Page 28 of Sweet Deception

I raise my eyebrow. "A full wardrobe?"

"You're a lucky girl. Luca gave me carte blanche for you." Joanna pulls two identical dresses from the bag, then holds them out by my side and tilts her head, studying me. "I think this is the one for you. Want to go try it on for me to make sure it fits?"

"Sure." I take the hanger and head to my bedroom.

The dress looks expensive. My parents, being a cop and a teacher, I never went without, but also never grew up with any kind of luxury. I'm not sure how I feel about a man buying me a new wardrobe. While I want to enjoy the experience, there's a part of me that doesn't think I should accept it.

Resigned, I tell myself to get used to it. At least for now.

After taking the dress off the hanger, I lay it on my bed and strip out of my clothes before slipping it over my head. The material is stretchy and comfortable, with long sleeves and a slight turtleneck effect. The only part of me exposed are my legs. While it's not as short as I've seen some women wear, it's much shorterthan what I'm used to, which is why I tug at the hem as I walk to the full-length mirror.

I gasp at the image before me.

"I heard that! Can I come in?" Joanna is already opening the door before she finishes asking. "Well, look at you." She comes over and walks around me, inspecting every inch.

Not used to this kind of thing, I stand there awkwardly.

As I fidget, I pull at the hem again, but she lightly slaps my hand away. "Stop tugging. This may be shorter than what you're used to, but it's the perfect length for your legs. Honestly, it's as if this was designed with you in mind." She steps back to study me before she plucks the clip from my hair and fluffs it around me. "Girl, you look like a sexpot. Don't wear any jewelry—this dress is the jewelry." She steps to my side and pushes me closer to the mirror.

I gulp.

She laughs. "Let me guess … you've never seen yourself like this before?"

"Uh, no." I no longer recognize myself.

"I see why you've caught Mr. Morelli's eye when no one else has." She says it so nonchalantly I snap my gaze to her and frown.

"What do you mean? He's had lots of women."

She cants her head, frowning at me. "I don't know about that. What I do know is you're the first woman he's asked me to outfit and I've been working for him for three years."

Shocked, I gape at her. That can't be. Why wouldn't he outfit the other girls he's contracted with on Sweet Connections?

"Let me grab my measuring tape. I'll be right back." She leaves and I'm stuck staring at my image in the mirror while my mind races. Why would he outfit me and not his other girls? It makes nosense.

Unless they already had clothes like this. I should have guessed my wardrobe wouldn't be what he wants to be seen next too.

"Okay, take the dress off and I'll take your measurements." Joanna says as she walks back into the room. "Do you have any specific requests for your clothing?Any favorite colors? Would you like for me to take you shopping or bring the clothes to you to try on?"

Joanna is like a whirlwind and leaves me no room to ponder more about Luca's intentions.

***

I'm refreshing my eyeshadow when there's a knock at the door again. Nervously tugging on my dress, I scan my features in the mirror, looking for anything out of place.

A second impatient knock comes.

"Ok, Kylie, pull it together. You can do this." Nodding to myself in the mirror, I take a deep breath before rushing to answer the door. Seeing Luca through the peephole, I smile and swing the door open.

Luca's unbuttoning his jacket, but he stills the moment he lays eyes on me.

The man can smolder like no one else.

After his heated perusal, he gently puts his hand on my stomach to push me back as he walks forward and closes the door behind him.

"You're so beautiful and you aren't even aware of it, are you?" He doesn't give me a chance to respond because he immediately puts his hand behind my neck to pull me to him and takes my mouth with his.

Savoring the slide of his tongue on mine, I slide my hands under his jacket and around to his back to hold him to me as we explore each other's mouth. A shiver runs through me when his hands roam down my back and to my ass where he squeezes, sending heat straight to my core.

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