The air shifted the minute Christian entered. It grew heavier, more languid, like the first sultry bloom of summer after a season of spring rains.
The heat seeped through the thick terrycloth of my robe and curled low in my stomach as his eyes swept across the room, taking in the bowl of crystals by the front door, the bamboo plant on the windowsill, and the cozy, aesthetic corner I’d set up for lifestyle shoots.
He paused at the fuzzy purple unicorn propped against my couch pillows.
Amusement filled his eyes. “Cute.”
“Cute?” I tried not to sound too insulted. “Mr. Unicorn isn’t cute. He’s beautiful.”
At least, he had been during his heyday. Now, one of his eyes was crooked, half his hair had fallen out, and stuffing leaked from a tiny rip in his stomach, but he would always be beautiful to me.
I didn’t care if Mr. Unicorn was a shadow of his former glorious self; he’d been my companion since I was seven, and I would hold on to him until he disintegrated into dust.
“My apologies,” Christian said dryly. “I didn’t mean to insult the beautiful Mr. Unicorn. Good job on the original name, by the way.”
Heat crawled up my neck. “I was seven. What else was I supposed to name it? Mr. Lisa Frank in the Wild?”
A low laugh caressed my skin like velvet. “Now that would be quite a name, but we can discuss alternatives for your pet unicorn later.” He held out the white box. “This is for you.”
I ignored the subtle pet unicorn dig and eyed the box with equal parts anticipation and wariness. “What is it?”
“Your dress for tonight.”
My heart skipped a beat when I unraveled the bow and saw the name scrawled in gold across the top. It was one of the top couture houses in the world.
I didn’t want to accept more from him than I already had, but I couldn’t resist opening the box. A little peek never hurt any…
Oh my God.
My resistance crumbled the second I saw the dress nestled against a bed of delicate white tissue paper.
I was no stranger to gorgeous clothing. I’d attended dozens of fashion shows and received some truly amazing items from designers, but this…
This dress might be the most stunning thing I’ve ever seen.
“Thank you. This is…” I ran a reverent hand over the green silk. “Incredible.”
“Try it on. See if it fits.” Christian leaned against the wall, his eyes glowing with soft satisfaction. “I’ll be here.”
He didn’t have to tell me twice.
It took all my willpower not to run to my room. The second I shut my door, I slipped out of my robe and into the gown.
Wow.
I sucked in a sharp breath. The rich green color popped against my skin and gave it an ethereal glow while the tastefully low V-neck transformed my B-cups from modest to something more luscious. The skirt draped to the floor in graceful folds and would’ve been almost demure had it not been for the daring slit up one side.
The dress shimmered with subtle luminescence every time I moved, and when I turned and twisted my head, I could see the delicate straps crisscrossing over my back.
There wasn’t an ounce of excess fabric or a pocket of bad tailoring.
Christian had gotten my measurements exactly right. Every inch of silk clung to my body like it’d been custom made for me.
I wasn’t prone to dramatics, but I didn’t think I was being dramatic when I said I would die for this dress.
It was perfect.
I allowed myself an extra minute of gown appreciation before I finished getting ready.
Makeup? Check.
Heels and jewelry? Check.
Clutch large enough to hold my phone, keys, credit card, a small piece of agate, and lipstick? Check.
I added a shawl in case I got cold, checked my teeth for stray lipstick, and steadied myself with a deep breath before I returned to the living room.
Christian was still leaning against the wall, staring at a small object in his hand. I couldn’t make out what it was before he straightened and slipped it into his pocket.
Our eyes connected, and a fire lit in my stomach.
He wasn’t looking at the object or anything else in the room anymore.
Every ounce of his attention had redirected toward me, and I could feel the weight of it on my skin, like a lover’s rough caress.
Liquid electricity dripped down my spine and pooled in my stomach.
With a simple look, Christian lit me up from the inside out.
“Perfect.” Reverence weighed his soft assessment.
Perfect.
No matter how hard I tried, I had never been perfect, nor would I ever be.
Still, the single word set the caged butterflies in my chest free before I wrestled them back into their hold.
He’s talking about the dress, you idiots. This isn’t even a real date. You signed a contract stating so less than a week ago.
The butterflies fluttered, uncaring.
“You have a good eye for clothing.” I forced my legs to move until I stood less than three feet from him. His delicious, masculine scent flooded my lungs and edged out the soothing notes of my favorite lavender eucalyptus candle. “I’m impressed.”
“It’s one of my many talents,” Christian drawled.
The suggestiveness was subtle, but it was enough to send a rush of heat over my cheeks.
Laughter danced in his eyes when I lifted my chin and fixed him with what I hoped was an unimpressed stare.
Cool, calm, collected.
“Good to know.” I didn’t take his bait.
It was one thing for my body to freak out around him. It was another to show it.
I blew out the candle and turned off the lights before following Christian downstairs. A discreet black town car waited for us outside the entrance.
“No McLaren tonight?” I settled into the backseat.
Christian slid in next to me, the driver shut the door, and just like that, we were ensconced in a hushed, private world of Italian leather and sleek wood accents. A closed partition separated the driver’s and passenger seats, keeping our conversation private.
“Parking is a pain, and I don’t trust valets.” Christian flicked his gaze toward the phone in my lap. “I noticed you haven’t told your followers about us yet.”
The word us mingled with the scents of my perfume and his cologne before it dissipated with a soft sigh.
I raised an eyebrow at his casual yet strangely weighted observation. “I thought you didn’t have social media.”
“Just because I don’t use social media doesn’t mean I’m not aware of what happens on there.”
“You think you know everything.”
“I do.” The words rang with the confidence of someone who truly believed what they were saying.
No wonder his name was Christian. He had a major God complex.
“Then you would know I’ll announce it. Soon.” My teeth sank into my bottom lip as my nerves made an untimely reappearance.
“You should.” Christian’s languid reply drowned out my flickering anxiety. “You’re attending tonight’s event with me. You should get something out of it.”
“I will. I’m just waiting for the right photo opportunity.” I eased a calming breath through my lungs. “Maybe I’ll post tonight.”
If a fancy gala didn’t make for good social media fodder, I didn’t know what would.