Page 62 of Red My Lips

“Take me home,” I say.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Jill

The first breath after stepping into my apartment after my pilates class tells me he’s been here. The lingering scent of his warm cologne and leather fills my lungs, it’s delicious.

Gage.

I briefly pause in the entryway to listen and feel—is he still here? I don’t sense him, or anyone else, in here with me. So I toss my keys and purse on the entryway table and walk further into the apartment. My eyes scan the living room and kitchen until they land heavily on the kitchen island.

Four black gift boxes sit on the counter, propped against four large vases of blood-red roses. I bite my bottom lip in a smile of excitement as I approach the display, the fluttering of butterflies in my stomach growing stronger as I get closer.

The flower arrangements are gorgeous, professional, and look very expensive. An envelope sits on the counter with my name written in Gage’s handwriting. Pulling out the card with a flaming heart on the front, I read the note inside.

‘Wear them out for me tonight, and I’ll return the favor.

Xoxo Yours’

I reach for the biggest one of the four gift boxes first. Tugging at the black satin ribbon, I lift the top off the box. I peel the white tissue paper to reveal a carefully folded bundle of gorgeous, rich red fabric. Lifting the dress out of the box, the intricate beading on the scarlet bodice glitters in the light. My smile blooms as I hold it up against my body and turn to look at my reflection in the mirror across the room. The designer dress looks tailored to my measurements perfectly.

Of course it is, Gage picked it out for me.

Stalker.

Next comes the second largest box, which unsurprisingly reveals a pair of black Dior open-toed pumps with a black bow on the back along the simple ankle strap. They’re both sexy and elegant, with an edgy twist—just like me. The third box is a necklace. The choker is made of clear Swarovski crystals, with strings of red gems that hang down like blood trickling down a throat.

The last gift is the smallest, and it takes my breath away when I open it. A lip duo sits inside the box, one lipstick and one lipgloss. The deep, complex color is so stunning, it’s as if it were created just for me—just like the blood it matches. I pull out the lipstick to look at the color name: Crimson Sin.

Gage.

My phone buzzes in my pocket with an incoming call and I don’t have to look to know who’s calling before I answer it. Gage’s deep voice speaks as soon as I press the device to my ear.

“Goddamn, that smile on your face is worth every penny.” I glance around my apartment in an attempt to spot him out of habit, but I don’t see anything. Shocker.

“Stop watching me, or I won’t wear them. I want you to be surprised.”

“I know every inch of your body intimately, and I’ve been fantasizing about seeing that outfit on you all day, little devil.”

“Then I’m sure you’d be pretty disappointed if you never got to see it on me,” I say flatly, pushing my point. Gage’s chuckle travels through the phone and washes over me like warm honey.

“Be ready at seven o’clock, gorgeous,” Gage relents.

“When you open the door, be ready for me.”

“Always.”

When the door swings open, Gage’s body turns to stone. It wouldn’t surprise me if the man’s heart stopped beating in his chest and the breath stilled in his chest. The only movement comes from his eyes as they run over me from head to toe more than once.

I’ve spent the last five hours getting ready for our date tonight. I’m moisturized, plucked, primped, waxed, and fully made up—all just for him. The dress fits like my body was the inspiration, and the shoes couldn’t make my legs look any sexier if they tried. I kept my eye makeup simple to let my bold red lip be the focus, with some smoked-out liner and lashes in what Lana calls my ‘siren eyes.’

I look absolutely irresistible.

“What do you think?” I ask, batting my eyes at him. When he finally moves, his hand runs over his mouth, and he slowly shakes his head.

“I don’t like to give Heaven credit.” His voice is rough with reverence that bathes me in praise. “But the angels knew what they were doing when they created you.” His adoration charges through my body until every nerve ending is firing at once like a hit of the best kind of drug.

With one long stride, he’s in front of me, his hands cupping my face. The urge to kiss me is written all over his face, but he refrains for the sake of the glossy, gorgeous red pout on my full lips.

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