Page 29 of Bargaining

His eyes, which were usually cold, glittered with unexpected compassion. “Let’s get you back. I’ll go alone tonight. It’s too soon.”

No. This was why I was here. To help Cole. This is what I’d signed up for. I sucked in a deep breath. “It’s fine. I’ll be fine. Sometimes I’m OK. Sometimes I’m not. Grief is complicated, I guess. Dad was ill for so long. We knew it was coming, but it doesn’t make it easier ...”

He searched my face. “I understand. You want to give this party a miss, just say the word. I don’t mind.”

“No. I want to find a dress, and I want to come with you to the party. Dad would have wanted us to carry on.” I pasted on a trembling smile.

He studied my face carefully, then signaled to a shop assistant hovering nearby. “Excuse me. Can you help my ...” He paused and a small line formed between his brows. He cleared his throat. “Can you help myfiancéefind something special for a ball tonight? She’d like to try this on.”

Fiancée.I waited for the assistant to laugh at the audacity of someone like me being engaged to this flawless man and wanting to try on this seven-thousand-pound dress, or some other sign that we’d been rumbled, but she flashed a broad smile. “Of course. Right this way, please.”

I stepped out of the dressing room. The dress clung to my body, pulling tight over my chest and hips to give my curves a sleeker silhouette than I was used to. It was like glimpsing a stranger in the mirror. This woman looked like a movie star on the red carpet. The only problem was my cleavage. I’d barely squeezed one boob into this dress, let alone two.

“Well? Will I do?”

Cole’s eyes traveled over me like he was trying not to look too hard but couldn’t help himself. I did a funny curtsy with a flourish because I couldn’t meet his eyes. Everything about this was odd. I’d had to adjust to the idea that I’d never see this man again. Now, we were here, doing this. We didn’t feel like friends, but not like strangers either. It was some weird gray area full of awkwardness, misplaced familiarity, and tension.

“You look ...” His eyes widened slightly before he smoothed his expression. A tell in his usual cold poise. “It’s a beautiful dress.”

I twirled in the mirror and the cool fabric rippled deliciously against my skin. “The problem is that it’s strapless.”

“Why is that a problem?”

“I’ve got too much up top for strapless.”

“I wouldn’t say it’s a problem,” he murmured.

The heated look in his eyes made a warm shiver run up my spine. I tried to keep my expression nonchalant despite my racing heart. This was out of my comfort zone. I hadn’t worn a fancy dress in so long, and never anything like this. It mattered that I looked the part. Cole was investing in me. It mattered that I could pull this off. Otherwise, I’d embarrass him in front of people he was trying to impress. I didn’t want to embarrass myself either.

His approving gaze lingered so long on my body, it made my skin prickle with goosebumps. It was like being teenagers again. When we’d kissed, it was the first time a man had touched me. I could almost feel his thumb circling my nipple. My body flooded with heat.

“Cole?”

His eyes snapped to mine. “Hmm-mm?”

“Do I look OK?”

“Turn around.”

I did a slow spin and his icy eyes held mine in the mirror.

He rocked back on his polished brogues. “You need to wear something that makes you feel good. Do you feel good?”

Everything sat just right. Classy and sexy. “I think it’s incredible, but you don’t think it’s too much? Too ... revealing?”

I adjusted the fabric over my cleavage, and his eyes tracked the movement. The way he was looking at me made my nipples firm into hard marbles. Now it looked even more indecent. His gaze dropped to my chest again and darted away. I had to stifle a laugh. It’s like this man had never seen a pair of boobs before.

“You have seen boobs before, right?”

“Pardon?”

“Boobs? Like, for real in the flesh? You’ve touched other boobs besides mine, I hope.”

The teasing words were out before I could stop them. It was the kind of thing I would have wound him up with when I’d caught him sneaking peeks at me when we were young.

A smirk pulled at his lips. Cole didn’t flirt. He wasn’t the type to play games. He just went after what he wanted. The tension eased from my shoulders when he swiftly changed the subject. “Shall we find some shoes to go with this?”

I let out a long sigh. Who was I kidding? I couldn’t pull off a dress this flashy. “I’d better try something else.”