“Ready to retire,” Khrisomo replies without missing a beat while gesturing to another attendant.“Laney, can you bring in the items we pulled together for this appointment?I think we’re ready now.”
A young woman with a smooth blonde bun nods before stepping away.
“Of course,” she murmurs.“I’ll be right back.”
Then, within moments, the assistant reappears pushing a rack of colorful clothes before her.I start because is that all for me?The rack must have at least twenty garments on it, and they appear to be various items of evening attire.Long, short, chiffon, silk, glittery, sequined, and embroidered.You name it, and it’s on the rack.
“I thought we’d start with the fun stuff,” Khrisomo purrs.“This one is in the style you were looking for,” she says with a nod at Nick before plucking a slinky pink dress from the silver bar.“You said glamorous, yet also sexy, right?Something to make the other ladies fall over.”
I gasp because the dress is beautiful, but it’s also way too revealing.The bodice has a deep vee which goes almost all the way to the navel, and there’s a slit up the leg that reaches up far too high.
“Oh no,” I say.“I’m pregnant right now, and I couldn’t possibly wear something like that.My belly won’t allow it.”
Khrisomo eyes my figure but then shoots me an unreadable smile.
“Yes, Nick told us you were expecting his child, and so we’ve planned ahead.This material is stretchy, you see?”she asks, taking a piece of the fabric between her hands and gently tugging.It does pull out an astonishing amount, and my eyes go round seeing it.“All of the clothes we’ve selected will flatter a pregnant woman, and Mr.Bannister even okayed some of the items last night when we sent him our preliminary selection.”
I gasp while staring at the CEO because did he really?Did Nick actually vet my wardrobe before we arrived today?Yet the billionaire doesn’t look perturbed at all.
“You’ll look beautiful in these clothes, Ella, and yes, I think dressing to enhance your pregnant figure is important.Iwantpeople to know that you’re expecting my child.”
A hot flame begins to burn in my belly because the look he’s casting me is positively possessive.It seems that the billionaire can’t wait to take me out and show me off for the world to see.Hewantspeople to know that we conceived a baby together, and that he’s the one who put the child in my belly.Another hot flush of awareness runs through me as I look at him from below my lashes.Perhaps Khrisomo can sense the electricity arcing between us because she stands abruptly before gesturing to her shop assistants.
“I’ll leave you to try on whatever appeals,” she practically sings.“Just knock when you’ve made your selections.”
Then, the older woman sweeps out of the room in a cloud of perfume, her attendants trailing behind her.Within seconds, it’s just me and Nick in the small sitting room, his magnetic presence making it almost impossible to breathe.Oh my god, when did it get so hot?Beads of sweat break out on my brow, and I swear, my underarms feel damp.
“It’s humid today,” I gasp slightly, fanning myself with one hand.“Is there any way to turn up the A/C?I think the pregnancy is making me feel like a heat lamp.”
“Sure,” Nick drawls with a lazy smile while reaching for a remote on the table and clicking it.“But while we wait for the temp to go down, I think you should go ahead and try on the pink dress, sweetheart.Why waste time?”he drawls.“I’ve been looking forward to this.”
I stare at him again because why does it feel like Nick planned our shopping excursion down to the very last detail?He seems to adore my curvy form and wants to see me decked out in gorgeous fashions.But I put the thought aside because of course, it’s not about me, per se.It’s about making me presentable so that I don’t embarrass the billionaire in front of his fancy friends.
“Of course,” I manage to choke out before standing and picking up the gown.“I’ll just be a sec.”
Then, I practically run to the little dressing area in the corner for privacy.It’s not much more than a nook with a black oriental screen for modesty, but the ability to be hidden from Nick’s knowing blue gaze is a relief.I pant a little bit, trying to get my bearings.
“Everything okay back there?”the billionaire calls.“You looked a little peaked, Els.”
“I’m fine, I’m fine!”I squeak, before trying to bring my voice down a register.“Just changing.”
“Great,” the billionaire remarks.I can almost hear the smile in his voice.“Let me know if you need help with any zippers.”
The alpha male is right because when I finally get the gown on, there’s a fastening in the back that’s hard to reach.But I’m determined to do things myself, and contort into a pretzel before finally zipping up all the way and staring in the mirror.Immediately, my jaw drops because the woman gazing back at me isn’t plain Ella Moore anymore.Instead, she looks like a princess with gleaming golden hair flowing over one shoulder, and a flush to her rosy cheeks.The pink fabric hugs my curves without being obscene.It’s obvious that I’m pregnant, but not in a bumpy, lumpy, and ungainly way.Instead, I look like a glowing Madonna, my burgeoning tummy cosseted and even graceful.Plus, the décolletage is low, showing off my Double D’s which seem to have grown with the pregnancy, and my hips are wide and sassy due to the clinging fabric.
But when I move my leg a bit, a frown crosses my features because I’m wearing granny panties underneath, and you can see them through the side slit.Granted, the panties aren’ttoougly.They’re boy shorts that are almost grey from being laundered so many times, but that’s okay because I think “greige” is the fashionable color at the moment.The problem is that they show at all, ruining the image of a beautiful princess.
Frowning, I reach down to try and pull up the material to hide it behind the pink taffeta of the gown.But there’s simply too much panty, and it’s impossible to pull it up higher than it already is.What should I do?
“Do you have a safety pin?”I call to Nick outside.
“No, I definitely don’t have a safety pin,” he smirks.“Why?”
“I was just wondering,” I mutter while fiddling with the dress again.God, is there any way to fix this?I try to pull the material of the boy shorts backwards so that it shows less at the front, but that does no good either.Damn, I should have put on a thong or g-string before I came.
“Everything okay?”Nick calls.“I’d love to see you, Ella.I’m sure you look flawless.”
For a moment, I contemplate going out there with the granny panties visible.It’s fine.It’s not like we’re out in public where people will laugh.But then my heart turns over because I look like a beautiful vision, and IwantNick to see me as such.It’s been so long since that first night we met when I was dressed up in my former boss’s gown, and I miss the magic of that steamy encounter.I want Nick to view me as gorgeous and desirable, and with only a second’s hesitation, I pull off the boy shorts so that I’m completely bare beneath the dress.
