Page 94 of Sexting the Boss

I can feel the eyes on me.

Some are curious.

Some are judging.

And some—the worst ones—are amused.

I tighten my grip around Damien’s arm, resisting the urge to tug on my ponytail like a nervous child.

He, of course, looks completely at ease. Unbothered. Like he owns the room.

Which, honestly? He probably does. The man could wear sweatpants in here, and people would still look at him like he belonged.

I glance up at him, trying to read his face.

He doesn’t look the least bit phased by the scrutiny.

But why would he?

This is his world.

Meanwhile, I feel like an imposter who snuck in through the back door.

I take a slow breath, but before I can dwell too much on how out of place I feel, Damien leans in, his breath warm against my ear.

“Stop that.”

I blink. “Stop what?”

“Doubting yourself,” he says simply.

I snort. “Says the man who literally dragged me out of my apartment thirty minutes ago.”

His lips twitch. “You think makeup and heels would change anything?”

I gesture subtly around the room, where women in impossibly perfect gowns glide across the floor like they belong on a movie set.

“Yes. That’s exactly what I think.”

Damien takes a glass of champagne from a passing waiter and hands it to me before taking one for himself.

He doesn’t look away as he speaks. “You’d still stand out.”

I hesitate for a moment before taking a small sip, letting the bubbles fizz against my tongue. When I glance back up, Damien is watching me with that unreadable expression—the one that makes me feel like he sees too much.

I shift uncomfortably and mutter under my breath. “Do me a favor.”

He raises a brow. “What’s that, printsessa?”

“If I ever agree to something like this again,” I say, swirling the champagne in my glass, “remind me to at least put on mascara first.”

Damien chuckles, the sound low and indulgent, and suddenly?—

I don’t feel so out of place anymore.

I take another sip of champagne, trying to shake the feeling that I’ve wandered onto the set of a high-budget period drama, and any moment now someone is going to tell me I don’t belong here.

Damien, of course, is perfectly at ease.

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