Epilogue
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Getting ready for tonight shouldn’t be this big of a deal.
Over the past year I’ve gone with Andre to many events, most of them black-tie and I’ve become very familiar with wearing evening gowns.
It helps tremendously that each gown is breathtaking and tailored perfectly to my shape. But still, it’s been an adjustment to go from my jeans and sandals to haute couture and stilettos. An adjustment I think I’ve navigated pretty well.
However, tonight is different. It’s the 23rd annual International Fashion World Gala. Out of all the events we’ve attended together, this will be the first red carpet. After much discussion, Andre agreed to enter therapy to better deal with the fan attack that still haunts him.
But even with all the progress he’s made, this will be the first time he has walked a red carpet since.
“We don’t have to go. I’m more than happy to stay home and avoid wearing these insanely high heels.”
I take a deep breath and spritz myself with some Casey’s Dream. I love the scent he chose for my fragrance. It’s light and summery with just a hint of vanilla.
Andre doesn’t respond. I’m in the bathroom while he’s outside on the bed waiting for me to finish getting ready. Of course, he took only ten minutes to dress and looks like a billion dollars.
“It would also mean I don’t have to put more makeup on this stupid pimple that showed up on my forehead this morning.” I wait to see if he’s going to continue to ignore me.
Finally he responds. “We’re getting ready to launch the next fragrance and marketing thinks this will be good PR.”
“All those PR people can go to hell.” Then I think about it. “Okay, not Cole. He’s so nice. But all the other ones. We don’t have to do anything we don’t want to do.”
“Cole? You mean Mr. Fitzgerald? Why do you call him Cole? You don’t even know him.”
“I know him. He’s a very nice man.”
He still hates it when I call other men by their first names. Although I’m not sure why since he loves it when I call him Mr. Lavin. To be fair he’s usually got me in a very compromising position when I’m calling him that. I think he’d love anything I called him.
He even gets jealous sometimes about the sexy books I read. He says he doesn’t want me to have book boyfriends because he’s my boyfriend. Don’t tell but I secretly kind of love it. It really is cute.
Speaking of which, I definitely don’t want him to see the book I brought along on this trip. It’s this hot bodyguard romance Ariana recommended which would be fine if our security company didn’t employ some of the hottest bodyguards in existence.
Blake Security came highly recommended. But I don’t think Andre realized when he hired them that all their guards look like superheroes.
The man who escorted us to the hotel earlier was named Oskar and looks like Chris Hemsworth’s brawnier cousin.
Ariana would be in heaven.
I swipe on a few more strokes of mascara, amused when Andre comes into the bathroom, still muttering under his breath about Cole. When his arm snakes around my waist, I lean back into his embrace.
It’s still hard to believe a man with so many Hottest Man Alive magazine covers can get so jealous. But it’s true and Andre may be one of the hottest men alive but he’s also my man. He wants me all to himself and I feel exactly the same way about him.
He kisses the side of my head. “We have to attend but I really wish we didn’t. I don’t want to share you with the world tonight. Especially when you’re wearing that dress. I’ll have to fight off men left and right.”
The dress is silver and drapes low in the back. Every time I take a step, the dramatic side slit flashes my entire left leg. It’s breathtaking and makes me feel like a goddess.
“Mmm, it is gorgeous. But it’s your fault it’s so revealing.”
His head lowers and his tongue traces a warm path up toward my ear. “Do you know what it does to me to see you wearing something I designed just for you?”
I shudder as his fingers start sliding south. When I move my hips, his hard erection digs into my back. “I can feel what it does to you.”
His fingers find the zipper on the side of the dress.
The sensation of his fingers on my skin is magic but if I let this continue, then I’ll end up with smeared makeup and love bites all over my neck. And since I’m not sure yet whether Andre really wants to stay home, I need to slow this train down. Because my main interest is in making sure he’s happy.