Page 60 of Protecting the Boundary
“I was hoping you’d accompany me to a sports gala tonight.”
I dart a glance at Larissa whose smile has grown even wider—and she actually looks proud of Romel. “Um, like a date?”
A sports gala would likely have press around, which would mean everyone would know about us.
He reaches out a hand to help me up and I take it. “Exactly like a date,” he says, his voice low and his eyes promising all kinds of naughty things later.
I swallow. “Okay.”
“Great. Then you’ll want to head back to your room…there’s something waiting for you there.”
Now I’m intrigued.
I walk out of the room with a quick hug and goodbye to Larissa and Kaylee and then dash to the guesthouse. When I walk into my bedroom, there’s a large white box on my bed with a smaller shoe box next to it. On top of the large box is a black envelope, and inside that is a cream card with gold painted edges and Romel’s neat scrawl.
I hope you like the dress. I can’t wait to walk into that room with you as my date. When you’re ready, come back over to the main house. We need to leave by seven. See you soon, gorgeous.
I set the card down on the bed and lift open the box, sucking in a sharp breath at the beautiful red satin gown. I quickly strip out of my clothes to try it on. The material is soft between my fingers as I slide it over my body. It hugs my breasts and has a sweetheart neckline that accentuates my cleavage. Fortunately, I have the perfect bra for this dress or else I’d be terrified about my nips poking through the thin and delicate fabric.
It hugs my torso with an almost corset-like style and then flows loosely from my waist, with a long slit on the left side that comes up almost to my hip. I’ll definitely need to be careful how I sit, stand, or move so I don’t accidentally flash someone. It adds a sexy element to an otherwise fairly conservative dress.
Looking in the mirror, I get an idea for how I want todo my hair and makeup. With a giddiness I haven’t felt since our conversation got cut short the other night, I carefully take off the dress and get in the shower. I have a lot of work to do to make my vision come to life.
A few hours later, I walk into the main house to find Romel in a tailored black tux that makes my mouth water. I’ve never met a man who was just as drop-dead sexy in sweats as he is in jeans or a freaking tux. Dressed up like this, he looks like he could be a stand-in for the actor Michael B. Jordan, but taller and with more muscles.
His eyes get darker as his gaze turns heated the longer he takes me in.
I do a small twirl, not bothering to hold the slit closed at my thigh because he’s already seen all the goods. “Is this what you had in mind when you picked out this dress?”
He rubs his hand over his mouth, his gaze hungry, then says, “You are better than any dream I’ve ever had.”
Emotion clogs my throat as my heart soars and butterflies take off in my stomach. “Thank you…for the compliment, and the dress. It’s gorgeous,” I add, looking down at my dress.
“Yes, you are.”
I meet his gaze, my heart racing. He blinks and shakes his head like he’s shaking himself out of a daze.
He grabs a box off the counter and then clears his throat as he approaches me. “I got you something else too. Something to complement your natural beauty.”
I arch a brow at him in question and then he opens the box and my smile falls as I stare in awe at the most beautiful diamond necklace I’ve ever seen. There’s a large diamond in the center, with smaller diamonds on each side that get smaller until they reach the clasp at the back.
“Is this real?”
He laughs. “Yeah, it’s real.” Then, “Do you like it?” He sounds nervous.
I look at him like he’s insane. “No. I don’t like it; Iloveit, Romel. This is stunning.”
He takes it out of the box and sets the box back on the counter. “May I?” he asks, gesturing to my neck.
I nod and then spin around, grateful I wore my hair up, so the necklace will stand out even more. This is the kind of jewelry you wear for it to be seen, not hidden.
He clasps it at the back of my neck, and a shiver races across my shoulders as he places a tender kiss right behind my ear when he’s done. I spin back around to face him and don’t miss the catch in his breath.
“That necklace has nothing on you, Meredith. I don’t know how I got so lucky.”
Now I’m the one who has to catch my breath. I feel like I’m living in a fairy tale, except I desperately hope my carriage doesn’t turn into a pumpkin at midnight.
He holds out his elbow to me, his smile back on his face and that small dimple making my stomach swish again. “Ready to go?”
