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“My pleasure.”
34
Ivy
My belly is full of nerves as I look at myself in the full-length mirror on the inside of the fancy dressing room in Jarrod’s bedroom. I feel like a princess. My hair has been curled and then secured with a jeweled clip at the nape of my neck. The evening dress that my friends persuaded me to purchase is off the shoulder with a fitted bodice, and the hem brushes softly against the floor. The lavender colored dress feels soft against my skin, and the slit in the front reaches mid-thigh. My high-heeled sandals are the same color as my dress, and make my legs look longer than they are.
Hearing the bedroom door opening, my breathing becomes heavier while I wait for him to see me. I’d hidden the dress in the closet yesterday because I’d wanted it to be a surprise and now I was nervous for him to see me in it…and then I catch his stunned expression through the mirror and all my worry falls away.
I slowly turn and meet his heated gaze before his eyes caress me from head to toe and back again. He opens his mouth to say something, but closes it again, licking his lips as he moves closer. When he lifts his hand to cup my face, I lean into him and feel the tremble in his touch.
“You are so beautiful,” he whispers, as his other hand caresses down my side, landing on my hip. “I’m almost afraid to touch you.”
“You can touch me and I never want you to let go,” I admit.
“Never.” He kisses my forehead before stepping back. His eyes glance over me again while mine do some looking of my own.
He’s a handsome man and always has been, but in a tuxedo, he makes my knees weak. He chuckles as my eyes widen at the more than noticeable bulge behind his zipper.
My eyes snap to his, which are full of amusement, and more than a hint of arousal. “I only have to think about you and I start getting uncomfortable, but you look at me the way you do, as though I’m the only man in the world, it makes me so hard that I have to work out complicated mathematical problems in my head before I become an embarrassment.” He shudders.
He gentle clasps the back of my head and kissing my forehead once more takes my hand into his. Our fingers intertwine as he leads me from the dressing room, downstairs and outside to the waiting limo. On seeing the car, I raise my brows because this is a surprise.
“Only the best,” he whispers.
He ushers me inside and then follows, sliding along the seat so that we’re thigh-to-thigh. The door is closed and then we’re enclosed in the large dark car, the partition already in place between us and the driver.
Jarrod takes hold of my hand again, and turns, kissing my shoulders. “You really are beautiful, Ivy. I can’t take my eyes from you.”
“Then don’t,” I tease, offering him a soft smile, but nerves start building in my belly.
What will his colleagues think of him being with me? Or that I’m his fiancée? Will they be rude to me or friendly? So many things are going through my mind as we approach the hotel where the event is being held.
“What’s bothering you?” He kisses my knuckles as I bite my lower lip.
He shakes his head and removes my lip from between my teeth. “Don’t do that, honey. Talk to me, please. I’m here for you and I want you to be able to tell me anything, whether or not you think I’ll like what you say.”
He’s so sincere and worried about me that I ask, “Do your colleagues know about me?”
He smiles. “Yesterday, I hardly had time to eat the sandwich that was brought to me, let alone announce our engagement.” He frowns. “Are you worried what everyone is going to think because of our ages?”
“I’ve never been to anything like this before, even when my parents went to charity events, I stayed home. Everyone loves you, and I’ve seen the pictures in the papers before of the women clinging to your arm at these events, and,” I blow out a puff of air, “I’m really nervous.”
“Look at me,” Jarrod insists.
When I do he lets me see his love for me shining in his eyes.
“Those women were never my date at those events, they’d just attach themselves to me when the photographer was around. No one has ever come close to you. You, my beautiful fiancée, are the most loving and caring person that I know, and I’m
so grateful that you return my feelings because I have no clue how I would have handled any other outcome.” He softly kisses my lips.
“I’m the one who should be nervous because there are going to be other men at the event who are closer to your age, who you—”
I cover his mouth with my hand. “Don’t even continue that train of thought. I’m yours Jarrod. Completely.” I smile and leaning forward, place a tender kiss to his lips, my hand caressing his face. “I’m just nervous, more so, after the visit yesterday from my parents. As long as you stay with me then I can get through the evening, and the next time it won’t be as difficult.”
He frowns. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think about how difficult tonight might be for you, I just wanted you with me.”
I shake my head. “Don’t be sorry. I’m your fiancée, so of course you’d want me with you. I’d have been pissed otherwise.”
