Bree snorted a laugh, dragging my attention back to my phone, which I'd propped up on the shelf to my left.
"Uh, newsflash, babe. You're already married to Archer." She was grinning, but her face on the video call was still a mess of yellow-brown bruises as she healed from our crash.
I rolled my eyes, releasing the dress fabric. The last thing I needed was to damage the designer gown and be forced to pay for the ugly thing.
"Not like this, Bree," I replied with a grimace. "This is the real deal. Everyone will know, and it'll be, you know, legit."
She gave me an indulgent smile. "No, the paperwork that was filed with the state registry eighteen months ago was what made it legit. This is just a party and a pretty dress." She paused, wrinkling her nose. "Or it will be a pretty dress if you can find a better one than that. Try the next one."
I reached behind me, tugging the dress clips loose so I could step out of the enormous gown and move it into my rapidly growing reject pile.
"No, not that one," Bree called out from where I'd placed my phone with a full view of the huge fitting room. I'd kicked the attendant out because she'd been driving me nuts with her questions about my fiancé, so Bree and I were doing it via video call instead. She was stuck in the hospital on bedrest for months yet, and had more surgeries coming up to fix her wrist and leg. Not to mention her dodgy placenta placement.
I turned back to her with my hands on my hips. "Which one, then?"
"The lace one on the end. I wanna see that!" She grinned at me, her bruised face filling the whole screen.
Doing as she asked, I wiggled into a dress made almost entirely of lace, only to be met with the sound of Bree booing and giving me a thumbs down from my phone.
Agreed.
"Okay, try the pretty one now," she ordered me with a huge smile.
I groaned. "Seriously? Bree, that looks like something a Disney princess would wear." But still, I pulled out the dress she wanted and hung it on the rack to change into.
"So what?" she challenged me. "If this isn't a real wedding, then why are you stressing so hard over what dress you wear? Just let me choose it, and you pay the lady with your husband's black Amex."
Damn. She had me there. And even I had to admit... the dress was freaking gorgeous.
"Yes!" Bree shrieked when I zipped it up, the sample size fitting me like it was fate or some shit. "Yes, oh my god, if you don't buy that dress, I'm going to discharge myself from this hospital, march down there, and kick your ass."
I laughed, hoping she was joking. "Bree," I groaned, "I don't even look like me in this."
"I know," she sighed. "You look like a fucking fairy princess. And it's a bit slutty, too, with your rack. I'm totally in love. Buy it."
"Fine," I reluctantly agreed. Okay, not so reluctantly... the dress was beyond stunning and I couldn't wait to see what the guys’ reactions would be to me wearing it.
Bree smiled in satisfaction. "Good. Now, I arranged a little something for you, seeing as I couldn't be there in person."
I frowned, crossing back to where I'd propped up my phone. "Bree, you didn't have to do anything. It's way more important that you and the baby are being looked after, and this isn't a real wedding. Right?"
Her smile was tinged with sadness. "Sure. Well... call it a late birthday present. Seeing as your stupid boys didn’t include me in their private celebration the other day. Your surprise should be getting there right about now, so I'm gonna go. Call me later, okay? Happy birthday, bitch, I love your fucking face!"
She ended the call before I could question her any further on this surprise, so I just tossed my phone back in my handbag. I took another moment before taking the dress off, stepping up on the little platform to see the full effect of the gown in the mirrors all around the room.
Bree was right; I looked like a fairy princess. Archer was going to have a coronary. He probably expected me to show up in a black dress or something, to match his soul.
A soft tap on the fitting-room door made me sigh.
"I think I'm done," I called out to the bridal shop assistant, while still admiring the soft waves of the skirt in the mirror. "I'll take this lilac one."
"Holy shit," not-the-bridal-assistant commented, "good choice."
My jaw dropped, and my gaze locked with a pair of silver-gray eyes in the mirror. "You!"
Steele grinned. "Me."
I whirled around in a storm of silk and tulle, launching myself at him before remembering he'd recently taken a bullet to the chest and should still be in the hospital.
"Fuck," I squeaked, jerking away just before I slammed into his body. "Fuck, sorry, shit."
He just laughed, grabbing my arms as I wobbled off balance. His strong grip pulled me in closer, then he looped his arms around my waist.
"I'm not made of glass, Hellcat. You can touch me." His eyes flared with heat, and I knew he was thinking about more than just hugging me. Hell, I was too. But common sense won out, and I scowled.
"Max Steele, you weren't supposed to be discharged for another week. What the shit do you think you're doing here?" I tried to keep my tone stern, but I was too damn happy to see him. He knew it too, the sly fuck.
He tugged me closer still, and I draped my arms ever so gently around his neck. The need to kiss him was almost overwhelming, but I desperately didn't want to hurt him.
"Bree told me you were trying on wedding dresses, and I had to see for myself," he murmured, dipping his head to brush his lips across mine. "So I discharged myself early, and Dallas drove me over."
"Well, what do you think?" I stepped backward out of his arms and gave a twirl to show off Bree's choice. "Will it do?"
Reaching out to grab my waist again, Steele gave me a dark look. This time he didn't let me dodge away and kissed me until I was dizzy. Only then did he answer my question.
"You're easily the most beautiful woman I've ever laid eyes on, Hellcat. The dress is just garnish. But... do you want to explain to me why we're buying a wedding dress?" He leaned back and gave me a perplexed stare, and my cheeks heated.
Crap. Steele didn't know the plan.
"Let me get changed, and we can fill you in on everything back at the house?" I nervously bit my lip and mentally crossed my fingers that he'd be okay with this... crazy-ass plan.
A small frown creased his brow, but it eased off quickly when I leaned in to kiss him again.
"Trust me?" I whispered, searching his eyes from just an inch away.
He nodded, letting out a breath. "Always, Hellcat. With my whole heart and soul."
Smiling, I let go of his neck and stepped away to undress. "I'll be quick. Is Wade still out front? Maybe let him know to grab the car?"
Steele gave me a nod, then retreated out of the fitting room with a lingering look.
Wade was my heavily armed, highly skilled bodyguard for the day. After my stalker had damn near killed Steele, I’d agreed to never go out alone. Having Wade around—or one of the four other fully vetted security guards—meant that Kody and Archer didn't need to be glued to my ass twenty-four-seven. Not that I'd have minded, seeing as we were on pretty good terms now, but sometimes we needed space. Like when I needed to go shopping for a wedding dress. Fuck me. I’d just chosen my wedding dress.