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“I can’t believe this is really me.” I leaned in, smoothing my hands over the dress.
“There’s no way any man could resist you in this outfit,” Lexi said. She dropped her voice to a whisper. “Look at Killian. He’s hardly able to keep his cool.”
I nodded and shifted my position so I could spy him through the mirror’s reflection. He wasstaring.I’d rendered rock god Killian Hook speechless. He white knuckled his drink, and if he wasn’t careful, that glass of Scotch was about to lay in shards around his feet.
I grinned and looked at myself again, twisting slightly to look at the back. I hadn’t realized the zipper wasn’t up all the way.
“Let me.” Killian appeared in the mirror standing so close his body heat practically melded with mine. His voice, a gruff whisper, sending tingles straight to my core.
My eyes fluttered closed when his hand gripped the zipper.
“Eyes on me,” he said low enough for only me to hear.
The sharp command had my lids snapping open, our gazes locked in the reflective surface. My breath lodged in my throat as his fingers danced across my spine. I leaned into his touch, feeling safe, sexy, desired.
“You look stunning, Tink. Wear this to the upcoming gala we need to attend for the label.”
The gala? That wasn’t for another month.
My hands trembled, my breath sounding far too loud in the suddenly quiet space. “Thanks,” I whispered, fighting the urge to turn around and run my hands over his body. To cup his cheeks and kiss his full lips and finally know what he tasted like.
He closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath as though pulling my essence into his lungs.
It startled me when he stepped away abruptly. It had felt like we were having a moment. Instead of reaching for him and asking what that had all been about, I pressed my palms into my thighs, not knowing what else to do with them.
“I’ll be in my studio,” he said. His clipped words confused me. His voice had lost its low, seductive edge. He practically ran from the room.
“Right. Okay.” I forced a brittle smile to my lips.
Lexi appeared behind me, resting her hands on my arms since she was so much shorter than me. “Can I ask you something?” At my nod, she continued, “Why are you doing this makeover? Because from where I’m standing, it seems like you’re trying to impress someone who already thinks you’re amazing.”
I frowned. “What do you mean?”
She laughed softly. “I mean I’ve only been in the same room as the two of you for a few hours, but I’ve seen the way he looks at you.Andthe way you look at him when you think he’s not watching.”
My cheeks burned so hot I was sure if I had a thermometer in my mouth it would show I was feverish.
I had to clear this up. “Oh, no, it’s not like that. Killian and I are just friends. This … Well, this originally was for someone else,” I admitted barely above a whisper. “For my boss, Peter, actually.”
Lexi’s eyebrows raised. “Your boss? Really?”
I nodded, even as a little voice in the back of my head whispered that maybe Lexi had a point about Killian. But I pushed that thought away. If I was being honest with myself, there was an underlying attraction on my end, but there was no way he returned it. “Yeah, I’ve had feelings for him for as long as I can remember, but he’s never noticed me in that way.” I took a deep breath. “And I’ve finally realized that he’s a lost cause, so now I need to figure out how to attract the right guy so I’m not alone forever.”
“And you think new clothes and makeup will do that?” Lexi’s tone was gentle, but I could hear the underlying reprimand.
I sighed, sinking into a plush ottoman nearby. “I don’t know. Maybe? I just … I feel like I’ve tried everything else and nothing has worked. Have you ever speed dated?”
Lexi grimaced.
“Exactly.” I sighed again. “I’m hopeless.”
Jenn, quietly reorganizing her makeup nearby, spoke up. “You know, sometimes the right person is the one who sees you for who you are, not who you’re trying to be.”
I nodded, but couldn’t quite meet her eyes. “I know that, logically. But … ”
Lexi sat next to me, taking my hand. “You should feel confident in yourself, with or without these clothes. They’re just window dressing. The real you? She’s amazing just as she is.”
Tears pricked at my eyes. “Then why didn’t Peter—or any other guy I’ve dated—ever see that?”