Page 65 of Made For You
“What do you think?” she asked as she gripped the material of the dress, exposing a long slit that showcased her tanned legs up to her thighs.
“Wow,” I mumbled, damn near drunk on her beauty.
I was flabbergasted at the image she made, but even more so as she turned around. Her entire back was naked. The flimsy material scooped to just above her ass, showcasing my two favorite dimples. The modesty in the front did nothing to distract from the back.
Digging the heels of my hands into my eyes as I tilted my head back, I moaned, “Fuck.”
“Oh no. I told the stylist this was too flashy. Let me change. She had a black dress that may be more suitable.”
Immediately, I reached out and gripped her arm to keep her from leaving. “No. You look stunning.”
“Really?” she asked, and her eyes glistened. I could have told her that she’d be beautiful even wearing a potato sack, which would have been the truth. Or that she was going to be the most beautiful woman in the room tonight. Also, another truth. Instead, I said, “No one else could ever come close to you, Aurora. Thank you for letting me be your date tonight.”
She paused and then coughed as if she was holding back tears. “You know. You’re getting better at this whole talking thing.”
“I did tell you that I’d try.”
We stared at each other, her bright-red lips calling to me, and I desperately wanted to smear the stain, but I held myself back.
“I’m just going to spray my hair one more time. It’s a little windy out.” It wasn’t, but I let her escape into the bedroom to spray the curls draped over her shoulder once again. The hair and makeup team didn’t need to do a lot to accentuate her beauty. Aurora was gorgeous even when she rolled out of bed.
“Ready, Mrs. Beckett?” I asked as she joined me again.
“As I’ll ever be.”
We didn’tneeda limo, since we were staying in the hotel, but to keep up pretenses, Aurora and I slipped out the employee exit of the hotel and into the waiting car. Only for it to zip around the corner and drop us off so the photographers could capture the moment.
I stepped out of the limo first, and a frenzy occurred, seeing as I never walked the red carpet. But when Aurora reached out and took my hand to exit the car, the crowd and photographers went absolutely wild. I leaned down to remind her to look away from the flashes. Gigi always told me to stare at their stomachs.
“I wish I broughtmycamera,” she said as we stepped onto the red carpet behind a celebrity with a blockbuster movie currently playing in theaters. I laughed at her joke, and the cameras went berserk.
She’d handed me the film canister yesterday, and I already sent it out to get developed. I had no doubt Aurora caught the best parts of small-town and mountain living.
She gripped my hand as we traveled down the red carpet. The only press in attendance were those invited. That meant no paparazzi were mingled in the crowd. The Wilder Hotels had strict security for events like this.
We stopped for a reporter from a magazine who wrote a yearly report on the event. As expected, their first round of questions focused on the woman I was with. Aurora answered her questions like a seasoned pro. I suspected having Colton and Nate in the family helped. Through it all, she never released my hand, and I never budged when the diamond cut into my palm from her hidden nerves. She was worth the pain.
When the end of the carpet came into view, I felt Aurora’s body relax.
“Hello, dear,” a familiar voice called out from behind me, and I felt my wife stiffen once again. This was the moment she’d been dreading, even though I spent the entire week trying to convince her that she had nothing to worry about.
I turned us around and smiled at my grandma, who was wearing a dress that resembled a Picasso painting, a multitude of colors splashed over the material. It was quintessentially Gigi.
“Gigi, I’d like you to meet Aurora Beckett. Aurora, this is my grandmoth—” I was cut off as Gigi pulled Aurora into one of her tight embraces. The two women were practically the same height, but it was comical to see the elderly woman cinch her arms around Aurora.
Not wanting to draw the attention of the photographers, who would surely pick up on the fact that Aurora had yet to meet the Wilder matriarch, I whispered that the three of us should probably head inside. The only press allowed beyond the doors was the reporter writing about the speeches and auction.
The moment we slipped into the darkened ballroom, Gigi tried to pull Aurora aside, but my wife held on firmly to my hand.
“Well, now,” Gigi scoffed.
“Sorry, I’m just not very comfortable,” Aurora spoke, revealing a bit of her insecurities.
“I understand. I remember my first big event. I was petrified. And that was before all this social media stuff. But youhave nothing to worry about, dear.” Gigi reached for Aurora’s other hand and clasped it within her gloved one. “I may not know much, or anything about you, but you made my Talon smile, and there is nothing more I could ask for in the world.”
Aurora nodded as Gigi turned her attention to me. “Of course, it would have been nice to be invited to the wedding. I’m assuming this wasn’t a shotgun ceremony?”
With wide eyes and eyebrows lifted toward the sky, Aurora shook her head and answered for me when I ignored my grandmother. “No, ma’am.”
