Page 116 of Just for the Cameras
Time to put on the armor and prepare for battle.
“Thank you,” I say as I pat down the slinky yellow dress that the makeup artist helped me slip on. It’s a halter-top dress with no back whatsoever, the material sliding around just above my ass, exposing my entire back, which was something I was not expecting.
And there were no other options. This was it. There is one single thin strap that extends from one end to the other near my bra line that helps hug the top to my chest with its built-in bra. But the silky material is not forgiving in the slightest, leaving me completely bare under the garment.
“This is gorgeous on you,” the makeup artist says as I turn and look in the full-length mirror, taking in the mermaid silhouette, the buttery color, and the way it hugs every single one of my curves. I turn to the side, checking out the back and how the fabric rests against my butt, curving along it until the fabric loosely hangs.
Okay, yeah, this dress is something else. Nothing I would ever have picked out for myself, but now that it’s on, it makes me feel…special.
Beautiful.
They styled my hair loosely today by pulling it to the side to show off the slope of my neck. And they went minimal on my makeup once again, just using a heavy dose of mascara to make my eyes pop.
“Are you good? Do you need anything else?” she asks as she moves toward my door.
“No, I think I’m good. Thank you again for everything.”
“Of course.” She winks. “Have fun.”
She grabs all of her things and heads out the front door. I go back to the full-length mirror and check myself out one more time. If they wantedto make an impact for the “unveiling” today, then they sure did it with this dress.
I move to the bathroom, where I swirl some mouthwash in my mouth one more time, adjust my lipstick, and then turn toward the living room, picking up my clutch just as there’s a knock on my door.
Butterflies erupt in my stomach at the thought of Graydon seeing me in this dress. Not that I should care, but the last week has been…different.
He hasn’t been as moody.
We’ve texted almost every night, just simple texts, nothing that lasted until the wee hours of the morning, but just a quick joke here and there. Or a picture from him. And when we have been at the zoo and training camp, everything has felt seamless, like we’re finally finding a rhythm.
It’s made my attachment toward him grow, and I can’t tell if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.
From the way my stomach’s tying up in knots with nerves, I’m going to guess maybe a bad thing because I can’t…God, I can’t be developing feelings for him, right?
That would be insane.
He’s…he’s way out of my league.
He’s closed off.
He doesn’t date. He’s made that very clear.
And he’s almost an impenetrable wall, never letting his facade slip, never letting anyone in.
He’s not the type of person I should gravitate toward.
Not even close.
Shaking off my thoughts, I take a deep breath and then move to the front door, where I open it to a foreboding and serious-looking man. His hair is styled in his classic fauxhawk, the light scruff on his jaw emphasizing the sharp angles of his face, while the black-on-black three-piece suit he’s wearing just adds to the mystery and darkness this man carries in his soul.
“Hello,” I say, feeling shy as his eyes rake over me, making my nipples hard from his blatant perusal. His brow angles down and his tongue quickly wets his lips like he just spotted his prey and he’s about to attack. It’s a heady feeling, and I can’t recall ever having someone look at me the way he is right now.
He doesn’t say anything as silence falls between us, his eyes moving over my chest, where my nipples are pressing against the thin fabric, then up to my neck, and right into my blue gaze.
“Um, you look nice,” I offer, trying not to fidget under his examination. “They, uh, they provided me with this dress. A little more revealing than I would have picked, but you know, here we are.” I turn to the side to show him the back, and I watch as his eyes grow even darker from the sight of my bare skin. “Yeah, I think any lower and my ass would be showing.” I nervously laugh and then turn back around. “So yeah, yay for fundraisers.” I swallow hard. “And, uh, and unveiling our relationship. That’s, that’s going to be fun—Oh hey, did you get the protocol? Well, I guess since you’re here, you did, and that you approved it, so that’s good.” I twist my lips to the side, my upper lip starting to sweat from the pressure of his gaze. “God, please say something? Do you want me to change? I’m sorry my nipples are hard. I can just…I can rub them in the car to—”
“Stop talking,” he grunts.
“Right, yup. I can see how I’m making it worse.” I gesture to the hall. “Shall we go?”
