get this done.” Then I remember Natasha’s words. “Who knows? I might even enjoy it.”
Through all of this, Matías says nothing. Now he salutes me with his beer, one Elliot outsider to another. Makes me wonder how much of this sort of thing he’s had to deal with over the years. If the pressure and interference helped push Emma and him toward their separation. Not a happy thought.
“Thank you,” says Beck.
“Not a problem.”
I stroke the stubble on Beck’s cheek and he instantly moves closer, pressing his mouth to mine. This is not a chaste kiss, but neither of us cares. Audience and his weird-ass relationship philosophies be damned. I can feel the eyes on us and it just doesn’t matter. His tongue strokes my own, his hand grabbing the back of my neck, holding me in place. As if I’m going anywhere. For all of his wanting to wait and playing it cool, there’s an element of control to him in this moment. And it’s hot as fuck. We’re both breathing heavily, caught up in the moment. My head goes light and my sex squeezes tight. I grip his upper arms, half just needing something to hold myself up. The other half of me is admiring how hard his body is beneath my touch. I want to rub up against him, explore him all over. Every time we get this close, stopping gets harder and harder. The tension in his body and fervor in his touch tell me he’s struggling too. In all honesty, the boy better be done with this waiting shit soon or else.
When he draws back, his thumb wipes over my damp bottom lip. “Whatever you want, Alice.”
Good God this man makes me smile. Meanwhile, Selah looks like she sucked on a lemon. Everything is as it should be.
CHAPTER SEVEN
“Don’t be nervous,” says Beck. “You look beautiful.”
“I’ll be nervous if I want to. I just won’t let it stop me from doing anything.”
“That’s my girl.”
He stands beside me dressed in a tuxedo and a smile. And holy fucking hell does he wear them well. Not to mention the dark hair styled into a pompadour and hazel eyes I could stare into for days. Then there’s the warmth in those eyes when he looks at me…I might just swoon. I’m not sure if I’ve ever been truly seen before. Not like he sees me.
“We could have stayed home and had sex,” I say.
He grins. “You called our apartment home.”
“You’re missing the point.”
We arrived in a limousine, the first time I’ve been in one since prom. The gala is being held in the ballroom of a big hotel. Lots of ornate potted orchids and sparkling chandeliers. Selah and I had a robust discussion about what I’d wear. She wanted me in a sequined monstrosity and no way was that happening. In fact, I gave her the thing along with about half of the wardrobe contents to take back to Mac. For some reason, seeing all of the free space in the walk-in-closet soothed me big-time. Like maybe my life hasn’t been turned upside down (albeit in wonderful ways) and I still have a little control.
That’s the great thing about anxiety. There’s always something to worry about. When things are going bad, they can always get worse. But when things are great, it can all be stolen from you at any moment plunging you into the darkness of the abyss. Sometimes I get really sick of the inside of my head.
Everything is fine. I’ve got this. And I’m going to keep saying it until it’s the truth.
I don’t normally wear dresses due to chub rub. Of course, you can get undershorts and other things to combat it, but I generally prefer pants. This, however, is a special occasion. The gown I chose is by Juan Carlos Obando, navy crepe (dark colors hide food stains), one shoulder and ankle length. It’s simple and elegant and I love it. Some sparkle is added by Gucci block heel silver sandals and a bangle of white gold and baguette-cut diamonds. There’re also beautiful diamond studs in my ears. I’m pretending they’re all fake, like rhinestones or crystals. Because otherwise there’s every chance I’d lose my shit over what they’re worth. Being a billionaire’s girlfriend is weird after so recently living on ramen noodles during the lean weeks.
The other thing about this jewelry is that I could have sworn these pieces weren’t here yesterday. A string of pearls and matching stud earrings (my lifelong dream