Page 82 of With Us

“Really?” The fabric was soft, falling sexily around my legs.

“Our families are close. He or Luca never mentioned it? Mama told me about how nice it was to finally meet you.”

I turned around, forgetting for a second that I was only covered by my bra. “Wait, you’re Luc’s sister?”

She nodded, amused. “I’d like to forget that more often than not, but I am. I’m surprised you didn’t know.”

“It never came up.” I looked at her features again, specifically her tawny eyes. “Usually when I see Luc, he’s either working or eating.”

“Yup, that’s about all he does.”

Lifting the halter, I struggled to latch it.

Rosa brushed my hands out of the way and did it for me. “Yup, this is it. Totally it. Wait, are you comfortable with going without a bra?”

I smiled at the memory of going braless last time. “Yeah, no problem.” Reaching back, I unhooked the bra and carefully pulled it off, not wanting to snag the fabric.

Completely backless, the front gathered into a thick band that latched at the back of my neck. There was a high slit at the side, which made me want to sit and cross my legs. The simplicity of the design didn’t swallow me, but it wasn’t understated, either. The pale pink seemed to flatter my coloring.

Ilovedit.

“I know,” Rosa said, reading my expression, “it’s perfect. On to shoes.”

We both sat on my bed, browsing through the six boxes of shoes she’d brought. It was between a pair of cream high heeled sandals and a pair of nude colored pumps with a ridiculous heel. The nude pumps had a layer of pink lace, just slightly darker than the dress.

I held them up. “My feet will probably regret me saying this, but I think these are it.” When I put them on and stood, I nodded. “Yup, these ones. How did you know my size?”

She pointed to her eye. “I’m good with details. Also, Theo looked at your shoe size and messaged me. But it’s really my eye for detail.”

Grinning at her, I spun around. “What do you think?”

“It’s gorgeous. Really. Everyone is always overly done up and fussy at this thing. This is sexy, but not too flashy. It’ll be perfect.” She stood and headed for the other dresses. “Try to memorize Theo’s face when he sees you, I can’t wait to hear about it.”

“I will,” I promised, liking the idea of having someone to chat with like that.

Rosa tossed another bra and panties at me. “Okay, time to get dressed.”

“What?”

“Date night at a cocktail bar. Theo made me promise not to tell you until it was too late to back out.”

“Why would I want to back out?” I asked, looking at the even tinier pair of pink panties. The bra was smooth, with no lace or bows, but padded and rounded.

“Because it’s a business thing, and a bunch of people will be there.” She took in my look of panic. “It’ll be fine. But don’t worry, I picked a dress that will ensure you guys leave early.”

I’m not sure if that’s meant to make me relax or what, because it is not helping…

Passing me the dress, Rosa turned around but continued talking. “There’s this company Theo works with a lot, Motom. They create a bunch of streamlined business programs, sites, and apps that Amaric installs in some of the companies while he’s doing his overhaul. It’s the owner’s birthday.” Just as I started to panic, she shook her head. “It’ll be a bunch of hipsters, drinking and talking tech. Don’t worry.”

That did reassure me some.

Taking a deep breath, I pulled the dusky pink dress over my head. The neckline was high, barely showing my collarbone, and the sleeves were long. But it was also short. Really,reallyshort.

And tight. Really,reallytight.

“Uhh, I’m not sure about this one,” I said, trying to tug the material down.

With a shake of her head, Rosa handed me the pumps. “It’s perfect. I know it’s a big step outside of your usual style, but it’s perfect. If the other dress hadn’t looked so good, I’d suggest you wear that on Friday too.” She grabbed another bag. “Now sit.”

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