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He shrugged. “It's Christmas, but I couldn't get to a store. So, I did my best to come up with a little something for you. I hope you like it.”
“I'm sure I will.” She retrieved his present from under the tree. “Great minds think alike. I have something for you, too.”
The present she gave him was wrapped in Christmas paper she'd found in the attic. He glanced from hers to his with a sheepish expression. She pushed the present into his hands and took the one meant for her. Excitement shivered up her spine. She couldn't wait to see the box's contents.
“Can I open it now?” she asked.
“If you want.”
“It's not officially Christmas, but I never liked waiting.”
He chuckled. “I remember. You used to beg your dad every day to let you open just one small package.”
“How do you know about that?” Her eyes narrowed. “You were never here for Christmas.”
“Simon told me.”
She rolled her eyes. “Of course he did.”
“Go ahead. Open it.”
She ripped the paper off the box and lifted the top. Her jaw dropped when she saw her gift. It was the dress Alice bought for her in Vegas, the one she had told the woman she didn't want. “I thought Alice returned this,” she said. Her confused gaze went to Jared's face. “Why do you have it?”
He shrugged. “I knew you would look amazing wearing it, so I asked her to hand it over. After you told me the story about that one dress you tossed, I knew you had to have this one.”
Fresh doubts plagued her. Was he trying to change her into the kind of woman he desired? The kind of woman she had no hope of becoming?
What if she didn't look as good in the dress as he thought?
“I don't know,” she said. “Don't you think it's too feminine for me?”
His jaw dropped. “What are you talking about?”
She turned away from him as tears pricked the backs of her eyes. How could someone like Jared understand the sting of rejection? The night she'd heard the men laughing at her behind her back and talking about how she was 'trying' to look like a girl, it had scarred her worse than the night in the barn with him. She was just a tom-boy, one of the guys. Putting on a pretty red dress wouldn't change her into something she was not.
Jared plucked the dress from the box and circled her. He held it up in front of her. A wolfish grin transformed his face, making him appear younger and more handsome than usual. He seemed to be imagining her in the dress and liking what he saw in his mind.
“Put it on,” he said.
His bossy tone caused her spine to stiffen, but his expression warmed her insides. This was her chance to live out another fantasy. She had daydreamed he would return home one night without warning and catch her wearing a beautiful dress. In her fantasy, he fell in love with her the second he saw her wearing it.
“Put it on,” he repeated in a softer voice. “Please. I want to see you in it.”
His raspy voice caressed her nerves and gave her goose bumps. How could she say no to an invitation like that? Now, she couldn't wait to wear the dress for him. She just hoped neither of them would be disappointed.
She grabbed the garment and raced into the nearest room to slide it on. It seemed sort of silly since he'd already seen her naked, but she felt the need to make an entrance. All of her questions would be answered with a single look from him.
The fire engine red dress barely covered the things that needed to be covered. What had Alice been thinking when she bought it for her? Did she look like a girl who would wear such revealing clothing? If she lifted her arms, the hem would slide up to reveal her bottom, and the plunging neckline showed off the top half of her breasts. She'd seen prostitutes wear more than what she had on.
The moment of truth arrived. She took a deep breath before returning to the living room. Jared had his back to her. He was pouring them each a glass of wine. He'd dimmed the overhead light along with turning on romantic background music. If she didn't know better, she would think he was trying to seduce her.
Multi-colored Christmas lights blinked on their large tree. They reflected back at her in the bay windows, and she caught sight of herself there as well. Was that her? She looked...
“Breathtaking,” Jared said as he turned to get his first glimpse of her. “I knew that dress was made for you.”
The appreciation in his eyes told her everything she needed to know. He wasn't lying. Jared was clearing enjoying the view. His gaze drifted down her body, and she suddenly felt naked. Could he see through the thin material?
Focused on the practical side of things, she asked, “Where will I ever wear this? I work around horses all day, and we don't have parties anymore since Big Jim died. It just seems like a waste of money to give me a dress like this.”
