Page 10 of The Greek Billionaire's Email Bride

The stylist—a tiny, exacting woman named Lala—circled her with narrowed eyes. "The earrings. The diamond drops, not the studs."

Hope switched the jewelry with trembling fingers. The diamonds caught the light, drawing attention to her neck, her jawline.

"Better," Lala declared. "Turn."

Hope rotated slowly, the silk whispering against her skin. Two weeks of fittings, lessons in etiquette, and crash courses in Colin's background had transformed her outward appearance. Inside, she remained the same cautious administrator from Michigan, playing dress-up in a billionaire's world.

"The necklace is too much," Lala decided, removing the glittering pendant. "Your neck is one of your assets. We showcase, not overwhelm."

Assets.

She was still trying to understand how she felt about having her body parts defined in such a way when she heard a voice from the doorway.

"Are we good?"

Hope turned to find Colin watching her, his dark eyes moving over her with deliberate thoroughness. He wore a tuxedo that emphasized the breadth of his shoulders, the lean strengthof his body. The silver at his temples caught the light, giving him an air of distinguished authority that made her mouth go dry.

Lala stepped back, assessing them as a pair. "Perfection. Like they were designed for each other."

A flush crept up Hope's neck. They'd barely spoken in the two weeks since her arrival, their interactions limited to stilted dinners and brief strategy sessions about the reunion. Colin spent his days at his office in the city, leaving Hope alone with her borrowed finery and rising anxiety.

"The car is ready whenever you are," Colin said, his gaze lingering on the curve of her shoulder.

The other woman handed Hope a small clutch purse. "Lipstick, powder, breath mints. Essentials only."

Hope took it, feeling like a child being prepped for her first day of school. "Thank you."

Lala departed with a professional nod, leaving Hope alone with Colin for the first meaningful moment in days.

"Nervous?" he asked, stepping closer.

The scent of his cologne enveloped her, and Hope's pulse quickened traitorously.

"Should I be?"

"Princess can be... intimidating."

"So can you," Hope countered with a helpless smile.

Colin didn't smile back, and she had to repress a now-familiar urge to squirm under his gaze. Why did it seem like he was studying her all the time? Was he trying to look for some flaw? Or something else?

"The dress suits you."

It wasn't quite a compliment, but Hope's cheeks warmed anyway. "The dress costs more than my car."

"Then perhaps it's time for a new car."

Hope shot him a horrified look. "Please don't buy me one."

Colin's eyes gleamed, and her heart tripped at the sight even as her horror grew. "I'm serious—-"

Colin suddenly reached out, and she forgot what she was saying as he adjusted one of the diamond earrings Lala had insisted on. His fingers brushed her earlobe, sending an electric current down her spine.

"I'm just as serious when I say this: you belong in beautiful things, Hope Soukoulis."

It was her first time to hear him call her that, and it made her feel so vulnerable that she couldn't help jerking back. "We...we should go." Hope avoided his gaze even as she felt him frown. "I, um, don't believe in being unfashionably late." She could feel him staring at her as she hurried away from him.

She didn't care.

---