Afterburn & Aftershock: Afterburn / Aftershock. Sylvia Day

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      I glanced at her. “I think it looks understated and elegant.”

      “It does, for a woman my age. You’re twenty-five. Enjoy it.”

      “I have to be careful,” I explained. My boss was slender as a reed, graceful and lithe. I was too curvy. “My boobs are too big. And so is my butt.”

      “You’re sexy,” she asserted bluntly. “You play it down at work, which I understand and appreciate, but don’t waste it. It’s a terrible myth that a successful woman can’t be sexy without it ruining her credibility. Don’t buy into it.”

      I caught my lower lip between my teeth. Looking around the showroom, I was intimidated by the reek of wealth it exuded. I was out of my league. The walls were draped in billowing ivory silk, for Christ’s sake, instead of wallpaper. And the finger sandwiches they had just brought out were sitting on a platter I was positive was pure, heavy silver. “Can you help me? I’m afraid I’ll make the wrong choice.”

      “That’s what I’m here for, Gianna.” She gestured at one of the three women helping us. “Let’s see what you’ve got for young, beautiful and voluptuous.”

      * * *

      The whistles I got when I stepped out of my bedroom a few hours later both excited me and made me nervous. Denise had come home early to do my hair, bringing Pam, one of her stylists, with her to do my makeup. Angelo was sprawled across the couch watching stuff he’d recorded on the DVR, passing the time until his eight o’clock shift at Rossi’s.

      “Wow,” my brother said, sliding up into a sitting position. “Who are you and what have you done with my sister?”

      “Shut up,” Denise and I retorted in unison.

      “She looks like a movie star,” Pam said, returning from the kitchen, where she’d been cleaning her cosmetic brushes. “One of the real goddesses, I’d say. A Raquel Welch or Sophia Loren.”

      “Who?” Denise frowned.

      But I got it. I’d always thought of my mom the same way.

      The gown we’d chosen in the end was still black, but much sexier. A jeweled brooch held the one shoulder strap together, with inky satin ruched across the bust, cinched at the waist with a thin diamond belt, then slit down the right leg from midthigh to hem. It occurred to me that it was a good thing Vincent was already at Rossi’s. He might’ve freaked a little at how much of my legs were showing. Nico, who was living in Jersey now, would’ve loved it.

      Denise plopped down on the sofa with two beers in hand, passing one over to her husband and setting the other on the coffee table for Pam. She’d been sticking religiously to water and fruit juice since she had found out about the baby.

      Gold hoops glittered from between the crimped mass of her hair. “Is Chad going, too?” she asked.

      “I have no idea.”

      “Is Jax?” Angelo added tightly.

      I shrugged, but my pulse leaped. I had tried not to think about Jax when I’d been getting ready, but I couldn’t help hoping he could see me dolled up. I looked hot.

      “You know better,” he warned.

      “Yeah,” I agreed, “I do.”

      My smartphone rang, and I knew Lei’s driver had arrived. “Gotta run!”

      I hurried across the refinished hardwood of our joint loft to grab my heels, clutch and wrap from the bench by the door, waving at Pam before I exited through the open sliding front door. I skipped the temperamental old freight elevator and took the three flights of stairs to reach the street. Lei’s driver was used to the delay.

      Nico, Vincent and Angelo had bought the loft with the expectation of fixing it up and selling it for a profit. I’d moved in after college and eventually bought Nico’s share when he moved to New Jersey. Then Vincent and I had split the cost of Angelo’s share when he’d moved out with Denise, giving the two of us 50 percent stake each. We’d been considering selling out when Denise found out she was pregnant, and she and Angelo moved back in to save money.

      I liked coming home to a full house and missed Nico. I wasn’t sure what I’d have done with myself living alone. I think having someone around all the time had helped me focus on work and date less than I normally would have. I’d been comfortable with that, but maybe I had just been hiding from the fact I was nursing a broken heart. Maybe I should’ve faced that sooner. Certainly it was time to face it now.

      Breathless from the rush, I slid into the open backseat of the town car and we headed to Lei’s. Her part of New York was a lot different from mine. She lived in Manhattan, a bridge distance away that could’ve been another world. We crossed the East River with the sun still hanging in the sky, the light’s reflection on the water broken by an industrious towboat.

      It amazed me that I’d once believed Jax could fit in here. I had come to associate him so completely with D.C. that I could no longer imagine him anywhere else.

      Except my bed. I had no trouble imagining him there....

      * * *

      I was considering how best to finagle information out of Ian Pembry when the car pulled to a stop in front of Lei’s apartment building.

      I’d seen her dress earlier, but it had a whole new impact with the hair and makeup to match. Emerald-green and Grecian in design, it glided over her willowy body as she exited her apartment building with a smile for her doorman. The rich hue of her gown showed off her flawless pale skin and emphasized the red of her lips, while a beautiful jeweled clip accented the silver strands at her right temple.

      She settled on the seat beside me and I immediately caught her tension.

      “You okay?” I asked.

      “Sure.”

      We were quiet as we took the short ride to the heliport, both of us lost in our own thoughts. Turning a corner, my gaze caught on a dog park and the boisterous furry bodies running wild and free inside it. Their playful exuberance and undisguised pleasure made me smile, despite the somber turn my reflections had taken all day.

      I hated to admit it, but I was hurt that Ian knew about Jax inviting me to lunch. When Jax had called, I’d thought the request had come from the heart. I had believed it was personal, that he truly wanted to connect with me, even if it was only to apologize. I guess I’d always expected too much from Jax. When it came to him, my instincts were seriously faulty.

      By the time we were strapped into a helicopter and lifting into the air, my attention had turned outward to Lei. She stared out the window as the ground dropped farther away, laying the city out for us in a spectacular blanket of setting-sun-drenched concrete and sparkling glass. I followed suit, absorbing the panorama. The entire day had been reflective of my experience working with Lei. My family had a microscopic view of the world and they liked it. I’d always wanted something bigger, a view with a much wider lens.

      “Do you know where we’re going?” I asked.

      She shook her head. “Ian’s making a point with this outing. I expect we’ll be wowed.”

      * * *

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