My heart stuttered, and I looked away from him.
“Hi, ric,” Nova said to him. “Looks like you’ve been busy.”
ric let out an amused breath. “Hardly.”
I didn’t say anything, do anything except stare down at the envelope.
This was too much. Way too much for someone like me even if it wasn’t a show of affection. Nova leaned in to whisper. “I think I’m gonna go, Meds. Will you be okay?”
I opened my mouth, unable to speak for a few seconds, but when my voice finally came out, it was hoarse.. “Uh, yeah.” I forced a smile. “Thank you foring, Nov. Really.”
“Of course.” Nova rose to her feet, smiling back at me despite the heavy concern swirling in her eyes.” Text meter?”
“Promise.”
I didn’t turn to watch her leave. Because if I did, then I would have to look at ric who was still standing by the door.
The tension in the air nearly rendered the air conditioning useless and the hair at the back of my neck stood at attention.
I hated that my body was too aware of him.
Then, he finally spoke. “I thought you’d already forgiven me for what I didst night and this morning.”
“I have.” My voice trembled. My fists clenched around the envelope as I heard him step further into the room. I counted his steps–seven.
“Then why do I feel like you’re avoiding looking at me?”
An airyugh escaped my mouth. “I’m not-<b>” </b>
“Finish that sentence and you’ll end up turned over myp.” His voice sounded so close that I nearly jumped out of my skin, a gasp tearing from my throat.
The thought of him doing exactly what he just said made my core clench with need.
ric’s hand came down onto my shoulder and I swallowed, enjoying the feel of hisrge hand on my skin even though nervousness buzzed beneath it.
“ric…” I trailed off, swallowing again.
“Come here,” he murmured, and then he was pulling me up before I could even move.
And finally, I was facing him. The top three buttons of his ck button–up shirt were undone, the tattoo peeking out from beneath the left side of his cor.
“Look at me, Meadow.”
Slowly, I did. His arm slid around my waist, grazing my bare skin underneath my top while my own hands hung limp at my sides, one still clutching the envelope.
ric’s brows furrowed in concern. “Do you not like the dresses?”
“No…I mean I-“I stuttered, letting out a frustrated breath as he pinned me with his gaze. “They’re lovely, really. Everything is. I just… this is a lot, ric, and for just one party. Did you have to?”
His eyes narrowed but he didn’t say a word. Panic gripped my chest. Oh, god. What if he thought-
“I’m not trying to be ungrateful,” I said quickly, shaking my head. “I love this. All of it, I promise. I…”
I trailed off as something thick clogged my throat. I didn’t know what else to say, how else to put this in a way that he wouldn’t see me as weird or dramatic, or even worse–overly damaged.
And frankly, if I delved into this, I would be inviting memories of my childhood. My past.
And that was one thing I was willing to keep from ric.
But the fact remained that I didn’t deserve this. My mother made sure it was ingrained in my brain that <b>I </b>didn’t deserve nice things.
‘You’re not worth it, Meadow<i>,</i><i>‘ </i>she would say. ‘It’s for your sister, not you, you little pig.‘
So did I love that ric did this for me? Yes. Did I deserve it? No. Was I overreacting?
Probably. This was just ric being ric. Thoughtful and kind and-
“Did you read the note yet, or did your imposter syndrome convince you not to ept that as well?<b>” </b>
My heart stuttered in shock, my gaze snapping to his. And they swirled with amusement. “You’re not that difficult to read, baby.” His voice was low, sending shivers down my spine as his thumb drew circles mindlessly around a spot on my waist.
“Let me guess what you’re thinking right now,” he murmured, jerking me hard against him. “Will you let
me?”
My eyes dropped to his lip as he scraped his teeth over the bottom.
“Will you walk away if I say no?” I breathed, raising my free hand to y with his buttons.
“Fair point.” He smirked. “Turn around.”
I didn’t question him, I just did as he asked. When I turned around, I was facing the huge mirror on the
wall.
I stared at my reflection, face flushed, hair tied into a messy bun, grip tight around the envelope, and then I shifted my gaze to ric who stood behind me.
His eyes met mine in the mirror and I let out a shaky breath. Why did this feel so damn intimate when we
weren’t even doing anything?
The next thing ric said stole all the breath from my lungs.
“Strip.” His voice was low and raspy.
“What?” I said tightly, starting to turn around, but he stopped me with a firm hand on my shoulder.
“Don’t look away from the mirror, Meadow,” he stated. “And like I said, strip.”
And then he backed away from me, and I watched the mirror, stunned as he walked toward the new rack
of dresses.
“Wait, I-”
<b>“</b>You already made me repeat myself once,” he said in a voice so cold I felt shivers run down my spine.” Don’t make that mistake again.”
I swallowed hard. What on earth was he up to? He was looking at the dresses like he was…
Oh.
He wanted me to wear them.
I took a deep breath, let the envelope fall to the floor, and with shaky hands, reached for the hem of my top and took it off<b>, </b>silently apuding myself for choosing to wear a bra earlier today.
And then I hooked my thumbs into the waistband of my leggings, and as I started to take them off, I felt his eyes on me. I didn’t need to look in the mirror for that.
I tried to look sexy doing it–I swear. But I nearly tripped on my own leggings and ruined the moment for
us both.
Or maybe not.
When I looked back in the mirror, nowpletely in a pair of pink panties and matching bra, ric’s attention waspletely on me, and he had the emerald green silk dress in his hand.
His eyes darkened. “Good.”
“I thought you were trying to guess what I was thinking,” I murmured.
ric lips twitched as he stepped closer to me. “I will, as soon as I get you in this dress.”
My heart was beating out of control against my ribcage, but I managed a nod.
Because what else was I supposed to say?
With ric’s help, I stepped into the dress, the silk, smooth fabric sliding over my skin in a way that
nearly made me moan in delight. It had a thigh high slit and a plunging low back, held up by thin,
crisscrossed straps that framed my shoulders.
It was… georgous.
“You’re thinking…” ric rasped softly, his knuckles brushing against my bare back as his other hand
reached for the zipper on the side. “That you don’t deserve any of this. That you’re not cut out for this. You’re thinking, why you?”
Something prickled at the back of my eyelids, but I didn’t take my eyes off his as he pulled up the zipper
slowly, sealing the dress to my body.
“Someone–maybe more than one person–did a hell of a job convincing you that you were less.” He
paused, like he was giving me a chance to argue. To deny it. But I didn’t.
Because it was the truth.
His hand trailed up my back, and he exhaled sharply, snapping the hook of my bra open on the same
breath.
I gasped loudly, but it turned into a moan as he leaned in, lips grazing my neck.
“But just look at you, Meadow,” he said roughly, arm snaking around my waist. “Look at yourself in this fucking mirror and tell me you don’t deserve this and even more.”
I swallowed, opening my mouth, but nothing came out. Not a single word.
ric tutted, and then his hand trailed downward. “I’m quite disappointed, Meadow.” Another gasp tore from my throat as he slipped his fingers through the slit slowly, tortorously.
“I suppose I’ll have to show you myself then.”
“ric-“I choked out as his hand slipped into the waistband of my panties.
“Shhh, just look in the mirror, baby.”
His tone was soft, his voice raw, his eyes dark when I looked in the mirror.
And then he said:
“I’m going to make youe three times, while wearing all three dresses. And then you’re going to pick your favorite.<i>” </i>