Chapter 11 #2
He takes another step closer. When he finally stops a breath away from me and his eyes flick up to mine, holding firm as he murmurs, “I think you’re much too beautiful to be wearing something like that.”
My breath catches in my throat. Did Reid Matthews just give me a blatant compliment?
I have to be imagining this. I break his gaze first, taking a step back and pushing dresses to the side as casually as I possibly can, fully pretending his compliment and his proximity have absolutely no impact on me.
“Then think about how beautiful I can look in something else,” I say with as much bravado as I can muster.
I risk a glance at him out of the corner of my eye.
He seems to consider my words for a moment, his eyes scanning the racks before sliding back to me.
His lips twitch as he looks at my peach dress again, then he nods and silently walks away.
I’m not proud to admit that I watch him as he walks off and strides right to my sister.
After fifteen minutes, Reid strolls up to the rack I’m silently lingering by and starts pushing dresses back and forth.
I watch him with bated breath, waiting to hear if he succeeded in his mission.
Finally, he lifts a sky blue dress from the rack and holds it up to me like he’s envisioning me wearing it. I swat his hand away.
With a smirk lingering on his lips, he hands me the dress. “This one.”
“This one what?”
“You said I get to choose your dress if I get her to change the color. I choose this one.”
My fingers curl around the satin as I soak in the words. “Wait, you actually did it?”
He shrugs. “It wasn’t too hard.”
“Yeah, I’m sure all you had to do was tell her rejecting her was the biggest mistake of your life and you would win any bet you could,” I mutter.
He rolls his eyes. “Don’t be ridiculous, Jane. I obviously just told her she looked stunning, but she’d look spectacular surrounded by everyone in . . . whatever this specific shade is to you.”
He holds up the dress and I glance down at my new fate. “Is this the color then?” He dips his chin in a nod, a hint of pride starting to radiate on his features.
“What made you choose blue?”
“You’ll look stunning in it.”
My head snaps up to look at him. He’s watching me, his eyes filled with a heat that makes my heart start to beat faster. Another compliment? What in the world is happening today? Suddenly, I can’t wait to put on the dress just to see how he’ll react, how he’ll look at me, what he’ll do.
“Go on,” he says, leaning closer to me. His voice is a low whisper that has those goosebumps back on my arms. “Try it on.”
“Don’t tell me what to do.” The words don’t come out nearly as menacing as I hoped they would. I clear my throat. He smirks.
“I’m not. I’m just here to offer my support.”
“Didn’t ask for it.”
“And my input.”
“Didn’t ask for that either.”
His lips curve up into a grin that has me spinning on my heel and quickly walking to the changing room just to get some space so I can clear my head. It doesn’t work, but I sure am trying.
“He has no business being so hot,” I mutter to myself as I yank off the peach monstrosity I was still stuffed into.
I slip on the blue satin dress, a cool whisper of fabric against my skin.
Once I zip it up, I stand back and admire myself in the mirror.
It’s a much more flattering color. Thin straps, a square neckline, and a slit up to my mid thigh.
I look elegant, timeless, and sexy all at once.
I don’t want to admit he was right and that I look stunning in it, but for whatever reason I feel the need to strut out and show him that I can look hot in a wisely selected dress. With a grin at myself in the mirror, I push open the curtain and step back onto the pedestal proudly.
I immediately look for Reid’s eyes in the mirror, suddenly desperate to see his reaction.
While I was getting dressed, he changed into a pair of classic black pants and a crisp white button-up dress shirt.
The top three buttons of his shirt are still undone like he was only half trying it on and got bored.
When I finally pull my eyes from his exposed tanned chest, I find his gaze in the mirror, his attention is already fixed completely on me and the thought of that makes my heart race.
His blue eyes darken, his nostrils flare.
I arch a subtle eyebrow, silently asking him his opinion.
Suddenly, it feels like we’re the only two people in the room. It’s just him and me and rows and rows of dresses and whatever this new electric charge is between us that I haven’t figured out yet.
He strolls toward me slowly, and I find myself holding my breath, eager to hear what he has to say. He comes to a stop behind me. I arch a brow at him, tilting my chin up as I wait for his reply.
“I was right,” he says behind me, his voice soft but confident. It does something to my chest. “You do look stunning in it.”
I toss my blonde waves over my shoulder and run my fingers down the fabric, putting that bravado back in place. “I look stunning in everything.”
“That you do,” he agrees. I look at him in the mirror again just to find a smirk forming on his lips. He tilts his head to the side, studying me with amusement on his face. “Just admit I made a good choice.”
“Over my dead body.”
He huffs a laugh and looks down at the shiny black dress shoes on his feet. I watch him, holding my breath as I wait to see what he’ll say next. Just as he lifts his head, his lips parting to speak, Kate appears in the reflection beside me and bursts our little bubble.
For the first time in my life, I almost want to tell her to go away and come back later.
“You were so right about the color, Reid. This will look way better next to me than peach.”
“Agreed,” Jessica says, sliding next to Kate behind us, their reflections in the mirror studying me and the dress.
“I know,” Reid says, an air of arrogance in his voice.
He slides his hands into his pockets and steps up behind me onto the pedestal, fully closing the distance between us.
His chest brushes my back and I vaguely notice Jessica stiffening in the mirror, but I’m too focused on Reid’s contact and his eyes on mine to do anything with that movement from her.
“Beautiful,” he murmurs.
I really think I’m about to combust. Is that possible with just a whispered compliment and a feather-light touch?
He leans in, so close I can feel his breath warm on my neck. “Let me know when you’re ready to offer that high five and heartfelt thank you,” he whispers, before stepping down and leaving me burning in his wake.