Blood Ties (Book 3 of The Blood Bond Series)

18. Dare You

Adam didn't take his car to the musical. Instead, he'd rented a stretch limo with a driver to take them there. It was part of the surprise, but when Quinn came out dressed in all her finery and blew him away, he forgot to tell her all about that as part of the evening he had planned for them.

Dressed in a silk dress with lace so fine it appeared to be crocheted by tiny winged fairies, she turned a full circle. She was dressed in a dark green, her bright red hair mostly piled atop her head with loose tendrils hanging in soft curls around her neck. She wore dangling earrings and a silver chain low between her breasts that had a loose gem that hung atop of cleavage. Her heels were modest, because she wasn't a big fan of stilettos. She was very sensitive to her feet's comfort since she danced for much of her life.

He stared at her until she looked up at him, concern creasing her brow. "Is it okay? Is there a rip or something in the fabric?

He cleared his throat. "No, no, love. You look stunning. I just...wow. I ordered this dress several months ago thinking it would go well with your skin tone and hair. I had no idea how right I was. Holy shit." He dragged in a ragged breath, surprised when his throat seemed clogged with something. Emotion, some type of confusion—he didn't know what except that it rendered him nearly speechless.

He swallowed thickly.

"Thank you," she replied softly, her cheeks turning pink and her head lowering.

He strode up to her quickly, lifting her chin and pecking her on the cheek so as not to smudge her lipstick. "You are gorgeous, sweet mate. You should be showered with compliments daily, if not hourly. Whether you're in sweats or a gown, you are the picture of perfection in my eyes, and I would go to my grave saying that." Ironic, since he was immortal, and he never really even thought of death as a near possibility. A vampire's life seemed to be the endless promise of forever.

Quinn's cheeks turned darker, and she twisted her head away from Adam's gentle hand shyly.

"Thank you," she murmured even quieter.

Adam pulled her in, holding her gently so he wouldn't wrinkle her dress or smudge her light makeup. She really had such a fine complexion, she didn't need much—or any, in Adam's opinion.

She stepped back a little and studied the suit Adam was wearing. It looked to be brand new and very expensive, which she supposed was normal for what Adam was used to. The more and more time she spent at his home in Beverly Hills, the more unreal most of the luxuries seemed. It held a plethora of objects and appliances that were voice-operated, in most instances. Some she'd never even heard of before, or only read about in the news.

"You look so handsome." She smiled up at him brightly, the light sheen of her lipstick catching the illumination from the ceiling's lights.

He couldn't stay too far away from her and drew closer. "Thank you, but you'll have to believe me when I say you far outshine any of my glory." He smiled against her forehead and patted her arm after a brief moment. "Our ride should be arriving at any minute."

She was startled and looked up at him. "Ride? Are we taking an Uber?"

He shook his head, amused by her question and his own forgetfulness. "Well, I could have ordered an Uber, but I figured we'd get there in a little style." Adam leaned down and kissed her lips once before winking and tugging her hand gently. "Come."

She wanted to ask what he was talking about, but she was moving too quickly to get it out before a gentle honk broke the relative silence of the hills.

Adam drew her out the front door in time to see a limousine driving up and parking outside past the front gates.

"A limo?" She'd never ridden in one before.