Page 131 of The Daddy’s Girl

I glance sideways at her, and I feel a moment of pride in my chest. Proud that this incredible woman is, in some way, mine. This woman who is not afraid to ask for what she wants. Unafraid to own these desires. Confident enough with me that she doesn’t hesitate to make her wishes known.

Doing this will not only let Amelia explore her desires in a nonjudgmental way, but it will also strengthen our relationship. Because no matter what I do with anyone else, I will always come back to her.

Rule #37: Sharing is fun, but reclaiming is even better.

Amelia

“They’re here!”

Elizabeth’s excited voice chiming through the hallway draws my attention from the patterns I’m sketching in my office. The door flies open, and I glance up at Matis on the other side of the long table with a look of panic on my face.

He pulls his feet down and sets the book in his hand face down to hold his spot.

If Elizabeth finds it strange that he sits in here silently while I work, she doesn’t say anything about it. If she did, how could I explain to her that I focus better when he’s around? His presence eases my mind.

When she barrels in a moment later with a giant garment bag over her shoulder, my heart stops and it distracts me from the fear that we’ve just been caught.

“They’re here?” I shout. I clutch my hands to my chest, and goose bumps erupt all over my body as I prepare myself for what she’s about to pull out of the bag.

My prototypes are in that bag. All my designs brought to life.

I did the patterns and some of the simpler pieces on my own, but we outsourced the bulk of the line assembly to the costume designer Elizabeth uses for the club.

Footsteps stomp on the floor as Phoenix ambushes the office behind Elizabeth. “Open it!” she shrieks.

“I am!” Elizabeth barks in return.

I’m practically bouncing on my feet as she hangs the bag from the back of the door and unzips it. Matis sits silently at the other side of the room as the three of us focus on the dresses currently hiding in that bag.

But I feel him watching me. His expression in the corner of my eye is pleased and proud.

When Elizabeth pulls out the first dress, tears sting my eyes and my nostrils flare with the urge to cry.

I’ve sewed my own dresses before. Albeit not well, but I have created pieces before on my own. But this feels different.

They look so…real. My creations come to life. Someone will actually wear these and show them off, and people will come to see what I’ve made. It doesn’t seem possible.

“Oh, Amelia,” Phoenix gasps as she reaches out to run her fingers over the delicate fabric. “It’s beautiful.”

“Literally fucking perfect,” Elizabeth adds in her cool, flat tone.

“Thank you, guys,” I reply with tears in my eyes.

Beside me, I feel Matis approaching, and when I glance back at him, I realize that if we could truly be together, I would hold his hand or kiss him or let him embrace me in this moment. But we can’t.

“Magnifique,” he mumbles under his breath.

“Thank you.”

We pull every dress out of the bag, and I look at each one, amazed at how the seamstress really did bring the entire collection to life. I try my hardest not to critique each one or find flaws in the design.

It’s not easy, but I don’t want to ruin this moment.

“Thank you for bringing them,” I say to Elizabeth after we’ve gone through each one.

“Are you kidding? This show is going to be fucking incredible.”

“All right, you get back to work on your brilliant designs,” Phoenix says, doing a little back and forth with her eyes between me and Matis.