27. Chapter 27
Chapter 27
-Annabella-
K ace was adamant about finding me a new dress, and I began to see the point in his suggestion. My family always had strong opinions about outfits and attire, believing they knew best, so being prepared for their scrutiny was essential. This meant finding a particularly nice outfit.
Accustomed to shopping for luxury items, I started to browse, but Kace suddenly grabbed my hand, halting me. I turned to him, puzzled by his interruption.
“What?” I asked.
Kace waved a sales assistant closer, who seemed very reluctant to come talk to us but still did it with a smile.
“No, can’t we decide ourselves?” I whispered.
“No,” he plainly told me.
“Kace!” I hissed, but he ignored me, smiling at the sales assistant as she came closer.
“Yes, can I help?”
“My wife needs a new dress for a dinner with her family,” he explained. “We would like her to try some options.”
Oh no , I thought. I had hoped for a quick shopping trip, in and out, without turning it into a full-blown fashion show. But before I could react, the sales assistant whisked me away toward the dressing rooms, laden with options.
I tried on the first dress—a dark blue one with a slim belt around my waist, the dress itself ending just above my knees. I felt like a serious businesswoman about to seal a deal when I stepped out.
Kace glanced at me and shook his head. I sighed and returned to try on another dress, this one a dark red, shorter and more form-fitting, perfect for a date night.
As I emerged, I saw Kace looking interested, a slight smile playing on his lips. I instantly knew what that smug smile meant.
“No!” I told him.
“No, not for the dinner, but maybe when we go on dates,” he suggested. “It’s very tight.”
I rolled my eyes and went to the dressing room again. This time, I found a cream-colored dress. It had long sleeves, showing just a little cleavage, and went to mid-thigh.
It was rather beautiful, with subtle flowers on it in the same color. I walked out of the dressing room and showed it to him, and the smile on his lips this time was a satisfied one.
“Well?” I inquired.
“Beautiful,” he complimented, making my cheeks heat a little.
I had thought it would take longer, but we managed to find a dress rather quickly.
“Good, then we found a dress,” I stated.
“Try on some more,” he said, and just then the sales assistant arrived with more outfits.
“Why?”
“For future dinners and parties,” he told me, and the sales assistant acted much friendlier toward us as Kace spoke of buying more clothes.
“Kace, we came for one dress. Not hundreds!” I exclaimed.
“I know, but we might as well be prepared for the future. Now go try them on.”
“Why do I feel like you’re enjoying this a little too much?” I asked.
He continued to smile without replying, but when I noticed a set of lingerie had been picked out too, I grabbed them and held them up in front of him, seeing his eyes sparkle with lust.
“I'm not putting on a half-naked show for you,” I told him.
“I didn’t pick that. I told her we needed more clothes for you in every way,” he replied.
“And what did you think ‘every way’ meant?”
“Well, we are married.”
“I'm not stripping for you!” I scolded, throwing the underwear at him and making him laugh before I went into the dressing room again, changing into some more dresses.
Together, we picked a few, but I didn’t want to spend hours there, and I told him that quite clearly. I had had a long day and didn’t want to spend even longer in the dressing room.
Kace tried to push me a little, but I couldn’t be convinced. I dressed in my old clothes, but when I came out, he was already gone.
“Kace?” I asked.
I left the dressing room area and began my search for him. I found him by the counter, paying for all the clothes. I walked closer to him, and he smiled at me, taking my hand and kissing it, making butterflies appear in my stomach.
“You didn’t have to buy it. I have the money for that, and you already bought me a ring,” I reminded him.
Kace wouldn’t let go of my hand, and I didn’t mind. It made the butterflies go crazy in my stomach, but I wondered what was happening to him and why he was acting so overly affectionate.
“I know, but I can treat my wife, can’t I?” he asked.
“You can,” I agreed, smiling at him. “But your wife doesn’t want you to think you have to.”
“I don’t think it. I want to.”
His answer only made me smile, and I nodded, accepting his reply. After all the clothes had been packed up, I grabbed the bags, and we left the shop. We walked back to the car, and I felt quite uplifted from everything we had managed to do. Kace was smiling as well when we entered his home again.
“Do you want to eat dinner together?” I asked.
“I would love to,” he replied.
“I will just go put this away and meet you there.”
He drove away, and I went to my bedroom, putting the bags down before pulling out the clothes, but I noticed something in one of them. It was the red underwear I had thrown at Kace.
I held it up, letting out a little huff, unable to believe he had really bought that. I shook my head, rolling my eyes, before I put it all away. Then I went to the dining room. Mariam had served us some wine and told me, as she passed me, that dinner would be ready soon.
Yet I was standing by the doorway with my arms crossed, and Kace noticed, a smile on his lips.
“Don’t want to sit?” he asked.
“Why are there red underwear in those bags?” I inquired.
“It’s a nice color,” he replied.
“You bought that!”
“You never said I shouldn’t.”
“I did!” I exclaimed.
“No, you said you wouldn’t put on a half-naked show for me, but not that I shouldn’t buy the underwear,” he teased.
“You’re unbelievable,” I groaned, coming closer.
“Thank you,” he replied.
“It wasn’t a compliment,” I told him, sitting down.
“I know,” he laughed.
“I have underwear.”
“Yeah, what color?”
“You’re an ass!” I laughed, making him chuckle too.
Yet I enjoyed our banter and the way we joked around. We could get annoyed with each other as well, but there was always something good to come back to.
“You liked them,” he countered.
“I don’t!” I stated.
“You do, and when my wife finally wants to put on that half-naked show, she can with the underwear on.”
“So confident, as always.”
“I know. In this world, you get far with confidence, which is something we should work on with you,” he said and sipped his wine, but I noticed the ring on his finger, and something warm spread inside me. He noticed where I was looking and smiled himself. “I like the sight of it too.”
I looked down at my own ring, enjoying the sight of it as well. The ring Zac had given me I always wore on the left ring finger. I knew I was imagining things when I put it there, but I couldn’t help myself.
But things had shifted since then. Surprisingly, I didn’t feel as sad about it anymore. I was beginning to find contentment in my current situation.