Chapter 18 One Perfect Night
~Sage~
The garment bag was the first thing I saw when I opened my door, hanging from the handle like a secret.
The note attached was simple, his handwriting sharp and demanding: "You owe me a date. Tonight. 8 PM. Wear this. - K"
My hands trembled slightly as I unzipped the bag, revealing a black dress that made my breath catch. It was elegant but daring. A material that would hug every curve, with a neckline that would showcase my collarbones and a slit that would reveal my leg when I walked. The kind of dress that made a statement. The kind of dress you wore when you wanted to drive someone absolutely insane.
Underneath were shoes. Beautiful black heels with straps that would wrap around my ankles. He'd thought of everything.
I pressed the material to my face, inhaling, and caught the faintest trace of his scent. My wolf stirred, already responding to just that hint of him. I spent the rest of the evening completely distracted, thinking of the date that Keith had arranged.
"You seem unfocused today," Natalie observed during our evening session, watching as I fumbled with the tea service for the third time.
"Sorry, I'm just tired."
She studied me with those sharp eyes, and for a moment I was certain she knew. Then she sighed, checking her phone.
"Actually, we'll need to cut this short. I have urgent business tonight. Pack matters." She stood, smoothing her skirt. "We'll continue tomorrow. Try to practice the pouring technique. You're still spilling."
She left earlier than usual, and I wondered what Keith had done to arrange her absence. Threatened her? Bribed her? Asked nicely? With Keith, it could be any of the three.
By seven-thirty, I was ready. The dress fit like it had been made for me, clinging to my body in ways that made me blush. The slit revealed my leg nearly to mid-thigh when I moved. My hair fell in waves down my back, and I'd done my makeup carefully, enough to enhance but not so much that it looked like I was trying too hard.
Though who was I kidding? I was absolutely trying hard.
The second note had been slipped under my door an hour ago: "Back entrance. Come alone."
The hallways were suspiciously empty as I made my way through the palace. No guards at the usual posts, no servants bustling about. Keith had orchestrated this perfectly, removing any witnesses to our escape.
He was leaning against his car when I stepped outside, and the sight of him knocked the air from my lungs. Black shirt, top two buttons undone, black pants that fit him perfectly. His hair was slightly styled, not its usual deliberate mess. He looked dangerous and sophisticated and absolutely devastating.
But it was the way he looked at me that made my knees weak.
His eyes traveled slowly from my heels up to my face, taking in every inch of the dress, the way it clung to me. His jaw clenched, hands flexing at his sides like he was physically restraining himself from reaching for me.
"Sage." My name came out rough, like he'd been swallowing gravel.
"You clean up nice," I managed, trying to be casual despite my racing heart.
He pushed off the car and moved toward me with that predatory grace that never failed to make my stomach flip. When he reached me, he didn't touch, just stood close enough that I could feel his body heat, and smell his cologne mixed with that wild scent underneath that was purely him.
"You look..." He paused, his eyes meeting mine with an intensity that made me shiver. "There aren't words for how you look."
He took my hand then, bringing it to his lips in an old-fashioned gesture that shouldn't have been as sexy as it was. The kiss lingered, his eyes never leaving mine, and I felt that simple touch everywhere.
"Your chariot awaits," he said, opening the passenger door for me.
The drive was quiet but charged, his hand resting on the gear shift between us. I wanted to reach over, to lace our fingers together, but there was something delicious about the anticipation, and the waiting. Music played softly,something slow and sultry that made me hyperaware of every breath, every small movement.
"Where are we going?" I finally asked.
"Patience," he said, glancing at me with a smile that made my stomach flutter. "I promised you a proper date. Let me deliver."
Twenty minutes later, we pulled up to a building in the city's upscale district. A restaurant I recognized. It was an exclusive, impossible to get into, the kind of place that required reservations months in advance.
"Keith, this place is—"
"Closed for a private event," he finished, coming around to open my door. "Our private event."
The elevator ride to the rooftop felt eternal. We stood on opposite sides, the space between us crackling with tension. His eyes kept dropping to where the slit in my dress revealed my leg, and I shifted slightly, letting it fall open more. "You're going to be the death of me," he muttered.
The elevator doors opened before I could respond, and I gasped.
The entire rooftop had been transformed. Fairy lights were strung overhead, creating a canopy of stars. Candles flickered on every surface. Our table was set for two in the center, surrounded by flowers, jasmine and roses, their scent mixing with the night air. Beyond the railing, the city sparkled below us.
"Keith, this is..."
"One night," he said quietly, his hand finding the small of my back to guide me forward. "We get one night to do this right. To pretend we're just two people on a date, that tomorrow doesn't exist."
A waiter appeared, the only other person here, pouring wine before disappearing again. Keith pulled out my chair, his fingers brushing my shoulders as I sat, leaving trails of fire on my skin.
"Tell me something," he said once he was seated across from me. "Before all this. Before my father, before the arrangement. What did you want to be?"