Page 112 of Modern Romance Collection May 2024 Books 1-4

A shiver danced down her spine at the heated promise in his words.

“Julius...”

“Tonight isn’t just about us, Esmerelda.” He leaned down, his breath warm on her ear. “It’s about you getting a chance to breathe. To enjoy yourself the way you had planned to before I crashed your beach.”

“You mean before I trounced you?”

Her words died on a breathy moan as he nipped her earlobe.

“Minx.” Before she could respond, he moved to the dresses laid out on the bed. “I had a dozen flown in from Paris this afternoon, although a few were made here on Grenada.” He reached for a blue gown. “This one was made by Aroldo’s other daughter Joana.” He grinned at her. “Are you really prepared to tell Aroldo you didn’t even try it on?”

A sense of breathlessness overtook her as Julius held up the gown. The bodice, fashioned from satin, featured a V-neck cut that flirted with the edges of propriety. Pale blue blended into midnight at the waist, a tumble of color that reminded Esme of day turning to night. It swept down into frothy folds of chiffon. Some of the material had been attached to the straps at the back and hung down to form cuffs fashioned out of the same dark blue and threaded with silver.

“It’s stunning.”

She glanced at herself in the mirror. At her toned arms and smaller bust, her mass of curls and freckles upon freckles.

But then she remembered the swing on the beach. When Julius had looked down at her and smiled and asked if she liked to swing or not.

Find out.

Did she like wearing beautiful dresses? Yes, she still preferred being outside, being in the water or by the ocean. She loved walking in the sand, through the terraced vineyards in the fall and feeling the grass brush against her bare feet like velvet before the weather turned too cold.

Yet a part of her that was slowly coming to life wanted a touch of luxury, to feel confident in something other than her job. To feel beautiful.

She released a pent-up breath.

“I’ll try it on.” She let out a soft laugh. “I almost feel like Cinderella getting ready for a ball.”

“Does that make me the fairy godmother?”

“I’ll buy you a magic wand,” Esme promised with a smile as she accepted the dress. “But it may not even fit.”

“One way to find out.” He caught her elbow, kissed her on the forehead so sweetly it made her throat tighten. “I’ll leave you to make your selection. Meet me at eight in the main room.”

She waited until the door closed behind him before she sagged.

Can I do this?

Yes, she wanted to tell him everything, to have no more secrets between them. Yes, she wanted to be with him again, to make love one last time.

And yes, she wanted tonight.

She shucked off her clothes and pulled the dress on, the luxurious blend of satin and chiffon whispering over her skin. She could feel the pull of temptation. Not just to wear an elegant gown, to play at being a princess for an evening, but to have a night with Julius in public. Yes, they’d be wearing masks. But it would be the first, and last, time she could simply enjoy being with him in front of others, without keeping her face schooled into a polite mask, mentally evaluating her actions and trying to keep her focus on Julius the job, not Julius the man.

She pulled up the zipper, although it only came up to her waist. Aside from the wide straps and the swaths of fabric that billowed beneath her arms, her back was bare.

She turned. And gasped.

The woman staring back at her from the mirror was someone she’d never seen before. The blue brought out the red gold of her hair, enhanced it. Instead of patterns and designs clashing with her freckles, the simple color scheme had her appreciating her speckled skin.

For the second time in her life, she felt beautiful. The first time had been when Julius had laid her back on his bed and gazed at her naked body. He hadn’t said a word, but the appreciation blazing in his eyes had spoken volumes.

This time, however, as she grabbed the skirt and swished back and forth like a little girl, she felt beautiful all by herself.

Isn’t there something magical in that?

CHAPTER TWELVE

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