Or should I say, ensemble?
His half-tailored suit was a deep emerald color, the fabric catching the shifting light with every movement. The other half flowed seamlessly into something far more dramatic. A cascade of gold silk that fell like liquid metal down one side of his body. The half-dress, half-suit was unusual, yes, and the contrast should have clashed.
But it didn’t.
Instead, it worked…perfectly.
Every detail was intentional, from the precise cut of the lapel to the way the silk moved when he stepped forward. His posture was flawless, his presence commanding in a way that had nothing to do with power and everything to do with confidence.
And his face…wow!
He was beautiful, as if he had been sculpted and then painted just enough to enhance rather than conceal. His stunning eyes were lilac with bursts of gold around the pupils. Eyes that were also lined with precision, flicking out in dramatic black points at the corners. His eyeshadow was green tones, with lime glitter painted in the middle of his lids, making his eyes pop. His brows were arched in a way that felt almost exaggerated, almost theatrical, yet somehow still entirely natural on him. And when he smiled… holy mother Goddess,
It was devastating.
“Oh, I do love it when something new walks through our doors,” he said, his gaze settling on me with open interest. His head tilted slightly as though I were something to be admired rather than questioned.
“It makes the day so much more…interesting.”
I blinked.
Once.
Twice.
Because I had absolutely no idea how to respond to that.
“Well?” he prompted lightly, one perfectly shaped brow lifting as he rested his fingertips against the edge of the desk.
“Not even a little ‘hello’? I promise I don’t bite. Not without permission, anyway.”
“Gods have mercy…” Bo muttered under his breath beside me, the sound carrying just enough irritation to make me glance toward him.
“Of course it’s you.”That seemed to delight him.
“Oh, sweetheart, you say that like I’m not the highlight of your entire visit,” he replied immediately, leaning forward slightly over the desk as though only now noticing Bo’s presence. His expression shifted into something mockingly thoughtful.
“Although I must admit, you are a little harder to spot when you’re skulking about like a guilty conscience.”
“I’m not skulking,” Bo scoffed.
“Mm, okay, so you say little man,” he hummed, mockingly, his gaze dragging slowly over him before flicking back to me, his smile returning in full force.
“And yet here you are, bringing me a tasty little mortal. Honestly, darling, if this is your idea of subtle, we need to have a conversation.” I felt my face heat slightly at that, my attention snapping back to him properly as I straightened just a fraction.
“I… erh…” I started, before immediately stopping, because I still didn’t know what I was supposed to say here.
He didn’t seem to mind.
If anything, he seemed more amused.
“Oh, don’t worry,” he said, waving a hand lightly as though dismissing the need for any explanation at all, his tone softening just enough to take the edge off the theatrics. Although his dramatic, posh accent also helped with that.
“You’re doing wonderfully so far. Breathing, standing, not running, screaming for the exit. We’ve had far worse, I assure you.”
“I considered it,” I muttered honestly before I could stop myself, and that earned me a grin.
“Ooo, there she is… that spunk, I love it!” he said warmly, as though I had just passed some kind of invisible test.
