Stephanie jerked, startled. “My shirt?” She reached and rubbed along her right arm. Lyonis straightened in his chair.

“Show us your arm.” Stephanie hesitated for a moment, then pulled up her sleeve. A small cut was on her arm. It was deeper than it was long as if she’d been poked with something.

“Where did you get that, sweetie?” her mother said. Stephanie looked as shocked as everyone else.

“I don’t know. I don’t even remember getting it.”

“Then why did you touch that arm when I mentioned the shirt?” Lyonis said. There was no suspicion in his voice, only curiosity, but Stephanie stiffened.

“Look, I don’t know! I told you everything that I remember!”

“Okay, I think we’ve had enough,” her mother said. “We’ll finish this another time. Obviously she isn’t ready.” Willow wanted to stop them, they needed to talk to Stephanie, but Lyonis nodded grimly at them and let them go.

After the door closed, Willow turned on him. “Why did you let them go?”

“Because I respect her mother’s wishes.” Willow frowned. “Alright so what’s going on?” Lyonis said to his lieutenants.

Thane spun his chair side to side. “I think the demon that’s after your mate did this.”

“You don’t have to talk about to me like I’m not here,” Willow mumbled. No one listened to her.

“If Draven’s suspicions are right—” began Lyonis.

“And they are,” Draven replied.

“Then it took Stephanie. The question now is why and what for? Any suggestions, Draven?”

Draven looked thoughtful for a moment. “Mind control to spy on us, to get closer to Willow, or an assassination attempt.” He finally shrugged. “I have no idea.”

Lyonis sighed heavily. “Fine, I want a guard on Stephanie at all times. Don’t make it obvious, I don’t want the family scared. Just keep an eye on her until we figure this thing out.”

“No problem,” said Jackie. Lyonis dismissed them and the room cleared.

Willow was suddenly aware that she was alone with him...and her hand was still on his thigh. As discreetly as she could, she pulled it away. Her palm chilled without the added heat from him, but she hid her disappointment behind a false smile.

“So what now?”

Lyonis spun his chair towards her and had a grin so sexy Willow leaned away from him.

“What?” she said hesitantly.

“Tonight, we’re going out.”

“Out?” she replied dumbly.

“Out. Go home and get dressed. You have a present waiting for you. I’ll pick you up in an hour.”

Willow started to protest but then he swooped down and kissed her. The kiss was gentle and coaxing, teasingly soft. Her heart sped up nonetheless. He teased her bottom lip with his tongue before slowly pulling away.

“One hour,” he promised and left.

Willow paced nervously at the front door. What the heck was she thinking going through with this? After the meeting, she went back to the cabin and found a thin, long box on the bed.

It was wrapped in shiny red paper with a white bow crisscrossing it. Next to that was a box the size of a shoebox, and she was right. Inside the gift was a pair of decadent black high heel shoes. They were classy looking with a pointed toe and a heel that didn’t remind her of something a stripper would wear.

But inside the first box was a beautiful white dress. The material under her hands felt light and soft. Willow stopped pacing and looked at herself in the small oval mirror on the living room wall. It didn’t allow her to see her entire image but enough to get an idea of how she looked. Her stomach fluttered with nerves and her heart wouldn’t quit racing.

She hadn’t been on a date in years. Since David, actually. The dress must be made out of some expensive material, though she didn’t know what it was, and for some reason she didn’t want to look at the tag. As if knowing would ruin part of the surprise. The dress cupped her shoulders baring most of her neck and a portion of her chest and back, which made her feel sexy but not too exposed. The waist cinched with a red band of the same material as the gift that acted as a belt and magically seemed to make her smaller breasts look bigger, her waist thinner.

Falling just past her knees, the dress billowed around her, teasing her bare legs with its soft touch, which felt like a caress all on its own. Willow took a shaky breath and let it out. She checked the clock for the twentieth time. Any minute now he’d be here. How was it she felt more nervous about this than when they had sex?

The black heels, simple yet classy, somehow looked incredibly sexy against the chic white dress. It made her feel sophisticated like she could take on the world. And here she thought her casual style made her feel good. This could make her power hungry.

She laughed at herself and checked her hair one last time. She’d never been any good at doing anything to her hair. That was all Lily’s territory with her dark, wavy locks. With a couple cans of hair product, she could transform her hair into masterwork in under an hour. Willow...not so much.

She’d gone simple and scrunched her hair as much as she could to give it volume. There were no curlers, mouse, or hairspray in Lyonis’ home, so she’d done the best she could. After that she’d let her hair dry in waves around her shoulders. She never kept her hair down. It always made her feel more vulnerable, a little unsafe. She laughed at how stupid she was being. It was just hair after all. Tonight she looked like a whole new Willow, and she was excited to go out with him.

The knock at the door surprised her so badly she yelped. Her heart pounded a crescendo in her chest. Taking a few steadying breaths, she calmly walked to the door and opened it. Her eyebrows shot to her hairline. However good she thought she looked, Lyonis stole the show. Together they stared as if seeing each other for the first time.

Tonight he wore a suit the color of sand on the beach. A white suit shirt lay underneath with the top collar button undone exposing the warm skin at his throat. Willow could tell a tie would easily fit with the ensemble, but he didn’t wear one. It gave the look an even sexier appearance. The pants slid straight down his strong legs to a shiny pair of black loafers that reflected the living room light.

“You look even more beautiful than I imagined.” His voice sounded tight and a little hoarse. Willow’s nerves got the better of her again and she pressed her hand to her stomach to try to settle it.

“You look great, too,” she said. Mentally she winced at her crudeness. He didn’t look great, that was such an understatement she should go to hell for telling lies. No, he looked delectable, kissable, and so incredibly sexy that she wanted to slowly peel off his jacket, unbutton his shirt, and kiss every inch of his chest. Her eyes caught a flash of light from his silver belt buckle and her body coiled even tighter with sexual energy. She wanted to kneel before him and pull the belt open, unzip those pants, and take his cock into her mouth.

Willow’s eyes rounded. Oh my God, that was the same thing he told her she’d be doing to him and liking it. He was...right. More than anything, the thought did not send her mind into a scurry of anger at the submissiveness of the act. Instead it pleaded with her to do it now; that he’d let her suckle him if only she dropped to her knees and pulled him out.

Willow saw him move but her eyes were slower to lift to his. He curled one hand around her neck, the other her waist, and tucked her tightly against him. His arousal was like a steel pipe between them.

In a low voice he said, “You need to stop looking at me like that or I might just make good on it.”

Willow struggled to form words but they never came. Instead she fisted the fresh clean locks of his hair and brought his mouth down to hers. His taste, his scent flooded her senses. He was so warm he bordered on hot. His taste teased her tongue with its masculine musk. He tasted like mint mixed with his own unique flavor. He smelled clean like he’d just gotten out of the shower and Willow had never smelled anything so good in all her life.