While she had been self-conscious when the little black dress had come out, now that it was on, it looked fantastic. It fit her absolutely perfectly without being tight and flattered what little figure she had. The material was light and flowed while still clinging to her, and the halter-top left her feeling secure even with the plunging V-neck. She’d never been grateful for not being particularly well-endowed before, but it was ideal for this look, and her waist looked even smaller than normal, thanks to the ruches and silver ribbons there.
Her legs looked long and fit, which was a bizarre experience for her, and thankfully, Caroline had given her a dress with a skirt that hit just above her knees. Anything shorter, and Mal would have vetoed it. It swished and twirled in a subtle, yet fun way, and for a night of dancing with Hunter, she was all for that.
“Oh my…” Mal managed, unable to find just the right words to describe this.
Caroline squealed. “I knew the dress was perfect. You look like a jazz goddess. What do you think about the hair and makeup?”
Mal hadn’t even noticed. But when she looked, it was impossible to not notice. Her hair was perfectly curled à la style of the forties, gathered and pulled and pinned to the side—the most perfect loose ponytail ever. Caroline had done a beautiful job on her makeup, giving her a smoky eye that made the green of her irises really pop, foundation and blush for a cleaner complexion, and sealed it all with a dusty rose lip color.
As arrogant as it sounded in her head, Mal would have to agree with Caroline on this one: she looked like a million bucks. There were no words for this. She met Caroline’s eyes in the mirror and just gaped, which made her cousin grin and nod.
“And I know just what to do for your jewelry,” Caroline announced, going over to the box and bringing some things over. She handed Mal some small, silver earrings that were a simple line of five black and silver rhinestones and dangled just below her earlobe. Subtle, but with a statement.
“Nice,” Mal said, smiling for the first time.
Caroline chuckled low in her throat. “No, this is nice.”
She draped a necklace around Mal’s throat and fastened it in the back. Mal swallowed in surprise. The necklace matched the earrings except for one detail: the chain on which the matching pendant hung formed a Y so long the pendant sat quite squarely in the center of her deep neckline, just above the skin of her exposed chest. Mal squeaked out some noise of protest, but it only made Caroline grin more.
“Just enough to draw the eye,” Caroline said quietly. “And with enough flair to kick a man in the stomach.”
She patted Mal’s hip affectionately. “My work here is done! I’ve got your overnight bag, and I claim privilege of being your stylist tomorrow, too.” She hefted the bag over her shoulder and gave Mal a serious look in the mirror.
Mal laughed and ran her hands over her front. “With skills like this? You’re hired.”
Caroline winked at her. “Go get ’em, tiger.” She clicked her tongue and left.
Five minutes later, there was a knock on the front door. Mal’s heart leaped into her throat, and her palms started to sweat. Somehow, she made her way to the door without tripping and hesitated just long enough to inhale and exhale, then opened the door.
Hunter looked as perfect as ever. His scruff, which would come off for the wedding, was impeccably tempting, his hair was less perfect than normal, which was somehow more perfect, and he was dressed to kill. A simple pair of black trousers and a white button-up shirt, no tie, sleeves rolled back, and open at the throat.
He was every woman’s fantasy. And he was staring at her with wide eyes and parted lips.
“I feel shockingly underdressed,” he finally said as he studied her up and down, his voice rough.
Mal blushed and looked down at herself. “I should change,” she murmured awkwardly.
“No, you should not,” he insisted, forcing her to look up at him. He smiled softly. “You look beautiful. You always look beautiful.”
Her cheeks flamed again. “Hunter…”
He exhaled a laugh, shaking his head. “Mallory, I’m having trouble catching my breath here, so give me a second.”
Mal felt a smile tick at the corner of her lips. “One Mississippi…” she drawled slowly.
Hunter met her eyes with a grin and shook his head again. “There’s my girl.” He reached for her hand and gave her another thorough look over. With a heavy exhale, he said, “I’m way out of my league tonight, but I enjoy swinging for the fence.”
“Out of your league.” Mal snorted, her fingers curling instinctively over his. “Please. Caroline insisted I wear this tonight, and I feel ridiculous.”
“Caroline is my new favorite person after you,” Hunter said plainly. “She knows what she’s doing.”
“What’s she doing?” Mal asked, feeling impish and curious.
He raised a brow. “You tell me.”
Mal fought the urge to bite her lip as the tables were suddenly turned on her. Yet again, she felt her face and neck heat. “She… she wanted me to drive you crazy. In a good way.”
Something in Hunter’s eyes caught fire, and his smile turned smoldering. “Mission accomplished. In the best way.”