Page 125 of Pretend To Be Mine

It felt like we were thirty seconds away from the whole thing devolving into a Roman orgy. The energy was electric, dangerous, and intoxicating.

I shifted in my seat, crossing my legs and squeezing my thighs together. Damn. I was so ready to get back to the villa. I wanted to strip and purr up against Adrian.

Good god. I was so turned on. My panties were soaked. I turned to glance over at Adrian, and he actually looked very uncomfortable. There was no way he couldn’t feel the vibe in the room.

One after another, the men sauntered down the runway. Adrian dropped my hand and slid his over my thigh. Without looking at me, he squeezed and then slid his hand to my knee. Once again, the hand started to move up but this time the hem of my gown rose with it.

My breath hitched. His fingertips scraped along the inside of my thigh.

He wouldn’t, right?

We were in public. The people on the runway would see. I licked my lips, and when I looked left, then right, I realized we were not the only ones getting a little hands-on.

Then the music shifted. Softened. The lighting changed from hot reds to something more romantic. Soft gold and amber that made it feel like we were in front of a fire.

It toned down the heat but didn’t necessarily turn down the vibe.

It was the transition.

My dresses were next.

The first model emerged wearing the emerald dress. It was sexy but sophisticated, seductive but elegant. It wasn’t quite the level of Dash’s seduction designs, but there was a little sexiness.

I held my breath and watched. I tried to gauge the reactions from the audience, but I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the model. The crowd responded positively. There was a round of applause and some appreciative murmurs. I could see people leaning forward to get a better look.

“It’s working,” I whispered to Adrian.

“Of course it’s working. It’s beautiful.”

The second dress came out. I held my breath and waited for the reaction. The model turned at the end of the runway, showing off the construction. I heard audible gasps from the audience.

Better than positive. They loved it.

The third dress was the star of the show. Granted, there were only three options, but it was definitely the best. It brought the crowd to their feet.

I was walking on air. Floating. This was everything I had dreamed of. It was everything I had worked toward. Validation that I could do this, and I belonged in this world.

The model reached the end of the runway, executed her turn, and started walking back.

The screens flanking the runway went black.

Here it comes. My logo. My moment.

The screens lit up.

DESIGNED BY ADRIAN BLACKWELL

The words were huge, elegant, impossible to miss. My logo, the heart-shaped EL we’d designed together, was nowhere to be seen.

Just his name. His credit. His moment.

My heart stopped. Then broke. Then kept breaking as the lights and music transitioned again. It went back to Dash’s bedroom collection. His line of sexy sleepwear.

“No,” I breathed. “No, that’s not right. Wait. I don’t understand.”

My head whipped around and looked up at Adrian.

I had a hundred questions and about a million things I wanted to say.