Chapter 36
ADDISON
I’m standing in front of my closet in my underwear when my phone vibrates.
Kendall
You promise you’re coming tonight?
Addison
Yes! I’m getting dressed right now! Are you sure Patterson is okay with this?
Kendall
I mentioned it to him so that he wouldn’t be blindsided. He’ll get over it, bestie! I miss you. I want to see you and meet Louis.
Addison
Okay. Fair warning … if Patterson gets weird, we’re leaving.
Kendall
Oh, he won’t. Trust me on that.
Her response makes me smile. I’m sure she threatened him.
The red dress has been hanging in the back of my closet for six months, tags still on, waiting for an occasion that felt big enough.
A first real night out with a prince qualifies.
I pull it off the hanger and step into it, tugging the fabric up over my hips.
The slit hits mid-thigh, and the neckline dips low, but it’s still modest. I reach back for the zipper and get it halfway before I’m stuck.
He walks by the closet door and sees me struggling.
“Do you happen to need a knight in shining armor?” He appears in the doorway, already in the charcoal suit he had sent over this morning. There’s no tie, and his white shirt is open at the collar. His eyes travel down my body.
“I can’t reach this zipper.”
He crosses the room, and his fingers find the base of my spine. He pulls it up slowly, knuckles dragging against my skin, taking his time. When he reaches the top, his lips press against the side of my neck. I sigh against his touch.
“You’re going to start something we don’t have time to finish,” I whisper with my eyes closed.
“We can make time.”
I turn to face him and smooth my hands down the front of the dress. “Kendall’s expecting us at nine. We shouldn’t be late.”
“Not even ten minutes?”
“Louis, this is peer pressure.” I glance down at his semi. “Correction: penis pressure.”
He chuckles but steps back, keeping his eyes on me. “Fine. But I’d like to be on the record as preferring you out of that dress.”
“Noted,” I say, moving past him toward the bathroom to finish my makeup.
Louis leans against the doorframe and watches me in the mirror as I brush mascara on my lashes. I choose a red lipstick to match the dress and a little highlighter on my cheekbones.
“You’re sure Patterson is cool with this?” he asks.
“Kendall says he’ll get over it.”
“That’s not a yes,” he says.
“I know. Unfortunately, it’s the best I’ve got.” I cap the lipstick. “She knows him better than anyone. If she says it’ll be fine, I’m choosing to believe her.”
“Power of the pussy.”
“Exactly. And if the vibes are off, we’ll leave.” I turn to face him. “It will be okay.”
“It will. I haven’t visited Diamond in a year.” His hands settle on my waist when I cross to him. “I’m excited to experience it with you.”
I slide my hands up his chest and feel him relax under my touch. “We’re going to have fun. It’s our first real night out. Let’s enjoy it.”
“We could be in hell together, and I’d be happy.”
“We kinda are.” I gently kiss him. “Come on. Let’s go try to be normal.”
“Stop talking dirty to me,” he says.
He playfully pats my ass as I walk past him. I yelp with a laugh.
He kisses me again. “Thank you.”
“For?” I ask.
“Being the calm in my sails,” he says.
“Always.”
I grab my clutch from the dresser and take his hand.
We make our way through the loft and into the elevator.
The moment the doors open to the lobby, I spot at least ten paparazzi through the glass.
They’re camped on the sidewalk with their cameras ready.
They’ve been out there since I was banned from Montclaire, but the crowd has doubled since Louis arrived.
Nolan is waiting by the front desk like a Secret Service Agent. He straightens when he sees us.
“They’ve multiplied since I arrived,” Nolan says, nodding toward the glass. “Word has spread.”
“Of course it did.” I grip my clutch.
“Ready?”
“I think so,” I say.
Louis studies the crowd through the glass. We knew this was coming.
“Remember your media training, Cross,” he says, offering his arm like we’re walking a red carpet.
“I was about to say the same to you.” I smile.
“Please. I’ve been doing this since before I could walk.”
Nolan pushes through the doors, and the cameras swing toward us. Flashes explode, and my name is tangled with Louis’s. I can barely see, and he wraps his arm around me, guiding me to the car.
“Addison! Louis!”
“Are you two official?”
“Prince Louis, any comment on the statement from the palace?”
We move together like we’ve done this a thousand times. My smile is warm, while his posture stays relaxed and confident. His hand finds the small of my back, and we walk at an unhurried pace, giving them what they want without giving them everything.
My mother drilled this into me before I was old enough to drive. Smile, but not too wide. Wave, but keep moving. Never let them see you sweat.
Nolan opens the car door, and I slide in with Louis right behind me before the door shuts and cuts off the shouting.
“I didn’t know the palace gave a statement,” he says, settling back against the leather.
“We can search online, if you’d like?” I pull my phone from my clutch.
“No, we can deal with it tomorrow,” he says. “I don’t want it to ruin my night.”
I give him a smile. “Sure.”
The drive to Diamond takes twenty minutes, and Louis spends most of it with his hand on my thigh, rubbing his thumb against my skin through the slit in my dress. Every few minutes, his eyes find mine and hold, that heat building between us.
Tonight is about more than just us. It’s about unapologetically being seen together in public and stepping into whatever our life will look like from now on. It’s not something we’ve discussed yet.
When Nolan pulls up to the curb, more paparazzi are waiting behind a velvet rope across the street. Word travels fast in this city.
Diamond isn’t the type of establishment that takes walk-ins.
There’s no sign on the building, no website, no social media, and the only way in is if you’re on the list or with someone who is.
My family’s been on it since my father’s rookie year in the NFL, back when I was still in diapers, and my biggest concern was whether my juice box was apple or grape.
The building is black marble, and on either side of the golden door, two security officers guard the entrance.
Louis takes my hand. “Ready?”
“Just make sure you look like you’re in love with me.”
He leans in and kisses me with a smile. “Easy.”
Nolan opens the door, and Louis gets out first, blocking the paps from taking pics of me while I get out of the car. My heels hit the sidewalk, and the flashes explode; they’re even brighter this time. When our eyes meet, everyone and everything disappears.
“Gorgeous,” he whispers as I stand beside him.
I give the cameras a confident smile and a small wave, nothing they can twist. Louis’s arm slides around my waist as we walk toward the entrance. Security takes one look at Louis and unhooks the rope without a word. The heavy door swings open, then shuts behind us. The noise disappears.
Inside, Diamond is dark and sleek, with crystal chandeliers that cast fractured light across black marble floors.
The crowd looks like it walked out of a magazine, all models and actors and athletes mingling near the bar.
The music is loud enough to feel but low enough to talk over.
No one stares because that’s not how it works here.
It’s private, elite, and usually a safe space.
Security nods toward the VIP section, where Patterson is already in a large circular booth with Kendall tucked under his arm. Smiley, Jake, Hunter, Wyatt, and Callan—all friends of my brother’s and players on the Angels hockey team. They’re chatting, laughing, and having a great time.
The crowd parts as we make our way across the room. Everyone here has a Wikipedia page or a trust fund—or both. I recognize an actress from a Netflix series in a corner booth.
Louis’s hand slides from my waist to my hip and pulls me closer. When I look up at him, his gaze is on me.
“If you keep looking at me like that …” I whisper.
His gaze drops to my mouth. “Then what?”
“So tempting.”
I have to look away before I kiss him right here, in the middle of the room, but the last thing I want to do is set my brother off. Patterson spots us first, and his expression goes carefully blank as he watches us cross the room. As soon as my heart starts racing, he lifts his glass and smiles.
Finally, he mouths.
I glance at Louis. “That’s a good sign,” I say.
“Told you.”
Kendall slides out of the booth and rushes toward me. We nearly crash together, and she pulls me into a tight hug.
“That dress is hot. Holy shit,” she says against my ear.
“You picked it out.”
“I’m wondering why I didn’t buy the same one.” She pulls back and holds me at arm’s length before her attention shifts to Louis.
I watch her size him up with her eyes, moving from his face to his shoulders to his hands and back again, and she’s not subtle about it.
Louis watches her with amusement.
“So, you’re the prince,” Kendall says, tilting her head.
“And you’re Kendall Hart. The bestie, right?”
“That’s me. And of course, I’m dating that guy,” she says.
“Oh, really? Interesting.” Louis’s mouth curves, and he glances at Patterson before he returns his attention to Kendall.
“Wait, why did you say it like that?” She shakes her head. “Wait, did Pattycakes talk about me?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Louis says.
“I’d love to hear about it.” Kendall laughs, dragging me by the hand back to the booth.
She looks back at Louis, then at me. It’s approval.
“Maybe sometime over drinks,” he offers.
Kendall slides into the booth, moving beside Patterson. Louis guides me to the open spot across from them with his hand on my lower back. When we sit, his thigh presses against mine and stays there. He’s not at all shy about wrapping his arm around me, holding me close.