Diana adds, "Don't be shy. You're going to the club. I can assure you someone other than Riggs will see you naked tonight."
My chest tightens. I blurt out, "What do you mean?"
She shrugs. "It's normal. Lots of people will be naked."
Of course they will.
I slowly untie my robe and slide out of it. I step into the dress.
Nira zips it, chirping, "You look great!"
"You sure do," Diana adds.
The dress covers a few inches of my thigh. I step into the stilettos, and my legs seem even more exposed.
"Time to go," Diana states, clapping.
"Have an awesome night," Nira says.
I'm too nervous to respond as they lead me out of the bedroom.
Riggs is on the phone. He wears all black. His designer trousers, T-shirt, and sports coat fit his body like a glove. A hint of his tattoos peeks out of the V of his shirt.
My heart stammers. His dirty-blonde surfer hair seems wilder than when he leaves for work. I love it when he wears it like that. Something about it seems a bit taboo compared to his normal buttoned-up work look where he's hiding his ink.
He catches my eye and freezes. His eyes dart down my body, then back to my face. He hangs up. He states, "You look perfect."
"She does," Nira beams.
Diana glances at her watch. "We should get going. We have one more stop tonight."
"Sure. I'll get Luke." Riggs goes to the door and motions for the driver to come inside. He hauls the women's black cases outside, then returns and blindfolds them. He leads them to the SUV, which takes off just as another SUV backs into the driveway.
"Why do you blindfold them?" I ask.
"So they don't know where I live," Riggs replies.
"Isn't that a bit extreme?" I question.
He shakes his head. "No. I like my privacy. They don't even know what town I live in." He pins his blues on me.
I stay quiet as a new burst of anxiety fills my belly.
He steps forward and reaches around my neck. He unfastens my gold collar and states, "This is the wrong one tonight."
"Oh?"
He sets the old one on the counter and picks up a flat box. He holds it out. "This is for you."
"What is it?"
"Open it."
I remove the lid and gape. A new choker glitters back at me. It's a black and platinum mix, with metal rings and diamonds floating around it. "It's gorgeous," I gush.
He picks it up, attaches it around my neck, then adds, "There's something else in the box. Underneath the first layer."
I glance down at the satin and lift it. A matching leash is folded and stuck in the insert.