“I didn’t tell you the best part yet,” I say after I’ve shut up my stomach. “As a junior associate, my salary will be almost twice as much as I made when I was an intern. And that’ll only go up with seniority. Mom should be able to retire within three years . . . five at the outside.”

“Five freaking years? Isn’t she already sixty-three?” His mouth twists in uncertainty. “You know, I can still start an account for her. Under both your names, so I can’t touch it after I make the initial deposit.”

I shake my head, smiling at him. “Thanks, sweetie, but I’m never going to change my answer. I can do this standing on my own two feet.” No matter how many times he offers money, all I want from Hayden is his love—and he’s made it clear that I have it in spades. “Besides, I still have to convince Mom to retire. She’ll probably say something like”—I lower my voice in imitation of her—“I’ll go stir-crazy doing nothing all day! I won’t sponge off my own daughter just so I can sit on my heinie.”

He lets out a bark of laughter. “That sounds like Val, all right. She’s a real—”

“Stubborn battle-ax?”

“I was going to say ‘a real independent lady.’ But you know, I think she’d take ‘stubborn battle-ax’ as a compliment.”

“She probably would.” I chuckle affectionately.

“So now that you’ve got the perfect degree, the perfect job, and the perfect boyfriend . . .” He bounces his eyebrows until I snort at him. “What’s next on the world-domination agenda?”

“If I have the perfect boyfriend, then you tell me?” I ask. “I still wonder how I could ever compete with Roxy. Being sexy is literally her job.”

My tone is joking, but Hayden fixes me with a solemn look. “You don’t have to. Naomi and I had a good run, but it ended years ago. She’s enjoying the single life now . . . and I’ve found what I was looking for all along.” He takes my hand, his expression softening into adoration. “I love you, Emery. So much.”

Emotion knots in my throat. “I . . . I love you too,” I stammer, smiling and blinking back tears for the second time tonight. I’m still so new to those three little words—both hearing and saying them—that they touch my heart every time. But the mood has become way too serious for what’s supposed to be a celebration. So I rub his knuckles with my thumb and purr, “Still, I’m sure she must have taught you a few things. Why don’t we go back to your place and practice?”

Understanding dawns on his face and he grins, suddenly all mischief again. “Excuse me,” Hayden calls out. “Can we get the check?”

The waiter hustles over. “No dessert this evening, sir?”

“We’ll be having dessert at home,” I interrupt smoothly.

The waiter nods and leaves, and Hayden winks at me. I roll my eyes with a chuckle.

• • •

We barely get through Hayden’s door before we’re glued to each other, making out like teenagers. I nip his lower lip, then draw back when he makes a brief, husky noise. “Go sit down,” I order. “There’s something I want to do.”

“Well, well. Someone’s feeling bossy tonight.” Despite his back talk, he’s already walking over to the couch.

I raise one eyebrow. “Will that be a problem?”

He grins. “Not at all, ma’am.”

Letting my hips sway, I stroll to a spot just out of his reach. Under his appreciative eyes, I reach back and undo my zipper, pulling it down slowly. I slide the gown’s straps over my shoulders to reveal first my cleavage, then my lacy black bra. He watches with a wolfish smile and tented pants as I finally let the silky material pool around my feet.

“Damn . . . I didn’t know you’d be wearing a thong,” he purrs.

“If I told you, we never would have made it to the restaurant.” I step out of the gown, now standing in only my lingerie, jewelry, and shoes. “Should I leave my heels on?”

He leans forward to caress me, watching his hands slide down over the curve from waist to hip to thigh. The tip of his tongue flickers over his lips, as if imagining how I taste, and I shiver at the sight as much as his touch.

“Damn, woman, you’re asking me to make a decision right now? There’s no blood left in my brain.”

“I didn’t know you ever had blood in your brain.”

With a playful growl, he lunges forward to squeeze my ass. Startled, I squeak . . . then moan when he seals his mouth around my nipple. His gentle teeth and nimble tongue tease the pebbled nub right through the lace, sparking pleasure straight through me, as if his mouth were on my clit instead.

“Cheater.” I sigh, swaying on my feet. “You were supposed to wait until the end of the strip show.”

“I’ve been waiting all night.” He sucks hard and I almost whimper. “Hell, I’ve been waiting all week. I want to make you come.”

“Not yet, big boy,” I tease. That little declaration takes every ounce of restraint I have. Because Hayden knows how to dole out the O’s like nobody’s business.

I ease down onto my knees in front of him, blinking up at him innocently through my eyelashes as I slowly tug down his zipper and reach inside his boxers to free the heavy weight of his cock. He feels so good in my palm, thick and hot and hard. But I know he’ll feel even better in my mouth. This is something I haven’t gotten the chance to do yet.