Page 118 of Rules Of Our Own

Mia comes out of the dressing room in her fourth dress of the night. They’ve all looked amazing on her, but something is never quite right. It’s like they’re trying to overpower her instead of letting her shine through.

“What do you think, love?” River asks from where he’s sitting on the sofa, elbows propped on his knees.

She turns in the three-paned mirror, checking herself out, and shrugs. “It’s pretty.”

“Try another one, Kitten.”

“It’s fine,” she says, but she doesn’t look like it’s fine. She’s gotmehwritten over her face.

“You guys have been so patient.” She hesitates.

River stands and closes the few feet between them, clasping her jaw. She looks up at him with round doe eyes. “Stop trying not to be a burden. You have nothing to worry about. I have nowhere I’d rather be than right here with you.”

She relaxes into his touch and shrugs. “Okay, well, then this isn’t the one.”

Mia disappears back through the curtain into her dressing room, and I stand. I walk through the lines of dresses, letting my fingers trail along the soft fabric, and stop dead when I spot one in satin gold.

There’s just something about it.

I grab it from the rack, pass a curious River, and whisper through the dressing room curtain. “I found your dress,” I say confidently.

The curtain peels back a few inches, and she peeks around the edge. “Did you now?”

I can see her reflection in the mirror behind her, and it takes everything in me not to back her up against the glass when I see she’s only in a thin black thong. I tilt my head up to the ceiling and close my eyes.

This girl is going to be the death of me, and I’m apparently going to love every minute of it. I swallow hard and hold out the dress. She grabs the hanger, hand barely visible, and the dress disappears with her.

I walk back to the couch, collapse next to River, and take a long drink from the water Stacey provided.

“What was that about?” River asks.

“You’ll see.” No sooner are the words out of my mouth than she glides in front of us. River’s mouth drops open before snapping shut, and his Adam’s apple lifts and falls.

Right there with you, buddy.

She’s fucking stunning. The gold satin drapes over her curves like liquid and pools around her feet. She pulled her hair up, revealing the curve of her neck and the low-cut square neckline that shows off the top of her cleavage.

I’m done under when she spins. It’s completely backless, except for a few thin gold chains, and I’m suddenly fighting off caveman thoughts. There’s something entirely too appealing about hiding her away and fucking her in my den for a few months.

She clears her throat. “Sooo, what do you think?”

“I think you’re going to get me in trouble,” River replies. “And I think I’m going to like it.”

Remembering that she needs to like the dress too, not just us slobbering over her, I ask, “What do you think?”

She does a spin and has a heart-melting smile. “I love it.”

My thoughts exactly.

CHAPTER55

RIVER

Ice clinksagainst my glass as I take another sip of my whiskey and look around the venue. The grand ballroom of the hotel is decorated with golden drapes and oversized chandeliers. It’s filled to the brim with rich old white guys in tailored tuxedos, their arms around stunningly beautiful women who were clearly several decades younger than them. My nose burns with the overly sweet smell of flowers and expensive perfume.

We’d picked out Mia’s dress two days ago, and I’ve been dying to see her in it tonight.

Piper showed up early and ran us out of Mia’s apartment so she could help her get ready.

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