Page 81 of Dirty Boss

“Where did you find that dress?” I mumbled against my lips. “You didn’t even know what a Windsor knot was until I met you.”

Vaughn grinned. “Do you really think so little of me?”

“You aren’t real. This is a dream.”

“I’ve been pinching myself since I met you,” he said.

My heart fluttered. He was too good to be true—but he was right here in front of me, and I had no choice but to believe this was really happening. I let Vaughn guide me into the car and then sighed when he slid in beside me. The door closed, and I saw the darkened shape of the driver move around the car through the tinted windows. He’d placed the dress in the front passenger seat, and the privacy shade was up.

Vaughn slid his hand over my jaw, and as the car merged into traffic, he kissed me. My heart had already been racing, and his kiss only made it speed up. I clung to his lapels, kissing him back even harder.

“I take it you like the dress,” he mumbled against my lips, his cheek creasing beneath my hand.

“The dress is beautiful. I love it. And—” I stopped myself. I wanted to tell him I lovedhim. That he made me feel special and worthy and whole. I wanted to tell him that my time with him had been the happiest in my life. He listened to me and never dismissed me. Even when he didn’t particularly care about something—like a dress—Vaughn went out of his way to find the perfect one.

I’d never imagined life could be this good. Even when I had all the wealth I could have wanted, I wasn’t as happy as I was now.

And it wasn’t the fact that he’d found the perfect, priceless dress for me. It’s that he’d tried. I was so important to him that he’d put in the effort. Imattered.

I hadn’t mattered to my parents—not unless I acted exactly the way they wanted. I hadn’t mattered to James—not unless I gave him access to wealth and prestige and luxury. And I hadn’t mattered to Cole—not really. Not once he was given the option to walk away.

I’d always been on the end of a conditional bargain. I knew my worth in relation to what I could provide other people.

With Vaughn, it was different. Yes, I was teaching him skills to land an investor, to move in higher circles. But I believed him when he said that whatever I wore to the gala would be perfect. And I believed him when he said that if I changed my mind and decided I didn’t want to go, he wouldn’t hold it against me.

He valued me for me. No strings. No conditions.

When he pulled back from the kiss and placed his forehead against mine, he was still smiling. “I should buy you dresses more often.”

I choked on air. “Buy? You bought that dress?”

He leaned back, frowning. “What else would I do with it?”

“Fashion houses don’t usually sell archival pieces unless?—”

“It was already in a private collection.”

“Koval—”

“Started his career in the Versace workrooms. Apparently now, after a few decades, he’s kind of a big deal. He has some nice stuff, actually. But when I explained the situation, he insisted that was the one,” Vaughn said, tipping his head toward the front seat where the dress was. “And it was purple, which seemed fitting.”

“Oh, my goodness.” I couldn’t breathe. “Oh…mygoodness.”

“Hey. Take a breath.” Vaughn tilted my chin so I’d meet his eyes. “Breathe, princess. It’s just a dress.”

“It’s notjust a dress, Vaughn.”

He laughed. “It is to me.”

Because it didn’t matter what I wore. He still looked at me the same way. Waitress’s uniform. Cleaner’s outfit. Priceless, vintage designer dress. It was all the same to him.

What mattered was me. For the first time in my life, I didn’t have to perform. I just had to be.

The feelings roiling inside me were too big to contain. I leaned over and kissed him again, my hands trembling as they coasted over his shoulders.

“Hey,” he mumbled. “Hey. Come on.” He pulled back and brushed a thumb over my cheek. It came away wet; I was crying.

“You think it’s silly to cry over a dress,” I said, tapping into that old, familiar well of shame that had been kept full by every relationship I’d ever had in my life. I snorted at myself, wiping my face with the heels of my palms.