Page 85 of Surprisingly Us

“Hey.” His smooth, seductive baritone flows through my phone speaker. At the sound, my heart rate immediately spikes.

I’m still getting used to the reaction my body has to Rhys’s voice. I’ve developed a system to counteract the reaction and return my heart rate to normal.

It’s a simple exercise really. Whenever Rhys’s low timber registers in my ear, I take a breath, count down from five in my head and focus on slowing my heart rate. It’s the same thing I did when I first started performing with the company and had nerves before going on stage.

I move the phone away from my mouth and exhale slowly, until I reach one.

Much better.

“You sent a whole rack of dresses. I only need one dress for tonight.”

“I couldn’t decide which one I liked best.”

“You picked them out yourself?” I ask.

He chuckles. “Yeah, I like shopping. Retail therapy is good for the soul.”

“Even for women’s dresses?”

“Shopping for you was easy. You look good in everything.”

I’m glad we’re having this conversation on the phone, because my face goes hot and I can’t stop smiling.

Instead of taking a breath again, I distract myself by thumbing through the dress rack.

“How am I going to decide which one to wear?” I ask.

“I’ll help you. I’m outside your building right now.”

What?!

“You are? Okay. I’ll buzz you in.”

The moment he steps inside, Rhys presses a kiss to my cheek, then promptly scoops up Maxine. She must have heard his voice on the phone because she’s there, waiting by the door.

If she wasn’t a cat, I’d scold her for looking so desperate.

“Sorry, Max,” he rubs her head, right between the ears how she likes, “I didn’t bring your boyfriend.”

“Aww, you guys are too cute. I didn’t know your cats were dating,” Isabella teases. “Or are they fake dating, too? You know, for publicity on GossipCats.com?”

I shoot her a glance, but she just shrugs innocently.

Turning back to Rhys, I finally take all of him in.

Black on black suit, thick, dark wavy hair that somehow looks both tamed and unruly, and a clean-shaven face that accentuates the sharp edge of his jaw.

“You look nice.”

He gives me that lopsided grin of his and it only adds to his intoxicating attractiveness.

Isabella and I exchange a look because yeah, Rhys looks more than nice. Nice is how you describe a lovely smelling candle, not Rhys Spencer in a black-on-black suit.

“Thanks. You look—”

“Half ready?” I fill in for him. I’m in a robe but my hair and makeup are done.

His eyes drag up the length of me. “Perfect.” He hands me a bouquet of flowers. “I brought you these.”

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