49. Arden
49
ARDEN
I wrapped the towel tighter around myself as I surveyed my closet and scowled. The number of dresses I had was limited, to say the least. And I’d worn all of them at least twice. Mostly to little fundraisers at The Collective, and a few to the occasional family event that required them. None of them felt right for this.
For the first time since the night that had changed everything, I didn’t want to fade into the background. I wanted to stand out. And nothing in this closet gave me that, save for the over-the-top unicorn onesie I had tucked away for Christmas Eve when my entire family wore them.
But, somehow, I didn’t think that was the play for tonight.
“What did that closet ever do to you?”
I didn’t jump at the deep voice that skated over my skin in a pleasant shiver. I welcomed it. My scowl battled with a grin as I turned. “It doesn’t have what I need to wear.”
Linc stepped into the small space, his heat seeping into me. “I think you look beautiful just as you are. ”
I arched a brow. “You think I should go to the fundraiser in a towel?”
“I don’t think you should go at all. But I lost that battle.”
We’d gone round and round about the fundraiser for The Collective. The risks and rewards. I’d come out victorious, but not without concessions.
“And how many security personnel do you have monitoring the event?” I asked.
“Twenty,” he muttered.
I laughed, leaning into him. “It’s called compromise.”
Linc’s fingers sifted through my freshly dried hair. “Does that mean we’re grownups?”
“Never. But I think it means we get a gold star for a healthy relationship.”
Linc’s head dipped, his lips hovering over mine. “I do love a gold star.”
My lips ghosted across his. “What do you want as a reward?”
“What do you think I want?” Linc moved, hoisting me up.
My legs instantly went around his waist, but I smacked his back. “Oh, no, you don’t. We do not have time for any rewards. I have to get ready, and I still don’t know what I’m wearing.” Not to mention the fact that makeup wasn’t exactly my strong suit.
“I might be able to help with that,” Linc murmured against my ear.
I pulled back as he strode out of my bedroom. Brutus let out a happy bark, thinking it was a fun game. Linc carried me into the living room and then slowly lowered me to the floor. The loss of contact nearly had me giving in to the offer of forgetting the fundraiser and staying home with Linc.
Shaking off the lust haze, I turned and stilled. My jaw went slack at the sight. In the center of my living room was a rack of clothing. Mostly dresses, but with a couple of chic pantsuits mixed in. In front of the rack were more pairs of shoes than I could count. And on the couch lay a row of clutches in colors that matched or complemented the clothing options perfectly.
“What did you do?” I whispered .
“You’ve had a few things on your mind. Didn’t think you’d have time to shop. And you need something special for tonight.”
I turned back to him. “So you bought out a department store?”
Linc laughed. “I had a stylist send some options.”
I moved to the rack, my fingers ghosting over each option. Linc’s stylist had given me a rainbow of choices, including the typical artist’s black. But I wasn’t going for shadow tonight; I was going for light. No more fading into the background.
My fingers landed on a silky number. The dusky mauve color felt like a blend of earthiness and whimsical pink, and something about that called to me. It was a mixture of who I was and who I wanted to be.
Pulling it from the rack, I studied the dress. The shape would hug my curves in the perfect way. The spaghetti straps would expose my shoulders, tan from all my time with the horses, and the material would lean into a sultriness I didn’t often own. It was perfect.
“This one,” I said softly, holding it up for Linc to see.
“You don’t want to try some on to make sure?”
I shook my head. “This is the one.”
A smile tugged at his beautiful mouth. “Pink. Always full of surprises.”
I opened my mouth to speak, but my doorbell rang, cutting me off. Brutus let out two quick barks to alert.
“Beruhigen,” I said, giving him a pat.
“I’ve got it,” Linc said, striding for the door.
A few seconds later, excited voices sounded. Familiar ones. They piled into the living room, all holding garment bags and carrying totes over their shoulders.
Rho was first, crossing the space and lifting a bottle in the air. “I brought champagne.”
“I brought cupcakes,” Sutton called. “And a massive makeup kit.”
“I’m more excited about the cupcakes,” Rho muttered.
Thea laughed. “I’m here for all three. It’s been a minute since I’ve had an excuse to dress up.”
“Sometimes it’s nice to remember you’re a girl,” Fallon said as she laid her dress bag over a chair. “Oooooh! Is that what you’re wearing, Arden? It’s gorgeous.”
Pressure built behind my eyes as I turned to Linc. “You did all this?”
He shrugged. “Thought it might be nice for you to have them.”
How had he grown to know me so well in such a short period? He knew I’d be frustrated trying to find something to wear. Nervous getting ready on my own. And that my sisters would be the ones who could soothe those nerves best.
I rehung the dress and strode across the room. I reached up and grabbed Linc’s face, pulling it down to mine. His scruff pricked my palms as my mouth met his. The warring sensations had me lost in a matter of moments. My tongue stroked his, and Linc’s swiped back. I poured everything I had into the kiss, and when I pulled back, I gave him the words, too.
“I love you.”
Those hazel eyes burned gold. “Gonna get you a rack of dresses every day of the week.”
“Don’t you dare.”
Linc laughed. “Okay, once a week.” I smacked his chest, and he kissed the tip of my nose. “You ladies have fun. We’ll be back to pick you up at six-thirty.”
He pulled away, and I felt the loss all over again, missing him instantly.
Fallon let out a hoot. “Good Lord, you two could melt Antarctica.”
My cheeks heated. “Sorry,” I mumbled.
“Don’t you dare apologize,” Thea ordered.
“Dang straight,” Sutton agreed, arranging mini cupcakes on a tray. “There’s not a damn thing wrong with that kind of love.”
“Anson and I snuck off to a shed at his last jobsite,” Rhodes offered as she snagged a cupcake.
Thea choked on a laugh. “Why am I not surprised?”
Rho arched a brow at her. “Not sure you’re one to judge. I hear the barn at your and Shep’s reno project sees a lot of action.”
Thea’s jaw went slack, and then she burst out laughing .
Linc had been right. This was exactly what I needed.
“Keep your eyes closed,” Sutton instructed. She’d set up a makeup station at my kitchen island, and I’d never seen quite so many pots and palettes.
“I hate sitting still for this long,” I grumbled.
Rhodes let out a chuckle. “ Noooo , I never had any idea.”
I reached out a hand from under the towel covering me and my precious dress and flipped my sister off. It only made her laugh more.
“Stop moving,” Sutton ordered. “I’m almost done. Just a little more rose gold.”
Nerves swept through me. “I’m not going to look ridiculous, right?”
“As if any of us would let you go out looking a fool,” Fallon said from her spot on the couch.
“And I take my makeup very seriously.” Sutton grinned. “Almost as seriously as my cupcakes.”
“I think I need another one before we go,” Thea said, sounding like she was crossing into the kitchen.
“All done,” Sutton announced. “You can open your eyes.”
I did as she instructed, my lids feeling a little funny with the false lashes at the outside corners.
Rhodes moved in and pulled the towel off me. “Time for the full impact.”
I slid my feet into the strappy heels and moved toward the full-length mirror Fallon had hauled out of my bedroom. As I stepped up to it, I blinked a few times, trying to clear my vision. It was me, but not.
The silk fabric skimmed my body with a sultry touch. I took in the slight dip around my breasts, the slit revealing the smallest peek of thigh, the color that didn’t let me hide in the background.
I felt…beautiful. Me. But more.
Fallon’s hand curved around my shoulder, squeezing gently. “You look stunning. ”
“Linc’s gonna swallow his tongue,” Rho called.
Sutton laughed. “Or have a stroke.”
“We need a picture,” Thea demanded.
We all moved then, squeezing in as she tried to do a long-armed selfie. It wasn’t perfect or posed, but it was a pile of happiness, all of us dissolving into giggles as we squeezed in.
The doorbell rang, and Brutus rose from his dog bed, letting out two quick barks. “I’ve got it, baby,” I called, heading to the door.
When I pulled it open, I stilled. The man standing there was stunning in every way. Linc’s deep brown hair was styled in one of those artful ways that was just a little messy. His scruff had been shorn so only a hint shone through. And his eyes burned a little more gold than green.
He wore a suit that matched my dress—a little more earthy than pink, but a clear correlation. It was a silent claiming. No, a belonging . Or more, a promise. That we belonged to each other.
“You match me.”
There was no twitch of his lips or corner of his mouth tugging up. Linc’s eyes burned brighter. “Wanted everyone to know that I was yours. How proud I am of all you do.”
That pressure was back behind my eyes. “Linc.”
“You look incredible. Everything you’ve always been but uncovered in a whole new way.”
He understood what I was reaching for. Like always.
“But you’re missing one thing,” Linc said.
I frowned. “What?—?”
Linc pulled something out of his pocket. A charm hung from a delicate rose gold chain. Not something over-the-top and covered in gems. Something that was me. The charm was an artist’s palette stamped onto a rose gold disc. Simple. Beautiful. Me.
“It’s perfect,” I whispered.
Linc reached around my neck and fastened the clasp. As he stepped back, the necklace fell to the perfect spot. “Meant for you.”
I lifted my gaze to his. “It is. Just like you are for me.”