Page 130 of Almost Yours
“Try the green one first,” she instructs.
I sigh but comply, slipping into an emerald silk dress that falls just above my knees. The material is luxurious against my skin, but the neckline is so low I’m afraid to breathe too deeply.
“Not this one, either,” I call out. “I’d spend the whole night tugging it up.”
She huffs on the other side of the door. “Fine. Try the blue one next.”
I shed the green dress and turn to the blue one in question, pulling it on. The fabric hugs my curves without being too tight, and the length is perfect. When I turn to see the back, I notice it dips low enough to be interesting without being too scandalous.
I step out of the dressing room, and Whitley’s jaw actually drops. “Holy shit, you’re so hot. Weapon level hot.”
“Whit, what does that even?—”
“Doesn’t matter. Yes, yes, yes. Keep this one.”
I turn, examining myself in the three-way mirror. The deep blue fabric catches the light as I move. “You think?”
“I know,” she says with conviction. “Rowan’s going to swallow his tongue when he sees you in this.”
“It is really pretty,” I admit, smoothing my hands over the silky material.
“Pretty? Violet, it’s perfect. It’s like this dress was waiting for you.” She circles me, nodding with approval. “You need to get it. I won’t accept any other answer.”
I check the price tag and wince. “It’s a bit more than I wanted to spend…”
“For a dress that makes your ass look like that? It’s a bargain.” Whitley crosses her arms. “Besides, Rowan deserves a little reward for being so good lately.”
I laugh. “You make him sound like a puppy.”
“Indeed. A very well-trained one, at that,” she quips.
I buy the dress, and as it turns out, future me will be very glad I did.
The blue silkdress clings to my curves as I navigate through the house, searching for Rowan. I haven’t seen him for the past twenty minutes, which is concerning since our house isn’t that big, despite there being a decent crowd in here.
“Have you seen Rowan?” I ask, catching Whitley’s arm.
“Last I saw, he was on the back deck with Beau.” She checks her watch, eyes widening. “It’s almost 11:50. I should go…check on the music.”
Before I can question her suspicious behavior, she disappears into the crowd.
I weave through the living room. The house is full of familiar faces—friends we’ve known for years, a few of Rowan’scolleagues from his new security consulting business, and some of my coworkers from the veterinary clinic. Everyone’s laughing, drinking, waiting for midnight.
The door to the back porch is cracked open, letting in a wisp of cold air. I step outside, the chill immediately raising goosebumps on my exposed skin. The porch is empty except for Beau, who’s leaning against the railing with a beer in hand.
“Hey,” I say, hugging myself against the cold. “Have you seen Rowan?”
Beau straightens up. “Uh, he said something about checking on Echo.”
“Now?” I frown. “It’s freezing out here.”
Echo is perfectly fine in her heated stable with her winter blanket. Rowan wouldn’t just disappear when we have a house full of people.
Beau just shrugs. “Yup…I guess you could go check up on him.”
“Okay…” I say slowly. “I’ll do that.”
I head back inside to grab my coat. Something feels off. First Whitley’s strange behavior, now Rowan disappearing to the stables minutes before midnight on New Year’s Eve?
