“Dude, how spot-on is that? New opportunities abound and you’re going to this big, fancy dinner gala? Girl, your ‘scope is right. You’d better be open . . . for fucking business . . . in the bathroom, in the boardroom, in Scott’s office, and anywhere he’s down to get down. You feel me?” Tiff jokes as she reads my daily horoscope to me. She’s actually got a point this time. About the opportunity, not about the sex everywhere. Well, mostly not about the sex.

“You sure this is okay?” Tiffany asks as we pull up to Scott’s building. “I mean, he knows that I’m coming over to help you get ready, right?”

“Considering I refused his generous offer to schedule a spa day for me today, yeah . . . he knows you’re coming over,” I say with a smile.

Tiff looks at me, grinning widely. “I still say you should’ve taken him up on that. We can do makeup any ol’ time, but a spa day? Rare treat. Bet he would’ve let me go along too, stingy bitch.”

She’s teasing, but I know she probably would’ve loved a day of relaxation like that. It just didn’t feel right to take advantage of Scott that way though. I can get myself ready. Lord knows, I’ve got the makeup skills.

“Hey, talk to me,” Tiff says as we take the elevator up to the penthouse. “I at least need to know where his red room is.”

I appreciate that she can sense my nerves and is trying to keep things light. “Why, so you can try and steal something for your own use?” I joke, trying to let go of my tension, but it falls flat even to my own ears. “Sorry, I’m just . . . God, the thought of all those high-society types, all of them thinking I shouldn’t be there. It’s got me shittin’ bricks. Even worse, some of them are part of Scott’s family.”

“And?” Tiff asks, like this isn’t a super-important thing for Scott. To her, it’s just a night to get dressed up and see how the other half live, maybe make a few jokes about the high-falutin’ folks.

But it’s more to me. “Tiff, I’m just a simple girl who’s not used to these kinds of things. What if I end up embarrassing Scott?”

“Girl, you’ve got more common sense than most people,” Tiff says. “Scott wouldn’t be bringing you if he wasn’t confident you could handle it.”

“He tells me to just be myself, and everything will be fine,” I admit, and Tiff smirks knowingly.

“I’m sure they’ll find you refreshing and endearing,” she reassures me in a faux-hoity toity voice.

“Or depressing and offensive,” I say, still not sure but needing to let the nerves go in favor of getting ready. Maybe being all gussied up will make the swarm of bees in my belly settle into graceful butterflies?

The elevator dings, and the doors open to the small alcove that leads to Scott’s front door, a security measure only since his is the only door on this floor.

I open the door, and I wonder if I was this dumbstruck when I came the first time. Probably . . . maybe even more since he brought me here when the lights were perfect and right now, we’re just getting plain old mid-morning Bane from the big windows.

But Tiffany’s impressed. “Holy shit! Girl, I can see why you’ve practically dumped my ass! If I had this to sleep in every night, I wouldn’t come back to our raggedy ass apartment either. I’d have just sent you a text to box up all my shit and stick it by the door for the moving guy.”

“Oh, come on, I haven’t dumped you,” I whine, and Tiff raises a disbelieving eyebrow at me. “I haven’t.”

“I know . . . but shit, I wouldn’t blame you if you did. Imagine the muck bang I could have in that kitchen!” She giggles as she looks it over. “I’d have a million YouTube hits in a day!”

“Please don’t . . . and don’t say anything about that to Scott. He already thinks you’re weird.”

Tiff laughs. “He’s right. Now how much time do I have to poke around before we need to get started?”

I check my phone and see we’ve got a little bit of time. “Fifteen minutes, maybe?”

“Whoo-hoo!” Tiff cheers, scampering off. “Seriously, you’ve got like the best boyfriend ever, babe,” I hear her as her voice gets further away. “All he needs is a big Icelandic masseur named Magnus with a propensity for foot massages and I’d be set for-evah!”

Tiff runs around, oohing and ahhing over this and that. Her delight is contagious, and we’re giggling like school girls by the time we settle down for some serious beauty pampering.

We get masks on our faces, paraffin wax dips on our feet, and deep conditioner in our hair before plopping down on the cushy rug in Scott’s master bathroom to wait for the magic to happen.

Tiff looks around the room, her face more serious than her previous giddiness. “So, babe, this is all wildly impressive. But really . . . are you happy with Scott? Or is this just about the amenities?” Before I can answer, she holds up a staying palm toward me. “No judging either way. It’s just that he gave you a key to his penthouse, Madison. That sounds serious, and as your friend, I want to know where your head is so I can advise appropriately.”

“Well, things are admittedly moving pretty fast, but it’s been amazing. He’s . . . he’s great, and I feel better with him, more ‘me’, if that makes sense. For a while, I was waiting for the other shoe to drop because fairy tale shit like this can’t be real,” I say, looking around the bathroom at the jetted tub, huge shower, sparkling mirrors, and chandelier. Yeah, there’s a chandelier . . . in the bathroom. I shake my head at the craziness. “But the longer we go, the more I trust it, trust him. I’m still scared sometimes, but it’s a tiny sliver of fear. The rest of my heart is full, doing a happy dance of hallelujah!” I say, smiling and certain my eyes are dopey with little hearts surrounding them like a picture filter.

“Fuck, Madison. I’m so glad! Truly, nobody deserves happiness more than you, and double snaps that you found it with a guy like Scott. I would’ve felt horrible if you hadn’t given him a chance because of that stupid tattoo shit and had missed out on this,” she says, gesturing around the room but including me in the encompassing circle of this.

“No worries, Tiff. That seems like a lifetime ago. I’m not going to let that fake mumbo-jumbo affect Scott and me. Not anymore,” I tell her honestly.

“But I can still read your horoscope to you every morning, right? Even if you move in with Scott? It’s tradition, you know.”

“You’d better! I need your daily guidance to go about my day,” I tell her with a wink, both of us knowing that our daily ritual is more about our friendship than astrology.

“God, you’re so fucking beautiful.”

Maybe it’s not the most elegant or gentlemanly thing that Scott’s ever said to me, but right now, standing by myself in the bedroom as he comes out from his walk-in closet in his tuxedo, it’s powerful and makes me want to cry.

I sent Tiff home early, mainly because I needed some time to get my head right. Tiff was an amazing help today, but her constant chirpiness was starting to frazzle my nerves as much as my own concerns, and I needed the time to make sure I’m ready for tonight.

Scott’s simple, honest words help me. “Thank you,” I reply with a blush. “I’m still scared to death, though.”

Scott sweeps me into his arms, turning me around in the sunset light before kissing me softly but deeply as he cups my neck and caresses my tongue with his own. “Don’t worry,” he says, giving me a cocky smirk, knowing he just knocked me off my equilibrium with just a kiss. His voice is calm, confident as he reassures me. “Everything will be fine.”

“Promise?”

Scott nods. “Princess, you’ll be noticed. You’re too beautiful not to be . . . but you’re going to charm and captivate everyone.” His compliments bolster me, at least enough to get out the door. “Now, let’s go. The car looks great after it’s detailed.”

I can’t really notice too much of a difference. I think Scott’s ride always looks amazing, but the inside does smell great, and as we drive over, it almost feels like I’m riding a horse, the rich smell of saddle oil giving me good vibes. “We use this same oil at the shelter.”

“Really?” Scott asks, surprised. “What for?”

“The leashes and collars. May got them for free but then had to pay the money on the oil to keep them in good condition.”

Scott keeps up his questions, and I know what he’s doing. He’s trying to keep my mind busy, and his distractions mostly work, but as I see the Danger Tower approaching, I start trembling. When I see the twin search lights stabbing the sky and the traffic starts to back up as we circle the block in a line of limos and other cars, Scott reaches over, patting my hand. “Relax. It’ll all be okay.”

“Tell me again who’s going to be here,” I say, needing the names fresh in my head even though I’ve already memorized them.

Scott indulges me again. “My dad and my mom, my brother and sister, but you’ve got all of them pegged. The business folks to know are Neil Johnson from Lightspeed—that’s Chase’s proposal company. Kenny Mackleroy from AlphaSystems—that’s mine. And Winnifred Smith from—that’s Olivia’s company. All the rest of the people there will be executives and staff of Danger Enterprises, one of the three proposed companies, or a date, maybe a few city bigwigs. That’s it, my family and three company head honchos are all you have to remember. The rest is just regular mingling like you do on a Saturday night at Stella’s.”

I nod, feeling like the names are solid in the forefront of my brain, and give him a tight smile as we’re waved to the front of the line, pulling even with the red carpet. Scott jumps out, leaving the valet to handle the driver’s side and quickly coming around to my door. The flashes startle me as he opens the door to help me out, but I do my best to grasp his offered hand and then take his elbow. “See? Nothing to it,” Scott remarks quietly, just for me, as he gives another nod to a photographer. “Listen to them. They think you’re amazing. They don’t know the half of it. If they only knew that your pussy is the most delicious thing I’ve ever tasted, they’d be amazed. But I’m not sharing. Your pussy is mine.”

The shock of Scott’s words hits my brain, and for a split second, I’m sure I look like a deer in the headlights, but then I laugh, which I’m sure was his goal all along. I hear a mad rush of clicks as photographers catch our interaction, my laughing smile and his cocky smirk.

His obscene humor calms me and turns me on, making all this seem less important than the two of us. At least for a moment, which is all I need to get myself in check.

I start to look around as we walk toward the grand entrance, taking in the scene surrounding me. Everyone looks like somebody, and the fact that Scott is proud to have me on his arm is doing wonders for my self-esteem. He’s showing me off to the cameras and giving waves and nods to some of the other people he knows. And each time, I see . . . do I see approval?

Oh, my God, I do. It calms my nerves bit by bit, but as we enter the atrium of the Tower, my heart jumps again when Scott’s steps tighten and he leans over. “My family is just ahead. See my father?”

I’ve never seen Robert Danger in person before, but I’ve studied his photograph over the past week as I’ve tried to prepare for this. I give Scott a nod, but my feet feel like they’re weighed down with concrete.

He smiles at me, guiding me to his family. He raises his voice, greeting them. “Glad to see everyone. Mother, it’s been too long.” There’s a formality to his voice that I’m not used to, and I realize this is Executive Scott Danger. He sounds detached, professional, and while his baritone is sexy no matter what, I prefer his more casual, teasing tone or his rumbly growls.

Scott’s mother is easy to pick out of the assembled group, as she’s the only woman old enough to be such. Reading her face, I think she’d rather be anywhere but here, but it’s better than Robert, who gives me an icy look. I do my best to keep my chin up as Scott turns to me. “Everyone, this is my girlfriend, Madison Parker. Maddie, this is my father,” he says, continuing around the circle.

Everyone except for Olivia is coldly hostile, especially Robert’s date. Or maybe it’s his girlfriend, I’m not sure. Either way, she’s younger than me, and while I hate to be judgmental, she probably doesn’t know a thing about business except how to spend Robert’s money.

Olivia, though, gives me a polite handshake. “It’s good to finally meet you. I’ve heard you were pretty, but I think the rumors don’t do you justice.”

Before I can thank her, Chase speaks up. “Yep, seems my little brother did something right . . . for once.”

For some reason, I feel a need to defend Scott, but before I can, he responds to his brother himself. “Chase, jealousy is not becoming. By the way, where is your date?” Scott says, looking around like Chase’s date might be hiding somewhere in the atrium.

The sting seems to hit its target as I notice a slight flush to Chase’s neck, but his expression doesn’t change. “My date is here. She simply ran to powder her nose.”

Robbie approaches, offering a handshake of greeting to each male Danger before thrusting his elbow out to Olivia and they excuse themselves to mingle.

A redheaded stunner strides toward our group, her tiny frame incongruous with her large presence. Chase watches her approach with a predatory smile, “Oh, here’s my date now.” The pixie smiles coyly and Chase introduces her. “This is Gabrielle Williams. Gabby, this is my mother, Patricia Brookhurst.” He continues around the group, and I catch Gabby’s subtle glance up and down Scott’s body as she shakes his hand. Her handshake with me is limp, so I make sure to squeeze back extra-hard, communicating without words that he’s mine.

Scott’s mom breaks the small talk suddenly. “Well, enough chitter chatter. Shall we head upstairs and get this show on the road? I’m sure we’d all like to get the presentations over with.”

I look at Scott. Is his mother always this rude? He’d told me that his parents’ divorce wasn’t exactly amicable, but that his mom made her dutiful appearances at business functions because she retained a voting share in the business as part of the divorce settlement. But for something Scott has told me is a pivotal moment in the company, she seems shockingly blasé about tonight.

“I agree, Mother. I think Madison and I will head upstairs.” He dips his chin politely and leads me toward the bank of elevators. One dings, and we step inside, blessedly alone for a moment.

“Brrr . . .” I say with a smile.

“Oh, come on now. That wasn’t so bad, was it?” Scott asks. “I think Olivia actually likes you.”

“Are you kidding? She was polite . . . but the rest of your family hates me.”

Scott laughs lightly, taking my hand. “They hate everyone. I think they even hate themselves sometimes . . . except Chase. He thinks the whole world revolves around him.”

“Is he always so . . . I don’t know, an ass?”

Scott laughs again. “No, unfortunately, that’s usually reserved just for me. Keep your eyes open and you’ll see what I mean. For now, it’s time to mingle.”

Mingling turns out to be a nearly exhausting half hour of Scott and me moving around the room, shaking hands and being introduced to more people than I can remember. Most of them are men, although there are a few women. I don’t include the dates because it seems a lot of them are merely accessories.

Scott, though, always makes sure I’m introduced, and while I can’t add a lot to the conversations, I do what I can, and Scott never lets me be ignored. Still, by the time we sit down to the dinner portion of the evening, I’m glad to have only one table of people to deal with. We make our introductions, and I make it a point to memorize these people’s names since I’ll be with them for the next couple of hours.

Scott leans over and whispers in my ear, “You’re doing great, a total natural. You’ve got everyone in the palm of your hand. Me included.” Before I even say thank you, he whispers again, “By the way, if you want to see Chase in action, now’s your chance.”

Robert gets up first, looking out on the crowd as waiters quickly bring around appetizers. Scott told me tonight’s meal will be served in between each of the presentations, giving people time to discuss each one at length over the next course. “Ladies and gentlemen, honored guests, thank you for coming to Danger Enterprises's gala, A Night for the Future.”

“What a load,” Scott murmurs as Robert goes on for about ten minutes. I see what he means. According to Robert, everything tonight is about showing Bane what could happen in the next twenty years and getting the city excited . . . oh, and all of it, of course, is due to Danger Enterprises, and more specifically, him.

“We’re going to build the greatest city of the twenty-first century. The greatest,” Robert continues, smiling broadly. “When our children and grandchildren look back on this evening, they’re going to say that this was the night Bane made the leap from a growing potential to absolute greatness.” He pauses for the expected round of applause, basking in the worship from the audience, but I can see little signs that not everyone is as zealous as Robert would like to think. There are sighs here and subtle eye rolls there. It seems Scott may not be the only one with an issue with Robert Danger.

“With that, let me introduce my son Chase, a great visionary with a business plan I think you’ll find exciting. He’ll be outlining the first of the potential projects that we could bring to this great, great city’s future.”

“Thank you, Father,” Chase says, and even I have to do a double-take. Gone is the sniping asshole who sneered at me, and instead, standing up in the spotlight, is a suave, commanding man with an electric presence. “I’d like to talk to you about opportunity this evening, about a future brighter than we’ve ever dreamed possible. But one that we can make a reality by working together, Danger Enterprises and Lightspeed, changing our city, our state, our country . . .”

Chase’s words are hypnotizing, and even I’m buying into what he’s saying as he uses his video screens to maximum effect. “He’s good,” I tell Scott as Chase continues, “but you’re still going to kick his ass.”

Scott chuckles, but I can see his fist clench around his napkin as Chase finishes up.

Robert retakes the podium, clapping his son on the back in a fatherly embrace, the approval apparent to everyone in the room. “An amazing vision for the future,” Robert says as Chase sits down, and I see him shake hands around his table, celebrating his win already.

“Folks, while the staff clears the plates and brings out the main course, I’d like to tell you about one of the current projects Danger Enterprises is doing to create the foundation for the future. This great project, with some of the best people in the world, all of whom work for me, of course, is going . . .” The audience laughs at his joke and Robert drones on.

When he finally sits, our table is abuzz with talk about Chase’s plan. While the general consensus is positive, I look to Scott for the catch. “So, I’m no business genius, but that sounded good. I’m on your side, obviously but . . .”

Scott smiles at me. “No, you’re right. And honestly, it’s something we should do. But my plan is better, pure and simple.”

I smile before planting a soft kiss to the corner of his mouth. “Good enough for me, Mr. Danger. You ready?”

Scott nods and stands as his father finishes a much less glowing introduction of Scott and his proposal. He buttons his jacket, squaring his shoulders, and I see a transformation in him too. Gone is the man who’s let me see inside his life, behind his mask. Now he is Scott Danger, the future of Danger Enterprises . . . and I’m glad to get to see this side of him too.

“Kick some ass, baby,” I whisper as he walks away.

By the time he takes the microphone, my heart’s hammering, but it’s all in support of him.