Chapter 16

16

NIALL

T allulah Pruette in that shimmering red, body-hugging dress that seemed to have been painted onto her curves might just have been the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen in my life. Her dark hair fell past her shoulders in shiny, smooth curls, making her bare skin in the strapless corset look like creamy porcelain.

The skirt of the dress flared out a little, but only around her mid-thigh, which meant that the rest of her full, hourglass figure was gorgeously accentuated. Meanwhile, her eyes were striking and huge, made up the way they were.

Even before tonight, I’d thought she was the most beautiful woman I’d ever laid eyes on, but now that she was all dressed up, she had my head spinning. As our eyes locked, I felt drawn to her in a way I’d never felt before.

The sensation was even more intense than usual, which was odd considering that I’d felt drawn to her all along. This was different, though. It was like I was merely a puppet on a string and some force greater than myself was manipulating my movements as I strode over to her.

I dodged several of my guests along the way, my eyes only on her until she was standing right in front of me. “Tallulah, I—you…”

“I—hi,” she said, but her voice was several octaves higher than usual, which made me feel better for fumbling my own hello.

“Hi,” I finally managed, my gaze still locked on hers and unable to look away. “At risk of making things weird again, you look absolutely ravishing this evening.”

“Thank you,” she replied quietly, her cheeks flushing a deep, rosy pink as she nodded at me. “So do you. I’m sorry I’m so late.”

The chemistry was back between us instantly and in full force, but it was familiar and comfortable now, like a limb I’d been missing all week. A smile hooked the corners of my lips, curving them upward in a much wider way than I was used to. “I’m just glad you’re here.”

“Thank you for inviting me.”

“I wouldn’t have had it any other way,” I said, realizing that neither of us had even glanced away from the other just yet. “I was starting to wonder if you’d changed your mind about coming. I’m happy you didn’t, though. Everyone I’ve spoken to is dying to meet the girl responsible for the party.”

The flush spread a little bit, creeping to her temples and her jaw. “I didn’t change my mind. Sayra just had to come to my rescue with a dress and it took me a while longer than expected to get ready.”

“Sayra…” I cursed under my breath, exhaling deeply as I finally remembered what I had forgotten. “You didn’t have time to go shopping this week. I apologize. That was entirely my fault. I should’ve had my personal shopper send over some options for you.”

“You have a personal shopper?”

“I do.” I flashed her a small smile. “Forgive me? I’ll do better next time, I promise. I’ll personally see to it that you have a whole day before an event to shop around and be pampered.”

“Thanks, but that’s okay. I’m not sure I’d like being pampered and Sayra came through in a big way with the dress. It wasn’t necessary for me to go out and spend a bundle of money on something new when she had this just lying around.”

My eyes finally dropped away from hers, but it was only to run slowly over the length of her body, savoring every inch of it until I finally brought it back up again. “It looks like it was made for you, Tallulah. You’re breathtaking this evening. If I knew where she’d bought it, I’d order you one in every color you want.”

“That’s really not necessary.”

“Perhaps not, but I owe you at least that and more for pulling all this together in less than a week. You name it, and it’s yours. Without you, I’d have bought a couple six-packs of beer, hung some Jack-o’-lanterns, and called it a day. None of this would’ve been possible, so I’m serious. Whatever you want, name it and I’ll make it happen.”

Her cheeks flushed an even deeper hue at the praise, but the smile that spread on her lips was proud and genuine. I loved being responsible for having put it there. What was more was that she absolutely deserved all the compliments she was about to get.

I offered her my arm, motioning around the room with my free hand. “Let me introduce you to my neighbors and business associates, but before I do, promise me you won’t accept any job offers.”

“What?” She frowned. “I wouldn’t, but it’s unlikely I’ll get any.”

I arched an eyebrow at her, but my chest puffed out when she slid her hand into the crook of my elbow. “That might be what you think right now, but just wait. I’m willing to bet you’re about to get at least three. One of my associates has already asked me who the party planner was and whether you’re available at Christmas.”

She grinned up at me. “Will I be? Available at Christmas, I mean?”

“Absolutely not,” I said immediately, stepping closer to her side as I started leading her around the room. “I’ve already told Jake that we’re making it permanent, so the paperwork should be ready. All that remains is for you to accept.”

The slow smile that graced her lips made my heart and cock compete over who needed her attention more. “Unfortunately, I just promised I wouldn’t accept any of the job offers I received tonight.”

I groaned. “I walked right into that one, didn’t I?”

Her nose wrinkled as she nodded, trying and failing to hide an adorable smile. “I’m afraid you did, but it’s too late to take it back now.”

“What do you want me to do?” I asked immediately. “We need you to stay. I’ll get on my knees and beg if that’s what it takes.”

Heat flared to life in her eyes and my heart started pounding in my chest when she shot me a coy smile. “I wouldn’t make you get on your knees in front of all these people, but maybe later.”

Surprised at the direction in which the conversation was suddenly going, I leaned a little closer to her. “Your wish is my command, Tallulah Pruette. I’ve never actually gone on my knees for a woman, but for you, I’d beg like a puppy for a treat.”

Her lips were parted when I pulled away and looked at her again, and I had the sudden urge to toss her over my shoulder and carry her upstairs like a caveman. In the end, however, that look on her face when I’d complimented her was what made me decide against it.

Every partygoer I’d spoken to had been eager to meet her, and I felt like it was important for her to hear what they had to say. She really had outdone herself tonight and I wasn’t so selfish that I’d let my own needs deprive her of the opportunity to hear how incredibly talented she was.

As I led her around the room, I introduced her to neighbors, business associates, and a few people who formed part of my extended group of friends. Every last one of them praised her for the magnificent party, and it was like I was seeing her come to life as they drove it home that she really was exceptional at her job.

Her eyes lit up and she smiled more radiantly than she ever had before. Miss Jenny smirked at me when I finally introduced Tallulah to her. “I’m looking forward to seeing your work at the Hallow’s Eve Festival this year, child. If it’s anything like the mini haunted house upstairs, it’s going to be the best one this city has ever seen.”

Tallulah seemed absolutely giddy about the compliment. “Thank you, ma’am. I haven’t actually been up there since it was completed, but I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

“Oh, I loved it, but I’ll tell you what I’d love more,” Miss Jenny said, glancing at me.

I sighed. “She’s going to say that she’d love to see those rooms filled with babies instead of decorations.”

Tallulah chuckled. “Wouldn’t that be something?”

“It really would,” Miss Jenny agreed, her gaze flicking between the two of us before she finally smiled at me. “You picked a good one, Niall. Treat her well.”

“You know I will,” I said, covering Tallulah’s hand on my arm with my own as I led her away from my flamboyant neighbor. “I’m sorry about that. I swear, I’m not expecting you to have a house full of my children, but the neighborhood biddies were going to try setting me up tonight. I think they called it off when they heard I’d invited someone all by myself.”

She chuckled. “Miss Jenny seems like a sweet lady. You’re lucky to have someone like her who cares about you.”

“Fair enough,” I conceded. My own mother sure wouldn’t be considered to be a sweet lady, nor did she care about much more than the continuation of our family name. “Have you really not seen the mini haunted house since it was completed?”

“There was too much left to do down here,” she explained. “Are you too scared, or will you come check it out with me?”

Immediately turning toward the staircase to take her up there, I leaned closer again to speak against her ear. “If I get scared, you’ll have to promise to protect me.”

She giggled. “Cross my heart.”

When we got up there, I was terrified. The part of my house that had been transformed for this felt totally changed. “I doubt I’m ever coming to this wing again.”

Tallulah, on the other hand, was laughing and smiling as we navigated our way through it, grabbing my arm to keep dragging me along whenever I thought we were done. She’d covered the framework of my windows and doors with black plastic sheeting to create dark corridors and rooms. The spookiness of the spaces had been enhanced with eerie decorations like spider webs, hanging bats, and creepy skeletons while fog machines added to the overall effect.

Tallulah and I went from room to room before rejoining the party downstairs, and as the evening progressed, I felt like I was beginning to see her for who she really was. Playful and fun, she was somehow so very confident but so very vulnerable all wrapped into one gorgeous package. It seemed to me like she wanted to please people so badly that it was ingrained in her, that playful side being reserved only for people she fully trusted.

In that sense, she was exactly like me.

The realization did something to me I couldn’t explain, and once the party finally started drawing to a close hours later, I still wasn’t ready to let her go home. “You should stay here tonight. It’s nearly three a.m.”

“I couldn’t possibly,” she countered, sitting down at one of the tables in the now empty main room. “It’s not a good idea, Niall.”

“Why not?” I asked. “I have several bedrooms for you to choose from. You wouldn’t have to sleep in mine.”

Unless you want to, of course.

Her eyes followed me as I strode closer to her. “Niall…”

“Tallulah?”

“There are some things we need to talk about, and three in the morning is hardly the time to do it.”

“Agreed,” I said easily. “However, we don’t need to talk at all considering that it is, in fact, three in the morning. Let’s just go to bed. I’ll show you to one of the guest bedrooms.”

“I can’t stay here,” she protested again, frowning when I sank to my haunches in front of her. “What are you doing?”

“Getting ready to grab you by the ankles if you try to leave,” I joked softly, imploring as I glanced up into her eyes once more. “Please stay. You’ve had a hell of a week and it was my fault. I really don’t like the idea of you driving back out to the plantation at this hour, but especially not after busting your ass like that all week.”

“Well, in that case, you don’t have to worry. Your truck is safely back at the plantation. I’ll get an Uber to take me home.”

I let out a frustrated grunt I couldn’t hold back. “Really? Do you honestly think that’s going to make me worry less? Look, if you want to leave, I can’t keep you here, but I’m begging you not to go.”

Our argument had turned fairly heated fairly quickly, but it was as if those words gave her either the courage or the inspiration to do what I’d been wanting to since she’d walked through those doors last night.

She leaned forward and caught my face in her hands, pulling me to her as her lips descended to mine. I groaned and moved onto my knees from my haunches, my hands falling to her hips as I slid my tongue into her mouth.

It wasn’t exactly the delicate approach I’d been talking to Jake about, but she was kissing me, and this time, I was even surer than I had been before that it was exactly what she wanted.