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She crosses to the closet where I’ve been keeping my stuff and it’s obvious she’s familiar with the room—probably because she and Kian stay in this very suite when they visit Paris. It feels strange to think of it, not because it matters to me that they’ve used this suite before, but because everything is so well thought out. So steeped in pomp and circumstance and tradition and security, so that something as simple as what room you get at a hotel or what restaurant you eat at is a major deal with major implications.
I haven’t noticed it these last few days with Garrett—at least, not since he explained why we have to stay here. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t there, right under the surface. It just means he’s hiding it from me to make me feel more comfortable.
The knowledge hits hard, and it has me wondering what else he does to try to make this whole in-the-limelight thing easier for me. Which, in turn, just makes me feel worse. He’s the one who is on the brink of losing everything he’s ever worked for. He’s the one who survived months of torture and physical therapy. He’s the one who still has nightmares that leave him drenched with sweat. And yet, he’s the one protecting me?
God. I couldn’t be less suited for this job, less suited for Garrett, if I tried.
I guess it’s a good thing our whole relationship is a fraud, then, isn’t it? No matter how real it sometimes feels.
“What about this dress?” Savvy says, holding up a wine-colored bandage dress that hugs my curves like a second skin. It’s one of my favorites, but I haven’t worn it since this thing with Garrett started because it’s more evil queen than fairy-tale princess.
“Isn’t it a bit much?” I ask.
“Sometimes that’s the point, isn’t it?” She gives me a wicked grin. “Watching Garrett’s eyes bug out of his head when you walk out in this is going to make my whole week!”
“What are you going to wear?”
“Oh, I’ve got a little something up my sleeve. Kian’s a lot harder to shock than Garrett, but I can still manage it when I put my mind to it.” She hands me the dress. “I’ll be right back.”
I’m still standing there, staring at the sexiest dress I own and wondering if it’s really appropriate for me to wear it tonight, considering I’m the (pretend) girlfriend of His Royal Hotness, Gorgeous Garrett of Wildemar. Almost every picture I’ve seen of Savvy in the months since she and Kian got together has shown her in an outfit a lot less sexy than this. Especially since she’s tall and willowy instead of all curves like I am.
She comes back a couple of minutes later, garment bag in hand. “I got this dress a few months ago and have been dying to wear it. And what better time than a double date with Wildemar’s Royal Hotnesses?”
Her amusement is infectious, and I find myself grinning as she unzips the bag and pulls out a midnight-blue dress with spaghetti straps and a plunging V neckline in both front and back. It’s Bao Tranchi, I’m sure of it, and absolutely gorgeous.
I reach out a hand to touch it before I can think better of it. I’ve been wanting to get my hands on a couple of these to sell on Va Voom Vintage, but women who buy Bao Tranchi tend to hang on to the dresses instead of reselling them. And, as I stand here looking at this dress—and the obvious joy it brings Savvy—I can see why. Bao Tranchi has a gift for making a woman feel beautiful, feminine, and powerful all at the same time.
“It’s gorgeous,” I tell her.
“Isn’t it? I don’t normally pay that much attention to clothes, but the moment I saw this, I knew I had to have it.”
“It’s going to look amazing on you.” I can already see it. “You should wear your hair slicked back and do a really smoky eye with it. Kian won’t be able to keep his hands off of you.”
“That’s what I’m counting on!” she says with a laugh. “We’ve both been so busy lately with Wildemar and the wedding and everything with Garrett that we haven’t taken time to just go on a date and enjoy ourselves. I’m really looking forward to tonight.”
“Then why are you inviting Garrett and me along? You’re in Paris! Shouldn’t you two do something wildly romantic all on your own?”
“And pass up the chance to meet the girl that has Garrett spinning around himself? I don’t think so.”
“Oh, no. It’s not like that. Garrett and I are…” I trail off, not sure how to classify what Garrett and I are. We’re friends and we’re lovers, but we’re also in the middle of a fake relationship for the benefit of the press and the Wildemarian public. Talk about complicated! Is there any wonder I’m confused?
“Trust me. I’ve known Garrett for years and he has never talked about or treated a woman the way he does you. When we were together, he—”
“Wait. You and Garrett were together? When?”
Savvy freezes, eyes wide and mouth open, like she’s suddenly forgotten how her facial muscles work.
“I thought you knew,” she says eventually. “It’s not a big deal. It was a long time ago, and we were really more friends than anything else.”
“How is this not more of a big deal in the press? The fact that you’ve dated both heirs to the Wildemarian throne?”
“Oh, because Garrett kept me a secret when we were dating.”
“A secret.” I wonder if I sound as appalled as I feel.
“Yeah.” She sighs, running a hand through her hair. “I was an exchange student when we met. Half theater gypsy, half nomad, I wasn’t exactly who the Crown Prince of Wildemar should be caught dating—especially since he was publicly paired up with Felicity at the time.”
“Felicity. The fiancée he broke up with after the abduction.”
