My heart begins racing, but I exhale a long breath, stopping the panic. Micah enjoyed the carnival and seemed comfortable staying at home with me, too. He’s open to not being in the spotlight all the time, and that’s a compromise we can make.
Besides, Liv is right—Micah does give a lot in return. And that’s not something I ever saw a lot of growing up. Darius was too focused on rebuilding his lost inheritance to give any of his money away to others.
I’m wondering now if it would’ve changed my perception of things if he had been more giving with his money. I’m also wondering if those glazed looks and distant stares from others will bug me as much now that I’m older, and now that I have Liv, Taylor, and also a life that I built for myself.
I guess, tonight, I’ll find out.
Liv steps in closer, studying me from head to toe. “Okay, let’s give you one final look to make sure everything is perfect.”
I watch her examine every single part of me, making sure when the world sees me tonight, not a strand of hair is out of place. God, she’s so good to me. Guilt makes my chest feel like a thousand-pound weight is pushing against me.
Through the entire time Liv applied my makeup, I thought of how to explain that I hadn’t exactly been honest with her about my past. Tomorrow the tabloids would know the truth about me, or at least I assumed they would, and I really want Liv to hear it from me.
But how does one explain?
Oh, by the way, I’m actually really rich, but I don’t use the money because it feels dirty, so this whole perception that I’m a normal, struggling twenty-five-year-old is actually complete bullshit. Don’t be mad, ’kay?
I tried a least a dozen times tonight, but I froze. Every damn time.
“Hmm…” she says, dragging me from my thoughts. She’s tapping her lip, staring directly at my face, then quips, “One final thing, then my masterpiece is complete.”
I should laugh, but I can’t. My insides are twisting, watching her reach into her makeup bag, taking out a cherry-red shade of lipstick.
She carefully applies it to my lips and hands me a tissue. “Blot, and then you’ll be done.” I blot carefully, doing as told, and when she takes the tissue from my hand, she adds, “There. Perfect.” She places the lipstick into my black clutch and then shoves it at me.
My heart begins pumping harder. Time is counting down. “Listen, Liv, we need to talk.” I hear the shakiness in my voice.
“Oh, yeah, about what?” She moves to the curling iron resting on the coffee table and switches it off.
“Well…you see…” I draw in a long deep breath, forcing myself to go on. “I haven’t been entirely—”
The loud beep of my cellphone blasts into the air, and Liv waves me off, grabbing the phone. “Hold that thought.” She peeks at the screen, a smile rising to her face. “Whatever it is, you’ll have to tell me later. Micah’s a minute away.”
“He can wait.” My skin flushes, face warms. “It’s important.”
“Tonight’s important.” She grabs my clutch out of my hand and places my cell inside before handing it back to me. “And there’s nothing you can’t tell me later.” With her classic Liv beaming smile, she pushes me toward my front door and then steps back, giving me an examination, fiddling once more with my hair. “You look absolutely beautiful. The tabloids are going to be all over this, and they’re going to love you.”
“Thank you, but—”
“Oh, my God, Allie.” She sighs in exasperation, scowling at me. “It can wait.” She swings open my front door. “Go. No time to waste. Your knight in shining armor awaits you.”
“My knight in shining armor?” I raise my brows at her.
Liv giggles, giving a little shrug. “Okay, how about your hot, rich boyfriend?”
“That’s probably closer to the truth.” Micah’s a lot of things, but a knight in shining armor isn’t exactly one of them. “But let me just—”
“Leave?” Liv quips. “Yup, that you can do. Now go and wow the world with your awesomeness.” She shoves me out and slams the door, locking it behind me.
I sigh at my closed door. “Fuck.”
Micah
The second the Bentley comes to a stop, I’m out the door, enraptured by the vision before me. Allie’s dress is hugging her body as I imagined it would when I selected it for her to wear tonight. “Christ, Allie,” I murmur, closing my body against hers and running my hand across her rosy cheek. “You are breathtaking.”
“Thank you…for all of it.” She turns her head slightly, kissing my thumb with her pouty, painted red lips. I’m imagining that lipstick around my dick when she adds, “You clean up nice, too.”
I step back, holding her hand, giving her the look over she deserves. A long, slow whistle escapes my mouth as I lift my hand high and she spins, showing me the open back of her dress. Unable to deny myself the available flesh, I trail my finger from her nape all the way down to the dimples above her bottom, relishing in her shiver, and groaning against the blood rushing to my cock.