Page 26 of False Start
A chill swept over me even now as I remembered the way he’d carefully held me, his eyes shielded under furrowed brows as they assessed me for damage. And then, his jaw had tightened, his resolve set.
He wanted to protect me.
And while I’d been quick to point out that I could take care of my damn self, thank you very much, I couldn’t deny that seeing that protectiveness wash over him had done something to me.
I liked the thought of someone having my back.
Ilovedthe thought of seeing Marshall squirm when he realized he couldn’t touch me — not with a beastly NFL tight end watching his every move.
Still, there was no way I was signing onto any deal with Kyle.
At least, that’s what I thought — until he twisted the game to work in his favor. I knew if I didn’t agree to this, he’d buy the first house I showed him just to make sure I was taken care of.
That infuriated me as much as it made my heart melt like a Creamsicle on a summer day.
I let out an audible groan as my thoughts warred with themselves in that little boutique. I hadn’t felt this confused and ruled by unpredictable emotions since I was pregnant.
“Everything okay there?” Kyle asked from behind me.
“There’s not even a single thing that’s okay about this.”
He chuckled. “Oh, come on. Have a little fun. You’ve got a personal stylist, a credit card without a limit, and a hunky football player carrying your shit. It could be worse.”
“You and I have very different definitions of what constitutes asfun.”
“Okay, I think we have plenty here to get started,” Larissa said before Kyle could respond, and she spun on me with a dazzling smile. “Let’s get you a fitting room.”
“Let’s,” Kyle said behind me, and I didn’t have to turn around to know the bastard was beaming at my discomfort.
I subtly flipped him the bird behind my back as I smiled at Larissa, who turned on one heel and led me toward the back of the boutique.
The dressing rooms were more like the closets of the houses I’d been showing Kyle throughout the week. Each one was brightly lit, with multiple full-length mirrors that let you view every angle of yourself — including ones you never wished to see. There was an elegant chaise lounge, a table with a bottle of champagne on ice and two flutes, and two large leather chairs.
There were also countless accessories everywhere I looked — high heels of every shape, color, and height propped around the room, purses and clutches hanging from hooks, jewelry daintily displayed on well-lit tables with a black velvet backdrop. I was thinking to myself there was nowayLarissa would have been able to sneak in here to do all this when a young man frantically swept in with another pair of heels, setting them carefully by a mirror before he smiled at me and darted out again.
I was still looking around the room wide-eyed when Larissa began to take dresses from Kyle’s arms, hanging them one by one around the massive room. I let myself walk to the nearest one she’d placed, a rich brown, floor-length number that felt as bohemian as it did elegant. I ran my fingers over the buttery soft fabric, subtly fishing for a price tag.
There wasn’t one.
Which told me that the kind of people who shopped here didn’t ever need to think twice about the price of something before purchasing.
When Kyle’s arms were empty, he plopped down in one of the oversized leather chairs, crossing an ankle over the opposite knee.
And I didn’t care that he looked like the sports god he was in that moment. I didn’t care that his chestnut hair was perfectly mussed, his eyes taking on a sea-green hue in this light. I especially didn’t care that even in navy blue joggers and a heather gray t-shirt, his jacket slung over the arm of the chair he was in now, he looked as rich as the fabric in my fingers felt.
He was highly mistaken if he thought he was staying in this room while I tried on dresses.
I arched a brow at him that told him as much, and the brat arched one right back at me as Larissa popped the bottle of champagne and poured two glasses — handing one to him and offering me the other.
“I’ll let you two get settled,” she said. “I’ll be right outside, and when you’re ready in the first dress, just pop the door open and I’ll come in to help accessorize. Please let me know if you’d like the temperature adjusted at all, and of course, if you get hungry or would like anything other than champagne, we’re at your disposal.”
I was still glaring at Kyle, subtly shaking my head as he cockily sipped his champagne. I managed a thank you and a smile aimed at Larissa, who really was an absolute angel, before I was folding my arms and leaning my weight on one hip.
“Alright,” Kyle said once Larissa had left us, and when she closed the door behind her, the massive dressing room suddenly felt like a tight closet. He rubbed his hands together. “Which one first?”
“That’s for me to know and you to find out at the same time Larissa does,” I said, pointing a finger at the door. “Out.”
“Oh, come on,” he goaded, spreading his hands out wide. One still held on to a half-full glass of champagne. “There’s plenty of space in here.”
