Page 12 of The Billionaire's Lust

I did a slow turn, the metallic, slinky material glittering and sweeping around my body. When I’d woken up it had been hanging in the powder room, every inch of it shining like a diamond. It was an Aubri Rose dress, made by a local designer who made waves turning down A-listers that clamored to wear her designs. She chose her clients and Jacob had to make a personal appeal, describing what made me special for her to create my one of a kind gown.

“I know,” I sighed, almost clutching my warm cheeks before remembering the team that spent nearly an hour preening every bit of me, turning me into a glamazon I hardly recognized when I looked in the mirror. They’d wanted to straighten my naturally wiry curls, but Jacob vetoed that. They’d swept them to one side instead, giving me a silver screen noir look that matched my Old Hollywood style dress and applied a deep, rouge lipstick that made my lips full and luscious. “It’s amazing, right? Like Holy makeover magic, Batman!”

“You look great,” she nodded, stepping to the side to let me in. “But I’m more surprised that Jacob is letting you go to the Soldier’s Creed premiere at all. I kept expecting you to text me and say the whole thing was off.”

I bit the inside of my jaw to hold back the retort on my tongue. Let me? Jacob doesn’t have the power to let me do anything…but I knew that wasn’t true. I’d been just as surprised that he not only signed off on my attendance but insisted upon it.

After I commenced my freak out over my gorgeous dress, he took my face in his hands and said that he trusted me and it was wrong of him to take me off the Wallace case. He remembered the dressing room fiasco and how I made sure Cade avoided scandal and said I belonged on the red carpet just as much as anyone. While Jacob wasn’t one hundred percent sold when I told him about Cade’s olive branch, he told me he was going to start respecting my professional autonomy.

I shrugged a shoulder, pushing away her statement. “So what can I do to help?” Tonight was about us and I didn’t want to get into it. Not when she wasn’t even finished getting ready and the car was downstairs.

She ducked into the bathroom, applying blush as two rollers swayed and bobbed with her brisk movements. I unclipped them and red curls cascaded to join the others. I could tell she was nervous, her breathing rough around the edges.

“Everything alright?”

“It’s great,” she squeaked, then snapped her compact closed and slumped. “This blush is too much, isn’t it? And my ass looks huge and--”

“You look fantastic,” I assured her. And I wasn’t just saying it so we could get out the door. Her deep emerald sequined dress stopped just past her knees, clinging in all the right places. Her crimson hair hung in soft waves around her face. And while she was wearing twice as much makeup as usual, it was the right mix of color and drama for the occasion.

“No, you look great,” she groaned. “I look like I’m lost.”

She clearly wasn’t budging so I raked my mind for something, some way to help her see what I saw. “Come here.” I drug her by the hand, which was easier said than done since she towered above me in her stilettos.

She still wasn’t sold but she conceded with a sigh once we were in the hall. She wrenched her hand from mine, locking her apartment door. “Just hold on a --”

I was already two doors down, banging on the door before going to the next.

“Leila what do you...?” Her voice trailed off as doors swung open, heads popping out into the hall. A young girl, probably not older than six, was the first to step in the corridor, donning a Dora the Explorer t-shirt and a curious expression. An older woman remained in the safety of her apartment, her eyes narrow slits that rounded in surprise when she saw me and Megan. A college-aged guy stood in his doorway, eyeballing us.

Megan was glaring at me and mouthed, What the hell are you doing?

“Sorry to bother yall,” I said with a big grin, taking in the audience. “This’ll just take a second.” I moved to Megan’s side and put a hand on the small of her back. “I just wanted to ask a question—how does Megan look?”

The little girl stepped closer, her wide eyes taking Megan in pensively. “She’s pretty like Ariel!” When her mother stepped into the hall with a frown, the little girl darted behind her legs, peeking out nervously.

Megan reddened, turning to the child’s mother. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Marsden--my friend and I were just leaving.”

The woman scooted her daughter back inside before giving Megan a nod. “You look lovely, dear.”

Megan was pulling me to the stairs, but there was still the older lady that was staring at her like she brought back memories and the guy ogling her like she was the reason the word ‘sexy’ had been created in the first place.

I planted my feet, appealing to the woman first. “She looks amazing, right?”

She flashed a brief, nearly toothless grin. “Muy bonita.”

“Oh my God,” Megan hissed, tugging me closer to the exit. “It’s official, I’m embarrassed, can we just go?”

I shifted my attention to the guy and he licked his lips, stroking his chin like he was imagining all the things he wanted to with her--in and out of the dress. The door to his apartment swung open wider, a young woman joining his side.

“What’s going on here?” she said, not remotely friendly or in the mood for games.

The guy’s whole demeanor changed, tail firmly between his legs. “Uh, our neighbor was just asking about her dress.”

The girlfriend looked Megan and I up and down, setting us both on fire with her glare before turning the heat on her man. They disappeared back into their apartment, already arguing as I finally let Meg yank me down the stairs.

“Thanks for that,” she said over her shoulder. “I’m sure they’ll still be going at it when I get home.”

“Well, you didn’t believe me when I told you that you looked amazing.”

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