one of those parents on prom night?”
Tessa bursts into laughter, pulling the same reaction out of me. Lennon rolls her eyes playfully but continues to smile as she takes the photos.
“Okay,” she puts her phone down. “I think that’ll do.”
I watch as Tessa hugs her goodbye and makes her promise to send over the pictures, then she comes back to me. With a wave to Lennon, I lead Tessa outside and down the front steps. The driver is already standing outside and opens the door for the two of us. I thank him as we climb inside.
“Here,” I say, handing her a glass of champagne then taking one for myself. “To a night of memories.”
She smiles at me and takes a sip. “You’re such a closet romantic; it’s adorably sickening.”
Okay, so usually I’m not. I always swore I wouldn’t do this kind of stuff again, but with her I can’t help it. Tonight is one of the rare times I get to treat her like she deserves, and I’m going to take full advantage of it.
THE HOUSE IS ALREADY full of people by the time we arrive. Just before we get out of the limo, I grab the box containing the masks and open it. The patterns match, showing they are the male and female counterparts of each other, but mine is a sleek gray while hers is white. She also has a small amount of lace around the edges. I pull hers out first and turn to her.
“This is for you.”
A small gasp leaves her mouth. “Asher, it’s gorgeous.”
I smile, feeling accomplished. After she spent an entire evening searching through tons of different ideas, she still couldn’t figure out what she wanted. I told her to leave it to me and only made her tell me what color dress she planned on wearing. And maybe I paid a small fortune to have these custom-made with actual diamonds in them. It made her happy, so in my book, that’s a win.
Helping her put it on, I tie the back with a perfect bow and then lean back to look at her. Gorgeous. I make quick work of taking my own out and putting it on. Once I’m done and the two of us are ready, I kiss her once and slip out of the car. Tessa takes my hand, allowing me to help her out before lacing her fingers with my own.
“Whoa,” she says as her eyes land on the mansion. “This is their house?”
I nod. “I told you, baby. You don’t know the high life. Stick with me, I’ll show you the ropes.”
THE NIGHT IS EVERYTHING I could have hoped for. Tessa unsurprisingly charms every single person I introduce her to. For a moment, I wondered if she would get bored having to listen to Chase Lexington talk about his charity and all the good it’s doing for a straight half hour, but she was actually enthralled.
Halfway through the night, I need to pull her away from Griffin after he managed to steal her from me and pull her out onto the dance floor. She leans into me as I guide her out of the room entirely and up a flight of stairs.
“Where are we going?”
I grin down at her. “To the best part of the house.”
She exhales heavily. “Okay, we cannot have sex in these people’s house. It’s rude.”
“Not what I was planning, but thanks for the etiquette tip.”
It takes a few minutes to reach the other side of the overly sized abode, but once we do, I remember exactly why it’s worth it. I open the door and allow Tessa to step out first, then I follow. She shivers from the chilly November air, making me wrap my arms around her.
“What are we looking at?” she wonders.
Walking her to the edge of the balcony, I spin her around and point to the view in the distance. The Lexington Estate sits on top of a mountain, making it so you can see everything from below. The whole city is lit up, and with the stars above it, it’s the most incred