Chapter 24

CHAPTER

TWENTY-FOUR

THEN

Cecilia stood in her bedroom and stared at herself in the cracked mirror leaning against her bedroom wall.

She'd found a champagne-colored dress that hugged her curves in all the right places.

One of her friends at Balderston's had helped her pick it out. Cecilia had been eyeing the dress for a while but had known she could never afford it.

Until now. Until Garrick had offered to pay.

Still, when Cecilia thought about the price tag, she'd nearly choked. Her friend and coworker had insisted she should get it, that an amount of money like that was nothing for people like Garrick.

Cecilia had halfway expected when she went to purchase the dress to be told there had been a mistake. That she'd misunderstood what Garrick had said and he wasn't buying this for her.

But there was no misunderstanding. The dress had been added to Garrick's tab as if doing so were a natural, everyday act.

She'd been able to leave work fifteen minutes early, which had given her just enough time to get home to her apartment to get changed. She had to shower and fix her hair. She took an especially long time with her makeup.

That had led her to this moment.

Staring into the mirror and wondering if she'd done enough.

With a nod of approval, she let out a breath.

Yes, she thought she had.

She looked good, even if she had to say so herself. Her blonde hair was pulled back into an elegant French twist. Fake diamond earrings graced her ears. Her makeup—though cheap—was flawless.

Right on time, a knock sounded at her door.

She didn't live in a fancy building with a doorman or any type of security. Anyone could come and go.

She was still embarrassed for Garrick to see her apartment, to see just how little she had. But maybe it was better if he saw this now rather than later. If he was interested in pursuing her, he needed to go in with his eyes wide open. Doing so would spare a lot of heartache later.

Cecilia pulled the door open and did a double take when she saw Garrick standing there wearing the suit she'd helped him pick out—with a blue tie, as she'd suggested.

He looked as if he had stepped off the pages of a magazine with his coifed hair, chiseled features, and perfect grin.

She still couldn't believe this man had asked her out. She wanted to pinch herself to ensure this wasn't just a fairy tale.

This was her real life.

But she still needed to be careful not to get her hopes up. She had no idea where this was going.

Garrick let out a low whistle. "You look gorgeous."

Her cheeks warmed. "Thank you. What do you think of the dress?"

She slowly twirled before doing a curtsy.

"I think it's perfect." His beaming eyes said everything. He approved—he more than approved. Then he offered his arm. "Are you ready to go?"

"I am."

She ignored the quell of nerves that suddenly rose in her. She grabbed the clutch she'd found tucked in her closet, one she'd picked up at a secondhand store. Then she stepped out and locked the door to her apartment.

So far, so good. But she still had to get through this event with Garrick. She wasn't sure what to expect. Wasn't sure what his friends might be like.

She was more of a blue-collar kind of girl, one who'd grown up going to rodeos and backyard cookouts. Fancy events had meant going to weddings—usually in a church—with a reception following featuring cake, mints, and peanuts.

"I think tonight's going to be a lot of fun," Garrick started, almost as if reading her mind.

They strolled down the hallway toward the apartment's exterior door and the busy street beyond.

"Is that right?" Cecilia glanced up, curious about where he was going with that statement. "What is it going to be like?"

"It's a charity event for the art gallery."

"I'm afraid I don't know a lot about art—except that I know when I like something and when it evokes a feeling in me. But none of those abstract pieces do it for me. They only confuse me."

He chuckled. "Me too, even though sometimes I fake my admiration just to make my friends happy."

His words made her feel a little better.

"Just relax and be yourself." He patted her hand, which was resting through his looped arm. "I know everyone will love you."

Cecilia wished she felt that confident. "Will you have friends and colleagues there?"

"I guess you could say that. There will be a variety of people. Many of them I rub elbows with at these kinds of events. It's always nice to have someone with me so I don't have to navigate these waters alone."

Something about his words caused some of her excitement to dim.

That almost sounded as if he made a habit of bringing different women to these events.

Was Cecilia just one in a long line?

She knew the answer was most likely yes. Garrick definitely had his pick of women. So why had he chosen her?

She didn't ask. Maybe she didn't want to know the truth. She wanted to believe she was special.

As they climbed onto the empty elevator, Garrick turned to her. Using his index finger, he directed her chin to face him. Their gazes locked.

"I know you're about to be plunged into a situation where you may not feel comfortable. But I'll be there right beside you the whole time. You're going to be wonderful."

"And if I'm not?" Her voice quivered, showing the insecurity she tried desperately to conceal.

"I don't even see how that is possible."

She licked her lips as a shiver of delight shimmied up her spine.

She hoped his words were true and that he wasn't just sweet-talking her.

As she stared up at him, she thought she saw sincerity in his gaze.

The connection between them felt undeniable.

Like their souls were somehow linked.

She'd never met a man like him before. She so desperately wanted this to be real, for this fairy tale to never end.

His gaze moved from her eyes, down to her lips, down to her chest, and then back up to her lips again.

Her pulse quickened.

Cecilia thought he might kiss her.

Her eyes began to shut.

Instead of a kiss, Garrick gently smoothed his finger down her cheek, her chin, her neck. "You're a lovely woman, Cecilia. A lovely, lovely woman."

Her throat tightened.

Those were the words she wanted to hear.

The elevator dinged, and they stepped out.

Being with Garrick right now made her realize she could fall in love. However, she'd vowed when she came to the city that wouldn't happen.

There were too many complications.

Mainly, her past.

Garrick thought he liked her now.

But what would happen when he learned the truth about her? A woman like Cecilia would never fit into his world.

Yet the heart wanted what the heart wanted.

What her heart wanted right now was Garrick . . . a man whose last name she didn't even know.