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“Are these borrowed? I’ll have to be careful with them.”
“They’re yours.”
“I couldn’t accept it. It’s too much.” Everything had a designer label, but there were no price tags. I couldn’t even imagine what it cost.
He pulled a velvet box out of his pocket. “These are on loan. But don’t worry; they’re insured.”
He popped open the top before I could respond, and I was dazzled by the dangly diamond earrings.
I drew in a breath and looked up at him. “These are gorgeous.”
“Put them on. I want to see how they look with the dress.”
I carefully took the earrings and moved to the mirror by the front door to put the first one, then the second one, into my ears. It was just enough bling to complete the ensemble. “I love it.”
Silas stepped behind me, his hands on my bare shoulders, and my gaze was drawn to his in the mirror. “You don’t need anything else.”
I knew he was talking about my bare neck and wrists, but I couldn’t help but feel it in my chest. I was enough just as I was. Maybe with the addition of designer clothes and diamonds. “It’s too much.”
“It’s not enough.” He brushed my hair off my right shoulder and dusted his lips over the skin, sending tingles through my whole body. I turned, and his hands drifted down to my hips. I felt feminine and desirable in the dress and the bling.
“You make me want to stay in tonight.”
His eyes darkened with desire. “I want that too. But I also want to show you off.”
My face flushed with pleasure that he thought I was just as beautiful as the other women he’d had on his arm. He’d done an admirable job of making me feel different, special even, and I intended to enjoy the night. To not worry about what came after. I wanted to soak up everything that happened today and tuck it into a memory box for later.
Cinderella only had one night. I would take advantage of the evening and enjoy it to its fullest.
Twelve
SILAS
When she stood in the doorway, she stole my breath. It had nothing to do with the makeup or fancy updo or even the designer dress. It was her.
I’d hoped she’d wear the red one. It was her. I wanted to make the entire day special so that she felt like a princess. I’d never done anything like this before.
She deserved all of it and more. I didn’t care about designer names, but I knew Gia preferred them. I suspected they were a symbol of her success.
We needed to leave this room before I lost control entirely. I held out my elbow. “Are you ready?”
She took a breath and smiled. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”
“Don’t forget, the room will be full of businesspeople. It might be good networking for you.”
“I hadn’t even thought of that.”
“Someone’s daughter might be getting married and looking for the right planner.”
“You know this is too much.”
“I don’t know what you mean,” I said as I led the way to the elevator.
“The dress. The bag. The spa day.”
“It wasn’t enough,” I said as the door opened, and we made our way downstairs, through the lobby, and into the ballroom.
Lights flashed as we stopped to take pictures for local media outlets. I was used to the attention, but Gia wasn’t. I was proud to have her on my arm, but I was hyperaware of the tension in her body. If it was too much, I was prepared to whisk her out of the spotlight. Instead, she practically glowed as she glided down the hallway on my arm.
