Flawless Desire

Juliet Nichols.

I stop. “I have no idea.”

“Open it!” she squeals.

“OK, OK!” I laugh.

I pry off the lid, slip aside the tissue paper, and find some of the most gorgeous clothing I’ve ever seen. And the designers? Prada… Gucci… Alberta Ferretti…

“Oh. My. God!” Kelsey lifts up one of the items, a crepe dress in ink blue. “Jules… Look at this stuff!”

I am. I can’t stop staring. Silky blouses… Chic skirts… Professional blazers… And there are shoes and handbags to match. It’s like a fairy godmother just waved her wand and gave me the wardrobe of my dreams.

“There’s a card.” Kelsey snatches it up. “‘I require appropriate clothing. CS.’ CS!” she gasps. “Caleb Sterling. He sent all of this?”

And just like that, my excitement fades. “That’s… Weird. He thinks he can dress me up like some kind of doll?”

“A fashionable doll,” Kelsey says, holding up a gorgeous sweater that looks like cashmere.

I put it back in the box. “I’m not keeping anything.” I say, remembering the taunt in his blue eyes. And Olivia’s warning. He’s used to getting everything he wants.

“Are you crazy?” Kelsey gapes. “There’s some great stuff here. And it’s free.”

“Yes, but it’s like he’s insulting what I was wearing. Choosing my wardrobe. What’s next? My hair? Makeup?"

“Maybe he’s just being nice,” she suggests. “Maybe he realizes that you don’t have the budget for a new work wardrobe and wants to help.”

Right. The sex-god who makes women come so hard they black out, who is possibly screwing over his partner, is so benevolent. A regular Boy Scout.

I may be naïve, but I wasn’t born yesterday. People rarely act this way unless they’re expecting something in return.

My pulse flutters with anticipation as I think of what.

‘We’ll see about that…’

Kelsey throws the sweater to me and winds a Hermès scarf around her neck. “If you don’t want it, I’ll take it.”

I touch the fabric absently. Definitely cashmere. How many times have I wished for a cashmere sweater?

And did I ever think, in my wildest dreams, I’d own beautiful things like this?

“Fine. I’ll play dress up.” I agree reluctantly. “At least if this all goes to hell, I’ll be able to get decent resale prices for them.”

“Or, Caleb Sterling will go full Pretty Woman on you, fall in love, and live happily ever after,” Kelsey says with a grin.

I shake my head. Because if this goes the way it’s supposed to, Caleb won’t wind up happy about anything.

He’ll be heading straight to jail.