Page 46 of Stuck with the Billionaire Celebrity

The store itself is closed to the public, just as I promised.

I can already see the discreet security personnel I’ve positioned at every corner, ensuring no one gets within a hundred feet of her.

Grace looks over at me, raising an eyebrow. "You really did shut down the entire place, didn’t you?"

I shrug, trying to hide the flicker of guilt. "It’s safer this way."

She doesn’t say anything, but as we step out of the car, I notice the way her shoulders relax slightly.

I’m on edge because of the risk, but it helps seeing her relax so much. This is what she needed.

The store manager greets us at the door with a bright, eager smile, clearly thrilled by the private event. Grace steps inside, and immediately, her eyes light up.

I didn’t realize how much I needed to see that until now—how her demeanor changes the moment colors, fabrics, and styles surround her.

I stand back, watching her move through the racks, her fingers brushing against the different materials. There’s something different about her right now. She’s more relaxed, more herself.

She holds up a dress to her body, glancing at herself in the mirror before moving on to the next item.

She’s breathtaking.

She pulls a flowing, deep emerald dress off the rack, holding it against her frame as she turns to me. "What do you think?"

I blink, caught off guard by the question. She’s never asked for my opinion on something like this before.

Why would she?

"It’s… nice."

She laughs, rolling her eyes. "Nice? That’s all you’ve got?"

I walk closer, my eyes tracing the lines of the dress, then moving to her face. Her cheeks are flushed, her lips curved in asmile, and I realize I’ve never seen her look more alive than she does right now.

"Okay," I say, my voice lower than I intended. "It’s more than nice. It’s perfect."

Her eyes meet mine, and something passes between us. Something that feels a lot like the tension we’ve both been skirting around for days now.

She holdsmy gaze a little too long before returning to the mirror, the fabric of the dress swishing softly as she moves.

"I’ll try it on."

I nod, clearing my throat as I step back, but my mind is stuck on that brief moment—the look in her eyes, the way my heart skipped when she smiled at me like that.

I watch as she disappears into the fitting room, and as much as I try to focus on anything else—the security, the exits, the plan for dinner—all I can think about is how she looked at me.

Like I’m more than just the man protecting her. Like I’m someone she wants.

The shopping trip goes on longer than I expected. Grace is in her element, and as much as I hate to admit it, I’m not as annoyed as I thought I’d be.

I like seeing her like this—carefree, happy. She emerges from the fitting room in a low-cut blue dress, and I feel a tightness in my chest that I can’t explain.

She twirls in front of me, laughing. "What do you think? Still ‘nice’?"

My mouth goes dry. She’s breathtaking.

"You look… stunning."

The smile she gives me is enough to make my pants tighten.

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