Abby stared at herself in Jo Jo's full length mirror. At least she thought it was her, it was hard to tell because the woman gazing back at her was so different from the reflection she was used to seeing. It was impossible to not gawk in wide-eyed amazement.

Lifting a hand, she touched the soft curls of shiny hair falling over her shoulder in a gentle artful wave. Abby had become so accustomed to seeing herself in a multitude of different colored and styled wigs, it was hard to believe this was her own hair. She'd always considered it a rather mundane, mousy brown and didn't give it much thought other than to toss it up in a ponytail on her days off, but after Jo Jo's magic touch...it was a rich mahogany with so many different levels of colors she couldn't possibly name them all.

Her skin was silky smooth, without a blemish to be seen. Leaning closer, she inspected Jo Jo's masterful work. Grey luminescent eyes blinked back at her. The smoky eyeshadow, rich black mascara and liner making them seem overly bright. Her lips were just a tad pinker than their natural color, but somehow seemed fuller and the light peach blush highlighted cheekbones she didn't even know she had.

"You're beautiful, darling."

Abby whipped around to see Vivian standing in the doorway. Her grey hair was up in curlers and she was wearing a pink silk robe worthy of a 1920's silent film star with matching high-heeled soft, feathery trimmed slippers.

Turning slowly back to the mirror, Abby frowned. Her makeup was absolutely stunning, but the dress...she shivered, running her hands up her bared arms. "I feel naked," she muttered, narrowing her eyes at the black cocktail dress wrapped around her like a second skin.

One strap hung off her right shoulder in kind of a toga style, but then the soft material scooped dramatically in the front, accentuating her breasts before disappearing under her left arm. The strip of material cut across her shoulder blade before angling back to the right shoulder. Leaving an hourglass opening at her side that dipped precariously just above her hip bone.

Actually, the front was rather seductive and pretty, but when she turned...Abby blushed profusely. Her whole back was left bare. The dress leaving a wide triangle opening which gapped suggestively when she moved and hovered low enough to give a peek of a dimple above her left ass cheek.

Looking down, the asymmetric hem started high on her left thigh and slanted steeping downward to dangle around her ankle on the right. As if all the cutouts weren't enough, the higher hem also sported a long slit, showing even more skin when she walked. The whole thing billowing out behind her as she moved left her feeling...exposed.

Nervously, she jerked on the short hem, but all she managed to do was uncover more of her breast. Rolling her eyes, she hiked the top back up before she popped a nipple.

"Stop fidgeting." Walking up behind her, Vivian smiled and shook her head. One warm, heavy hand, sparkling with a humongous square cut pink tourmaline, fell on her shoulder. The other reached around and tilted her chin higher in the mirror. "Take a good look. You are simply lovely, Abby dear. Mr. Steele is going to have to work double time to deserve a jewel like you." Her green eyes filled and became watery. "I'm so proud to see you finally come out of your shell and become the beautiful swan you were meant to be." Vivian sighed, wiping away a stray tear which fell down her wrinkled cheek. "But...it's missing something."

"Material?" Abby teased, blushing hotly at Vivian's compliments.

"Phish...you're wearing more than most of those hussy's these days." She waved a hand dismissively. "I think I know what's missing," she stated with a mischievous grin, grabbing Abby's hand. "Come with me, darling. Aunt Vivian will fix you right up."

Abby hid the wince her words caused. She had quite enough of being fixed up for one lifetime. Her ears still burned from the choo choo debate. But, not wanting to hurt her feelings, she trudged along behind her. The spindly, silver glittered stilettos with an open toe weren't exactly easy to walk in. Beautiful, but as about as supportive as the Band-Aid of dress she was wearing.

She tugged at the top again. Jo Jo had absolutely refused to let her wear a bra of any kind and threatened to stage a bra burning event if she continued to argue with him about it. Easy enough for him to say, he didn't have boobs. She felt all...loosey goosey...and not in a good way. Even though everyone confirmed her breasts were perky enough to carry it off, after a God awful groping session where everyone took turns fondling them. One she was likely to have nightmares about later.

"Ah...finally got her out of my bedroom, did you?" Jo Jo said over the brim of his tea cup. He was sprawled out on the futon, watching Rupaul's Drag Race and flipping through a cooking magazine.

"Where's the rest of the righteous perverts?" Abby asked as Vivian dragged her across the living room.

"I poured them into a couple of cabs about 30 minutes ago." He shrugged. "I figured you didn't need an audience when Prince Charming showed up."

Abby snorted. "But it didn't occur to you that I didn't want an audience in the bathtub?"

"Please...like you have anything we all haven't seen a million times." He rolled his eyes. "Shush now. This bitch is about to have to lip-sync her way out of emlimination."

Abby sighed as Vivian jerked her into her bedroom.

"Sit down, darling. This will only take a moment." Vivian picked up a stack of folded laundry Abby had set down earlier on her ottoman and tossed them carelessly into a corner.

Glaring at her blatant disregard for the hours she spent laundering, Abby plopped down with as much grace as a hippo. "You could actually try to put your clothes away once in a while," she groused.

Dutifully ignoring her, Vivian started digging through her treasure trove of jewelry until she pulled something out. "These will be perfect," she beamed, holding up a pair of large rhinestone hooped earrings and matching cuff bracelet. Handing them over, she watched with a satisfied grin as Abby put one of the hooped earrings on. "Those were given to me by Old Blue eyes himself in payment for a gig I did for him in Vegas." Turning to her mirror she patted her helmet of curlers.

Abby stopped in the middle of putting on the second hoop. "Frank Sinatra?"

"The one and only," she said as she coated her lips in a brilliant shade of red.

"Vivian? Are these real?"

"Of course, darling." She stopped puckering and making kissy faces in the mirror when she caught Abby's look of astonishment. "What?"

"I can't wear these! What if I lose one...what if..."

Vivian walked over and pulled the bracelet from her trembling hands and quickly slipped it over Abby's wrist. "Yes you can." She batted away Abby's hands as she tried to pull it off. "They are meant to be worn and I can't think of a more stunning woman to wear them."

"But..." A hard pounding on the door interrupted Abby's protest.

"That will be your man. Only he hammers on the door like that." Vivian smiled down at her. "Now, be quick and put the earrings on." She peeked out her door. "Oh my, he is a handsome devil. If only I was a few years younger...the things I could show that man." she sighed.

Abby fumbled several times with the earrings trying not to think what exactly Vivian might show him and finally managed to stick the posts into the holes and secure them. Shakely, she stood up and brushed nonexistent wrinkles from her dress. "Do I look alright?" she stammered as her heart galloped up her throat.

"You look lovely." Vivian pulled her hair over her shoulder and gave it a little fluff. "Now, you go and have a good time with our man. But," she narrowed her eyes at Abby, "you tell him that if he dares to hurt you, I am not afraid to go back to prison," she said gruffly.

Abby stumbled on her way to the door. Looking down, she tried to shake off the bra strap tangled around her heel. "You've never been to prison," she mumbled, giving her foot a good shake to remove the clinging purple brassiere. When nothing but silence followed, she jerked her head up. "Have you?"

"Of course not, darling. But what he doesn't know, won't hurt him," she laughed, pushing Abby the rest of the way out of her door before closing it.

Standing uncertainly in the shadows, she peeked around the corner. Jo Jo had resumed his seat on the futon and was filling Adam in on the latest escapades of two of his favorite drag queen contestants. Stifling a giggle behind her hand at the look of pure discomfort on Adam's face, she took a moment to drink in his handsome features.

His deep blue Armani suit was tailored to perfection as he sat on the edge of a chair adjusting the cuffs of his sleeves under his jacket. Abby noticed he had chosen to go tieless, which gave him a more approachable appearance. Two buttons of his crisp white shirt were undone, giving her a glance of his golden skin. She smiled. His hair was its usual disorderedly fashion, probably from him running his hands through it multiple times. But...he still managed to look impeccable. With his freshly shaven face, he was absolutely gorgeous and her heart pounded uncomfortably behind her ribcage.

Taking a deep breath to try and rally her courage, Abby stepped out into the living room. Her stilettos clicked across the floor, drawing his attention to her. Turning he froze in place. His breath catching audibly in his chest. Little beads of panic tripped along her spine, but she remained standing and managed to take the last few steps towards him without tripping.

This was the moment she had spent hours steeling herself for, but even with all the pep talking from herself and her companions, she was still left gasping. He was the most handsome man she'd ever seen and when he placed his hand on his chest and gave her a little bow, she almost swooned.

Quickly, he took the last few steps towards her. His amber eyes alight with desire. Taking her hand and turning it over, he placed a light kiss on the palm, sending tingles radiating up and over her in a rush.

"You look stunning, Abigail," he said softly, his eyes never wavering from hers. "I have no words."

Abby blushed crimson. "Those will work," she said softly.

"Hell, they work for me, Poppy," Jo Jo sighed from the futon. His arms were crossed over the edge and he batted his baby blues at Adam. A puppy dog longing clear on his face.

Abby giggled softly. Seemed everyone in the apartment had fallen under Mr. Steele's spell.

Adam cleared his throat, ducking his head to hide a grin. "Yes...shall we?" He offered his arm to Abby and she shakily accepted it.

"Just a minute, I need to get my purse," she pulled away from him at the door and stepped to the little side table to pick up the silver clutch Jo Jo insisted she carry rather than her backpack.

She could hear his sharp intake of breath as he was presented with a view of her back and what little of it the dress covered. Abby smiled, her eyes darting to Jo Jo who gave her a conspiratorial wink and mouthed the words "I told you so".

Walking back over to Adam, she glanced up into his eyes. "Ready?"

"I..." he began, reaching up to adjust a tie which wasn't there. Frowning, he stared down at his hand as if he had completely forgotten he hadn't been wearing one. Brushing his suit jacket, he gave her a boyish grin that sent her heart to racing. "Do you need a coat?" he asked.

Jo Jo leaped up from the futon. Grabbing a luxurious black cloak off his door, he hurried over to Abby and handed it  to Adam with a wide smile. "Right here, Poppy."

"Thank you, Jo Jo," Adam said politely, though Abby could see him cringe slightly at the pet name. Shaking out the cloak, Adam draped it over her shoulders. His hands skimming her arms softly. "Shall we?" His voice mixed with his warm caress sent a jolt of electricity dancing across her skin.

Biting her lip, Abby nodded while her insides fluttered nervously at the feel of his hand on the small of her back as he guided her out through the door. Something told her any ideas she had of resisting him were about to fly out the window. His sexual appeal and the draw he possessed was just too powerful and frankly, she didn't really want to resist them anyway.

"You kids have fun!" Jo Jo chirped, closing the door behind them with a click.

"Alone at last," Adam said huskily. His eyes roamed over her briefly before he bent his head and lightly brushed his lips against hers. "I am so very glad you are joining me this evening, Abigail. You look undeniably beautiful."

Pleasure surged through her. His darkly spoken words and innocent touch excited her to her very core which throbbed in greedy anticipation. Judging by the burning expression in his eyes, the attraction pulsating between them was mutually felt.

Running a hand through his hair, he blew out a breath and grinned. "Maybe we should get going before that dress causes me to lose any more of my ability to control myself." Looking down at her feet, his brow dropped to a small scowl. "Can you travers six floors with those things?"

If he kept looking at her like that...she would be able to fly down them. "Yes. Amazingly enough, I am getting pretty good at walking on stilts these days," she laughed.

The trip down to the lobby went fairly quickly with them both exchanging typical pleasantries about work and the weather, clearly each of them enjoying themselves. On the final steps, Adam paused and stopped her. Lifting her down, he let her slide against his solid form before he lowered his head and slanted his mouth over hers.

This time when he kissed her, there was nothing gentle about it. It was a desperate clashing of pent up passion as they wildly clung to each other. Each giving, taking and sensing the others urgency. As he drew her closer, she felt his hand slowly glide under her cloak, around her waist and slip onto the small of her back. His skin was warm and sent shivers up her spine as he drew slow circles with his thumb against her bare skin.

Releasing her lips, he laid his forehead against hers. "I have missed you, Abigail," he rumbled, pulling her in for a deep hug.

"I've missed you too, Adam." Abby sighed, snuggling against his chest and drawing his glorious scent into her lungs as his heart thundered in her ears, matching her own surging beat. The words were surprisingly easy to say...because she meant them. For the first time in what seemed like forever, in his arms she felt safe and harbored. It was a feeling of finally coming home.

Hello everyone! Thank you so much for all your support and patience during the writing of this story. I wanted to inform you that I now have a FaceBook page where I will posting occasional sneak peeks, random thoughts and just allowing you to share a bit of my general mayhem.

So, if you wish, come on by and give it a like and we'll have some fun! You can find me at K. M. Halandras. Thanks again for all your support and as usual, if you liked this chapter...go ahead and give it a vote. I also love hearing from you in the comments.

If you don't see any updates here...check out my other two works When Roses Collide and FANGED.