Page 35 of Stars and Scars

He beams a smile and then turns to Grayson.

“And who do we have here?”

“Lloyd, this is my, um, I guess you could say my bodyguard, Grayson.”

“Bodyguard? What’s going on?”

I sigh. “To tell you the truth, Lloyd, it’s a relief that you haven’t heard, because I’m so tired of talking about it. Even thinking about it, you know?”

He gets the picture and immediately drops the subject.

“So, what’s the occasion?”

“A fancy Hollywood soiree, held at Wyatt Summers’ Spanish Villa.”

His eyes widen. “Then you need just the right mix of fashionable and eclectic, that will still pass muster with the artist types. I have just the thing in mind.”

He starts to move away, but I catch his arm.

“Um, actually, why don't we start with Grayson here? He needs to look his best, too. You can probably put him in a James Bond Tux.”

“A tux?” Lloyd is aghast. “I would never put anyone in a tux unless they were attending a wedding, and even then I would have reservations.”

Lloyd peers intently at Grayson, his eyes narrow and assessing. Grayson looks mildly uncomfortable.

Lloyd notices it too. “I guess you’re not used to being stared at this intently by a fashionista?”

Grayson arches his brows. I laugh.

Lloyd finds a tight, black shirt with a y-shaped neck that shows off Grayson’s chest without being too overt about it. He pairs this with a charcoal blazer and a pair of slim fit onyx trousers that change Grayson’s image from rough around the edges bad boy to well-heeled bad boy.

“You look fantastic. Lloyd is a genius.”

Grayson shrugs as if it doesn’t matter, but when he thinks I’m not watching I catch him running a hand down the seam of his blazer and checking himself out in the mirror. Whether they want to admit it or not, everyone wants to look good now and again.

Lloyd finds me an ivory, one-shoulder bandage dress with a diagonal hem lined with elegant lace. It hugs my body tightly, displaying every curve. I step out of the fitting booth and Grayson raises his gaze from his phone to see me.

His stare grows incrementally more intense as his lips slightly part. He continues to stare as I do a little twirl for him.

“So, do I pass muster?”

He nods, enthusiastically. It’s the most enthusiastic thing I’ve seen him do, in fact.

“Good.”

I pay for our purchases, though Grayson tries to use the company card. We head out in our new purchases, old clothes discreetly concealed in a shopping bag.

Grayson opens the door for me.

“You look stunning,” he says as I get inside.

“Thank you.”

I turn my gaze away and play with my hair, heat rising all over my skin. Grayson looks good enough to eat in his new duds. He also looks quite at home with a glow-up.

It’s about an hour and a half drive to Wyatt’s Villa. Not that bad for LA, but still I feel a little guilty.

“I’m sorry you have to go through all of this trouble just to keep me safe.”

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