I kiss the top of his head. “I’m pretty sure you’re worth it.”
His lips skirt along my collarbone. “Only pretty sure? Anything I can do to change that to definitely sure?”
“Oh, I’m sure you’ll think of something.”
And with that, he hoists me up and carries me straight back to bed.
Chapter Twenty
Sam swipes a final swish of eyeliner over my lids before stepping back to look over his creation. “Absolutely gorgeous, if I do say so myself.”
I bat my very long and very false eyelashes at him. “Thank you so much for coming over to help me out, Sam. I could not have done any of this without you.” I mean the makeup and hair, of course, but I’ve also used this time to catch up with Sam as a nice distraction from what’s to come later this evening.
“I wouldn’t trust your beautiful face in any hands other than my own.”
“You’re the best.” I hop out of his folding chair and head directly to Grayson’s closet, where my dress is hanging in a garment bag. “Can you stick around for one second and do up my zipper?” I call, carefully removing the dress from its wrapping.
“I’d much rather undo your zipper.” Grayson’s deep voice rumbles as his mouth finds my neck. He pulls me into him, lips skirting over my bare skin.
I squeal and push him away. “Do not mess up my hair, or Sam is going to kill you.”
“And please do not have sex in that closet right now, or Sam will kill you!” Sam begins packing up his stuff, loudly, just in case we might forget he’s still here.
Grayson spins me around, taking me in and groaning. “How am I supposed to not have closet sex when you’re wearing that?”
My hands move to the buttons of one of his shirts, the only thing I currently have on. “I needed something that didn’t have to slip over my head. I figured you wouldn’t mind.” I start pushing the buttons through their loops, one by one, taking my time because it’s fun to torture him.
“I don’t mind as long as you promise to put it back on the minute we get home tonight.” He watches me shamelessly as I pop button after button.
Slipping the shirt off my shoulders, I reach for my dress, stepping into it carefully before Grayson has the chance to maul me. As far as red carpet dresses go, this one is pretty basic, but it fits like a glove and the deep emerald green brings out the hints of red in my hair. I spin around so Grayson can pull up the zipper.
His lips find the nape of my neck, naked because my hair has been swept up in a mass of unruly loose waves. His hands fall to my hips, turning me so I’m facing him, his eyes taking in every inch of me. “You look fucking gorgeous, Ems.”
I don’t know why the compliment makes me feel shy, but I can feel the heat rising in my cheeks. “Thanks.” I straighten his already straight bowtie, indulging in myown head-to-toe perusal. “You look pretty fucking gorgeous yourself.”
He dips his head, sucking gently on the junction of my neck and shoulder. “We don’t really need to go to this premiere, do we?”
“You most definitely need to go to the premiere of your own movie, yes.” I push him away, even though I wouldn’t mind ripping off all these fancy clothes and spending the night curled up in bed.
“You’re no fun.” He pouts, sticking out his lower lip.
I lean in and kiss it. “That’s not what you said last night.”
“Okay, you two. I need to head out so please step out of there fully clothed and let me have a last look at you!”
I use Grayson to steady myself as I step into my shoes. He drops to one knee, buckling each shoe for me, and the sight of him kneeling before me takes my breath away.
“I could get used to you in this position.” I mean for the words to come out as a joke, a clear sexual innuendo, but when he looks up at me, it’s not flashes of where his hands and mouth and tongue could go from here that spring into my mind. It’s a ring and a home and a future. And the picture-perfect image doesn’t terrify me. Quite the opposite, actually.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” he says after one heartbeat too many. Long enough to let me know he had the same vision.
He rises and we exit the closet, hands locked together.
Sam gives us each a final once-over before handing me a tube of lip gloss. “Your liner and lipstick are kiss-proof and nude.” He gives Grayson a pointed look. “But please, for the love of all that is holy, swipe on a coat of this before you get out of the limo.”
I give him a mock salute. “Yes, sir.”
He rolls his eyes but leans in to bestow an air kiss on each cheek. “Knock ’em dead out there. You both look fabulous, and even more importantly, you look fabulous together. This is going to be a first official appearance for the ages. People are going to eat you up!”
