Page 41 of Deeply Examined

I blink, trying to wrap my head around this plan. “If you’ll end up with a date from this thing, why do you need me?”

“Because I don’t want to date any of the women who will be at the gala. There’s several who’ve already said they’re going to bid on me, including a top hospital administrator who I detest.” He leans back against the couch, scrubs his hand across his face, and groans.

“I can’t get you out of it if you already said you’d do it.” My rule-following instincts rebel at the very idea. I was always the kid who ended up as the only guest at the unpopular kids’ birthday parties because I’d agreed the moment they gave me the invitation. Even if a better party came up at the same time, I’d stick with whoever I said yes to first.

“I’m not asking you to get me out of it. I need you to bid for me. You have to win the date, so the other women don’t get it. You can use my money. Spend as much as it takes. Sky’s the limit.”

“You wantmeto spendyourmoney to winyou?” I clarify.

“Exactly.” He nods, a hopeful expression lighting his face. “Plus, you’ll get a good dinner and free booze. They have an open bar.”

I hold up my hand. “Wait. You’re telling me I get free foodandalcoholandI get to spend your money?”

His lips twitch with a smile.

With a grin, I throw up my hands and say, “I’m in! I mean, how could this get any better?”

“Well…” He nudges the box my way. “This might make it a little better.”

I gather the package into my lap. “You got this for me?”

West ducks his head. “I was worried you’d take a lot of convincing, so I wanted to sweeten the pot.”

I laugh, the sound lifting into the air. “You underestimate how easy I am.” West gives me one of his famous eye rolls, and I chuckle. A few tugs on the end of the bow unties it. The silky ribbon slips to the floor by my feet.

West bends down to fetch it, his face at the level of my knee. He pauses there, then tentatively reaches out. I’m wearing shorts so I feel every cell in my body rejoice when his warm hand wraps around my ankle and slides with agonizing slowness up the front of my leg to my knee. He stares at his hand on my leg, his eyes unfocused like he’s mesmerized. It’s the first time he’s voluntarily touched me in forever, and just that slight contact has my heart racing. His gaze flicks up to mine, and the spell breaks. West snatches his hand away like I’m on fire and he doesn’t want to get burned.

“Open the gift,” he says, suddenly brusque. He crosses his arms over his chest.

I try not to take offense. I’m getting used to it now, this push and pull. He’s like the ocean—advancing to high tide and then retreating, leaving broken seashells in his wake. I focus on the box, letting the childish excitement of opening a gift displace any awkwardness between us. When I lift the lid and brush aside the gauzy pink tissue paper, I gasp out loud.

“West!” I cry out as I pull the dress from the box. It unfolds in my hands, yards of scarlet silk and tulle cascade to the floor. “It’s gorgeous!” Standing, I hold it up to myself and give a little twirl.

The dress has thin spaghetti straps, the bodice shaped like a corset with a wide ribbon that ties up the back in a crisscross pattern. The skirt is full but not too wide, with an overlay of tulle studded with tiny crystals and rhinestones. It shimmers and glitters as I sway.

West watches me, a small smile playing on his lips. “Do you like it?”

“Like it?!” I exclaim. “I love it!”

“Why don’t you go try it on? Make sure we don’t need to call in a tailor before Friday.”

“Good idea,” I agree, turning to go to the bathroom, but then I stop. That lingering touch on my leg has given me hope. Maybe romance between us isn’t a total lost cause. I turn back to him and gather up my courage. Right there, in the living room, I strip off my shirt and shorts so that all I am wearing is my bra and matching lavender panties. West stares at me without blinking, his chest rising and falling rapidly. Just when I’m about to claim victory, his expression hardens and he glares up at me.

“Try it on,” he says through gritted teeth.

“Okay. Jeez.” I widen my eyes. So much for attempting to seduce him. I was hoping that seeing me half-naked would end up with us doing it on the living room floor, but no such luck. Quickly, I pull the gown over my head. Of course, it gets stuck halfway so my arms are poking from the top but I can’t get them out far enough to push the dress all the way down.

“A little help here,” I say, my voice muffled from the layers of fabric that cover my face.

Even through the dress I can hear his impatient sigh. It takes both of us working together to yank the dress down and straighten it out.

Once that’s done, I present my back to him. “Tie me up?”

I can’t see his face, but I hear the strangled noise that rises from the back of his throat.

Oops. Didn’t mean it like that.

I have a Scarlett O’Hara moment as he takes the ribbon and pulls it tight, cinching the top of the dress close to my body. It forces my breasts upward, so they look fuller than usual.

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