The Billionaire’s Betrothed(12)

Sebastian had nothing but good things to say about that woman. I wondered how he felt about me. He had the utmost faith in her, I suppose I had to as well. I bit my lip, trying to resist staring over my shoulder at what was happening at the bakery.

"So where are we going?" I sighed, letting him lead me around a corner.

"To find you a new outfit." He replied, coming to a stop in front of a boutique.

He peered through the window, finally shrugging and looking back at me, "I guess this will do."

Hesitantly, I followed him inside.

Layers and layers of fine dresses and gowns hung along all the walls. Glittering blouses and flowing skirts adorned mannequins. I'd never been in a shop like this. The closest I'd ever come was Target, and this boutique was a bit more classy than that. Not to mention expensive.

"Good afternoon." A bored woman drawled, not even glancing up at us as we approached her.

No doubt she was used to people entering and leaving as soon as they caught sight of the prices.

"Good afternoon." Sebastian replied politely, "We're in need of a dress."

The woman behind the desk turned the page of her magazine, sighing deeply, "You're in luck." She muttered with an eye roll, giving a lackluster gesture around her at the hundreds of dresses on racks surrounding us.

Sebastian arched an eyebrow, irked by the fact that he wasn't the center of attention. He was used to women fawning all over him. The cashier, however, was more used to ignoring patrons.

My fiancée turned back to me, crossing his arms over his broad, masculine chest.

"What colors do you like?" He asked, holding up a lavender chiffon dress to me, "Is that good?"

"How about black." I replied uneasily, "Black is always flattering."

Sebastian stared at me as though I'd said something horrific, "We're attending dinner, darling, not a funeral."

I groaned inwardly, begrudgingly accepting the fire engine red, short gown he handed me before quietly storming into the changing room. Even his gorgeous voice wasn’t enough to distract me from the torture of dress shopping.

From behind the closed door, I could hear him attempting once more to make small talk with the cashier.

"Do you come here often?" He chortled, as I slipped the red lacey straps over my shoulders.

I turned in front of the mirror, struggling to pull the end of the dress just a bit lower on my thighs. It was short and tight, but it was also shockingly flattering. I had to rub my eyes to make sure it was my own reflection in the mirror.

Shyly, I peered out of the corner of dressing room, waiting until Sebastian glanced before I hesitantly stepped back out.

"What do you think?" I mumbled, afraid that the blush on my face would match the dress.

"You look wonderful." Sebastian said quietly, taking a step towards me as his eyes raked down my body. I'd never been stared at in such a way, I'd never had a man's gaze so drawn to me.

I wasn't sure whether to melt or stand proudly. Instead, I wring my hands in front of me anxiously.

"We'll take it." He said, back to the cashier again, "And some shoes too."

"You'll have to pick them out you know." The woman responded dryly, watching as I pointed to some glittery silver flats. They seemed obnoxious enough to please Sebastian, and I couldn't handle the heels and a fancy new dress.

Though his gaze turned towards a pair of nearby stilettos, he picked up the flats and handed them to the cashier.

As he handed his shiny black credit card to the woman, his hand dug once more in his pocket as he turned back to me.

"There’s one more thing you need for this dinner," He began, frowning as he dug harder into his pocket before withdrawing a soft velveteen box.

He thrust it into my hand as though it burned him, turning back to the cashier.

This time, the woman's eyes curiously stayed on me as she swiped his card, watching as I popped open the box and took out the small platinum band with a ginormous diamond rock.

Both of us gasped at once, watching as it glittered brightly under the overhead lights.

Just like that, I realized I was unceremoniously proposed to.





Chapter Seven





"You look beautiful." Sebastian said quietly as he leaned across the table to stroke the hand that gripped tight around my champagne glass.

Even though I was already three glasses in, though the alcohol did little to calm the persistent tingling of my anxious nerves. My eyes darted around, hoping for a refill soon. His family would arrive any second.

I was too old to be getting so worked up over meeting the parents, but for the record, I'd barely ever had to do this before. Dating had never been high on my priority list, though I supposed Sebastian and I had that in common. It didn’t help my nerves that this trait of ours could be the only we shared.