Page 49 of Shutter and Sin
Zoya
“No, no, no! Don’t put that there!” Christopher swats the makeup brush away before it reaches my face. He circles me slowly with narrowed eyes, inspecting every angle while his team of three assistants moves around me in a controlled frenzy. One smooths my hair while another blends something across my cheekbones. There’s the third, working at my feet with a needle and thread. Christopher has been directing this chaos for the past hour, his voice cutting through the room with each new command.
“I could have done my own makeup,” I whine.
Christopher’s hand flies to his chest. “Don’t even joke about that. Mr. Romanov gave me very clear instructions.” He waves at someone behind me. “The lipstick. No, the other shade. The one I set aside this morning.”
I tried telling Alexei this was unnecessary, but he disagreed loudly.
“Now for the dress.” Christopher’s voice softens as he claps his hands together. “Handle it with care.” An assistant approaches with the garment bag, the zipper sliding down to reveal emerald green silk while crystals catch the light across the bodice.
The assistants guide me into the dress as the silk settles over my body. Someone works the lacing at my back, his fingers quick as they fasten the corset, while another adjusts how the fabric sits across my shoulders. White gloves appear, and an assistant says, “Excuse me,” as they take my hands and slide them into the gloves. Christopher walks slowly around me, his gaze scanning for any flaw. “Does this feel wrong? Can you breathe easily? Doyou like the color of the dress? Should we change something, Mrs. Romanov?”
“Oh, yeah. I’m fine. I’m fine.”
Christopher steps back and studies me one more time before he claps his hands sharply. “Alright, everybody. Pack up. It’s time to leave.”
The room erupts, makeup cases snap shut, and garment bags zip closed as equipment disappears into bags. I need air, so I slip out and head for the elevator, where the doors close after I press the button for the penthouse level.
The elevator hums as it rises and opens, and I walk through the apartment with the dress moving with each step. In our bedroom, I go straight to the closet to grab my emergency bag and shove a pair of flats inside because there is no way I’m wearing heels all night. I catch my reflection in the full-length mirror and stop, walking closer until the woman looking back is a stranger. I sink onto the sofa nearby while still staring.
“Wow,” the word slips out as I realize I really look like this and that I’m actually pretty.
“Wow,” someone else says, and I nearly fall off the sofa as I turn to see Alexei standing at the door. His suit is perfectly fitted, and his hair is slicked back while he stares directly at me.
“Is that a good wow or a bad wow?”
He steps into the room and says, “There’s no bad wow when it comes to you.”
My face warms, so I laugh to cover it. “Fine. Look at my beautiful face. Take it all in.”
He moves toward me. He stops when he’s close and says, “Yes. But something’s missing.”
“What?” I ask.
His hand comes out from behind his back. He’s holding a small velvet box. My breath catches as he opens it. Inside sits a necklace with a teardrop emerald pendant surrounded bydiamonds. The chain is delicate, and the smaller diamonds catch the light.
I lean closer. “It’s so beautiful.”
“May I?”
I nod excitedly and in awe, waiting as he moves behind me. His fingers brush my shoulder as he gathers my hair and sweeps it to one side. Then he leans down and presses a kiss to the side of my neck, soft and lingering. My breath hitches. He brings the necklace around my throat. The cool metal settles against my skin. His fingers work the clasp at the back of my neck. When it’s fastened, he leans down again and kisses the inside of my neck right where my pulse hammers.
“Beautiful,” he murmurs against my skin. His hand comes around to touch the necklace while his fingers trace the emerald.
“Well, it is.” I feel something lodged in my throat. Something that sounds too close to tears. I really need to stop crying all the time. I’ll hate to ruin this makeup.
“I wasn’t talking about the necklace.”
I look up at the mirror. He’s not looking at the jewelry, but staring directly at my face with an intensity that makes my skin burn.
“Stop.”
“What?” He smiles. “I can’t compliment my wife?”
“I’m not your wife yet.”
He spins me to face him, his hand wrapping around my waist as his thumb moves in slow circles against my side. “Not long now.” Alexei moves back and extends his arm. “Time to go. You’re my date tonight.”
