Page 80 of Dirty Temptation

When I called her back, she said Donald had shared that the Verity & Co. entry was the most popular, and that there was a very good chance we would take the award home on Monday.

Well technically WIN, as it was only the announcement not the award ceremony tomorrow.

“Fuck, Harlow. Really?”

“Yup. I’m happy for you, darling.”

The use of the affectionate term grated on my nerves, but I was so grateful she’d told me, so I let it go.

“We should celebrate. When you get home,” she said.

“For sure,” I replied non-committedly.

No. I wanted to share this with Molly.

Harlow knows it’s over and if I have to tell her one more time my eyes are going to roll out of my head.

Which is why I didn’t want to tell Molly about her. Harlow and I are over. We are friends. Nothing more.

I can’t explain every woman I’ve dated and I won’t. We all have pasts.

What Molly needs to hear is that I want her. And only her. So I told her.

I only want you.

Whoever mentioned Harlow to Molly is going to get an earful from me after the wedding.

Spending just a few days with Molly isn’t enough to know her completely but I know I don’t want anyone else. I know I want to take her on dates, fly her to Paris, help her with her business, share all of me with her.

Molly is someone I could see myself falling in love with. Maybe marrying one day.

If she will open up.

And I think she did last night.

I try to hold back my smile but if I do win tomorrow, I’m going to be celebrating with her and my family.

If I don’t....

I feel like she’d be someone I could be vulnerable with and share what it meant to me. Without judgment.

I am over making myself wrong for wanting this award.

Being acknowledged by the industry and my father is the next step on my career journey. There’s nothing wrong with that.

He and Knox focus on numbers and we celebrate that. Why not design recognition?

It’s more than just drawing pretty dresses. I have to understand what our customers want, make sure the designs areat the leading edge of the market, on trend and wearable, and able to be priced at the top end.

Design teams rarely get credit.

It’s not just me that will receive this award—it will be the entire team and Verity & Co. as a brand.

We all win.

“What are they doing? Sewing the damn dress?” Knox mutters, tugging at his cuffs.

“I did that already.” I laugh. Technically our dressmakers did it.

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