Chapter 10
Dmitri
I’ve never taken a woman dress shopping before, much less an employee, but Cara is different.
I want her company at the gala, and I didn’t expect her to have such a formal dress just laying around. It’s nothing for me to spend a couple thousand dollars on a dress if she goes and relieves me of some of my misery.
These events bore me to tears, but I have to attend and make an appearance. It’s good for business, and that’s the lifeblood of my family’s success.
“What store do you want to check out first?” I ask her as we walk down the sidewalk at the outdoor mall, hiding from the bright sun under the shade of the awnings.
Cara lifts her hands and shakes her head. “Oh, no. This is more your expertise. You lead the way.”
I smirk as my eyes sweep back and forth between the stores on either side of us. There are plenty of high-end designer stores to choose from, and I want her dressed in the best. She might not be my official date, but she’ll still be with me.
“Did your parents let you go to prom?” I ask her as I glance at some frilly dresses in one of the storefronts.
Cara laughs. “Absolutely not. My father was certain that I would get drunk and knocked up in the back of a limo.”
Laughter rumbles from my chest as we share an amused look with each other.
“My family did a background check on my prom date and her entire family,” I tell her.
Her jaw drops. “That’s crazy. Did they think she was going to kidnap you or something?”
“You never know someone’s true intentions,” I point out.
A stiff smile crosses her face. “Yeah, I guess that’s true.”
Before she can walk too far ahead, I place my hand on the small of her back to make her pause. “Let’s try this store.”
Cara nods and slips past me as I hold the door open for her. She exhales slowly at the sight of all the shelves of shoes and racks of nice clothes. “Whoa.”
“This way,” I tell her when I spot the section with women’s dresses. I lead her over and start flipping through all the dresses hanging on the racks, inspecting each that I see in search of the perfect one.
I’ve seen her wear the hell out of enough dresses to know what complements her body the best. What puts her curves on display. What suits her height and her auburn hair.
“This one,” I say as I pull out an off the shoulder bright red evening gown. I hold it up to Cara’s figure, seeing that it stops just past her ankles. “What do you think?”
“I’ve never worn something off the shoulder before,” Cara admits as she takes the expensive dress from me and twists it around to check out all sides. “I don’t know if I have the best shoulders for it.”
A chuckle breaks from me. “You have great shoulders.”
Cara gives me a pointed look. “Do you really mean that, or are you just being kind? It seems like you’re willing to do just about anything to get me to go.”
“I mean that,” I assure her. “And I just so happen to want your company a decent bit.”
“A decent bit,” Cara replies with a coy smile before turning and heading toward the dressing room. “Stand outside and I’ll show you what it looks like.”
My heart is already pounding at the thought of her in that dress. She’ll look incredible. I already know it.
Cara steps into the small hallway with two dressing rooms on either side and chooses the last one on the left side. She slips behind the beige curtain out of sight, rustling sounds from inside. “Be done in a minute!”
“Take your time,” I tell her as I linger in the small hallway, tucking my hands in the pockets of my suit pants.
More rustling and shuffling come from behind the curtain, followed by the sound of a strained grunt and a frustrated sigh.
“Everything okay in there? Should I get you another size?” I ask her as I take a step closer to her room.
“No! The size is fine. It’s just the zipper,” Cara replies before letting out a sound of defeat. “Could you help me? It won’t budge.”
“Yeah, sure,” I say before pulling back the curtain enough to step into the small dressing room. Three mirrors, two angled and one straight ahead, face me as I approach Cara from behind.
She lifts her eyes to the middle mirror, peering at me through the reflection as she holds the front of the dress flush against the swell of her bare chest. The zipper is stuck in the middle of her back, keeping the top loose, while the bottom of the dress hugs her hips perfectly.
She looks fucking gorgeous half-dressed in the cherry red elegance.
I tear my eyes away from hers and focus on the stuck zipper, my blood rushing. I gently sweep her hair out of the way, my fingertips grazing her smooth skin.
Cara shivers a little, and the sound of her breath trembling sends a wave of heat through me.
I clench my jaw, trying not to look as affected as I feel because I know that she can see me in the reflection of the mirrors. I grab one side of the dress and the zipper, putting some force into working the zipper free from where it’s stuck.
“Got it,” I say as the zipper glides up to the top of the dress.
Cara breathes in deeply and releases the front of the dress so that it can cling to her body naturally. She fixes her hair and adjusts the top of the dress where it hugs the enticing swell of her breasts. “Thank you, Mr. Ivanov. Dmitri,” she quickly amends.
The way she says my name makes my chest tighten. Fuck. Why does it feel so hot in this tiny room?
I remain standing right behind her, able to feel the heat radiating off her body.
Cara gazes at me through the reflection in the mirror, her emerald eyes bright, her cheeks even more flushed. She’s gorgeous. “What do you think?”
My hands lower, the fingertips of my left hand grazing her side. “Fits like a glove.”
I can see all of her through the mirrors, but it isn’t good enough. I want to drink her in right in front of my eyes. “I think I need a better look, though. Turn around.”
Cara nods, her eyes not leaving mine until she fully turns around to face me. She looked incredible in the mirror, but the dress looks even better on her body now. “Does it look okay? Be honest.”
How the hell do I voice my thoughts without being inappropriate? I can’t be thinking about my assistant or any woman like this, but I’ve thought that she was beautiful since the day of her interview. There’s no escaping my desire for her, no matter how deeply I try to bury it.
But I can’t act on it.
“It’s the one,” I assure her as I force myself to keep my hands off her.
What I would give to run my hands over her curves. Feel the heat of her body. The softness of her skin.
She’s so damn close that it’s killing me.
Cara smiles and glances down at herself, swaying playfully on the spot. “It does look nice.”
“It does,” I agree, barely able to make my voice come out any louder than a whisper.
Cara reaches over and grabs the price tag hanging off the side of the dress and her eyes widen. “That’s ridiculous! There’s no way that I can let you buy this for me.”
I shake my head and take a step closer, lifting her chin with my finger so she has to meet my eyes. “Don’t worry about the price. Just wear the dress and show up on Friday. That’s all I ask.”
Delight lights up her eyes, and she doesn’t question me, even though I know that she wants to. “Okay then. I’ll wear the dress and show up on Friday.”
This time, for a split-second, with her so close I could claim her lips with my own, I consider withholding the words before speaking them aloud. But I like the effect they have on her too much to resist.
“Good girl.”
As I predicted, her lips part on a soft gasp, and her cheeks redden even more from the two words of praise.
Fuck, I want to kiss her.
I need to leave. Now.
“I’ll let you get changed,” I say, still lingering in the same spot.
Cara nods, a warm smile adorning her face.
I exit the dressing room and walk away to catch my breath, desire simmering under my skin. I’m toeing a line doing all of this, but don’t I deserve a sliver of damn happiness? Just a little bit of relief to get through all the tedious shit in my life?
Cara has given me the chance to break through the surface and steal a breath of air after feeling like I was drowning.
I need that.
“Okay, I’m done.”
I turn to see Cara back in her work dress, with the red gown draped over her arm. I take it from her to hold it straight up, not letting the bottom of it touch the floor. “Got any shoes for it?”
Her expression turns sheepish. “I have some black heels and little ankle boots. They’re not the fanciest, though.”
I hum under my breath in thought before shaking my head. “Strappy silver heels. With sparkling diamond embellishments.”
Her eyebrows lift with intrigue. “Really? That sounds expensive.”
“I think they would look good with the dress. Elegant. Sexy,” I reply with a casual smile on my face. “You’ll pull it off well.”
Cara purses her lips a little as her eyes narrow in determination. “Alright, let’s find some heels then.”
It looks like she’s accepted my challenge. She isn’t the type to back down from one, and that’s a big reason why I can trust her with so much. So much more than my last handful of assistants.
It doesn’t take Cara and me long to agree on a pair of shoes to pair with the dress since our tastes are so similar.
With her bags in my hand, I lead her out of the store, feeling her hand accidentally brush mine as we squeeze through the doorway. I almost grasp it out of reflex, but I shove my hand into my pocket instead.
“Back to the office?” Cara asks me with a lightness to her step.
“Business calls,” I tell her as I check my watch. We have a meeting to attend together in an hour. She’s been great at taking notes, relaying information to me quickly from our documents, and keeping me on time.
“You know that I’m not afraid to answer,” Cara replies, shooting me a wink that makes an automatic grin tease my lips. She walks ahead of me, a light breeze blowing through her hair.
It takes everything in me not to grab a handful and pull her back to me so that I can see how soft her lips feel against mine. My restraint for her weakens by the day as my engagement looms ahead, making me feel torn.
I still haven’t given Annika my mother’s ring.
I’ve sacrificed enough. How many pieces of me are left to give away?
The alliance may own my future.
But Cara, she feels like something that belongs to me.