“What are you waiting for? Try it on,” Aurum urged.
“N-not when everyone’s watching.”
Crimson sighed dramatically and turned around. Saffron and Taylor averted their eyes. The only person who didn’t look away was Aurum, but I was okay with that. It wasn’t like he hadn’t seen me naked before...
I discarded my shirt and jeans—one of the outfits that Aurum hadn’t burned, but I suspected that would change soon. Then I took a breath and changed into my brand-new clothes. As soon as they touched my skin, I was shocked at the difference in quality.
Aurum watched me like a hawk. His intense gaze made my blood sizzle. Passionate desire radiated from him like rays of the sun.
I hurried to button up the shirt before I got too riled up. When I was done, I cleared my throat. “Um... how do I look?”
Everybody turned to stare at me. I’d been stared at a lot in my life—mostly by bullies and judgmental people—but this was different. Crimson, Taylor, and Saffron looked starstruck, like I was a celebrity.
And then there was Aurum.
He stood rigidly still. His eyes pierced me like shards of topaz. There was such rawwantin his gaze that I secretly wished we were alone.
But he didn’t leap on me like I fantasized he would. Instead he approached me and grasped my arms.
“Mylo...” His eyes raked me up and down. “You have to see yourself.”
Crimson wordlessly gestured to the full-length mirror outside his door. Aurum led me to it, then allowed me to glimpse myself in my new outfit for the first time.
I was stunned.
The man in the mirror didn’t look like me.
Except he did. Hewasme. I had the same chubby cheeks, the same glasses, the same face...
But the outfit changed everything. Gone were the excessive, baggy clothes that obscured my frame. The new clothes were trim and form-fitting. They highlighted my thick figure, but in a flattering way I didn’t even think was possible.
I lookedhandsome.
Seeing myself in the mirror, I no longer hated my body.
My eyes grew hot with tears again. Seeing me cry, Aurum immediately hugged me.
“Mylo, what’s wrong? Don’t you like it?” he asked.
“I do!” I said through my blubbering. “I love it. Sorry, I’m just really happy.”
Aurum sighed in relief, hugging me harder. “Your tears of joy are gonna give me a heart attack. I don’t like seeing you cry.”
I laughed through the tears. “Sorry.” After catching my breath, I sighed. “It’s getting late. I should probably get back to the hotel and wash up before our date.”
“Just use my bathroom,” Aurum offered. “That way, we’ll show up on time together, and Jade won’t peel my skin off.”
The idea of seeing Aurum’s room excited me. “Sure, that works.”
His sunny grin brightened the hallway and made my heart flutter. “Cool. Follow me.”
Seventeen
Aurum
My skin waselectric and jittery as I led Mylo to my room. Every cell in my body wanted to jump his bones, yet by the grace of Holy Drake, I managed to contain myself—even if it felt like holding back a raging bull with a piece of string.
Fuck, I couldn’t stand how hot Mylo looked in his new clothes. Weirdly enough, I kind of understood Crimson’s fetish now. Dammit.
