As Avery got dressed, I hovered in our doorway, watching her shamelessly. Since I'd only gotten home a couple minutes ago, fresh with supplies to add to our
new house, my wife hadn't yet noticed me standing there.
So far, she'd vetoed two different dresses. And those were only the ones I'd seen. Currently, she was wearing what I considered to be a mere scrap of red silk. It was tiny, barely reaching the tops of her thighs.
Sighing, Avery turned in front of our floor-length mirror. It was fastened to the wall between the walk-in-closet and bathroom, which was convenient, considering the how many times she'd changed in the past few minutes.
As Avery fussed with the nearly nonexistent straps, she turned again, glancing up and down her body disapprovingly. Mid-spin, though, her eyes latched onto the tall, handsome guy standing in the doorway — me.
Avery's hand flew to her mouth, which only caused her dress to rise higher.
Laughing, I murmured, "Nice dress, heiress — if it can even be considered one."
The moment I joined her, my body behind hers in the mirror, she smacked my arm. "How long have you been watching?"
Smirking, I brushed aside her hair to speak into her ear. "Long enough to realize that you can't decide on something to wear."
Still facing forward, my wife met my eyes through the mirror. "You said it was a nice restaurant."
"It is," I murmured, reminding myself of our plans for tonight.
"How nice is nice?" she asked. "Casual-nice? Or formal-nice?"
I laughed again, pressing my face into her shoulder. "You're such an over-thinker."
"You love that about me," she replied.
Grinning, I pressed a kiss against the side of her neck. "Yeah. I do." My voice wasn't at all ashamed. "But in this instance, heiress, I'd prefer you pick a longer dress." Winking, I added, "I'd like to remain the only person that gets to see your underwear."
Avery blushed, embarrassed that I'd caught her in such an indecent dress. It wasn't like her to wear such a thing, anyway.
"How about I pick your outfit?" I offered.
"Only if I approve."
I snuck into our closet. "Deal, Miss Grambs."
Smirking, Avery corrected, "Mrs. Hawthorne."
I grinned. Avery waited in the closet's doorway, ensuring I wouldn't pick anything too extravagant. I rifled through her clothes, thinking over which color I'd most like to see her in. Most often, she wore neutrals, which was particularly on account of the fact that they drew the least attention.
However, Avery drew attention regardless. It was simply part of being a twenty-three year old billionaire.
I got my fair share of attention too, but nothing compared to Avery.
After a couple minutes of rummaging through her dresses, I selected one and offered it to her.
Avery paused to examine it. The dress was a dark green, long but not long enough to look dramatic. The ends held a hint of a flare, downplaying the formality of it all. The halter neckline, though, I knew would look fantastic on her.
If Avery vetoed this one too, I'd surely have an aneurysm.
But my wife took in into her hands, considering it, and eventually said, "Alright."
My lips curled into a crooked grin. "Yeah?"
Avery nodded, looking a little exhausted, honestly.
I began to take the dress from her, but Avery refused my help. She all but shoved me out of our closet, claiming that I'd always preferred surprises anyway.
So, I waited impatiently on the edge of our bed.
Avery took several minutes. And even though we still had time to kill, I was tempted to tell her we'd be late if she took any longer.
Just when I was getting fidgety, Avery emerged, her body doused in silk the same shade as my eyes.
I jumped to my feet. Before I could say a word, though, Avery turned, flashing me the unzipped satin and her partially bare back.
"Jameson?" Her voice was softer than before.
"Yes, heiress?"
She reached blindly for my hands and guided them to the zipper at the base of her spine. "Zip me up?"
I buried my face in her hair, murmuring, "My pleasure."
As I slid the zipper up her back, I admired how tightly the dress clung to her body. I wondered if it had been custom made just for her.
Unable to help myself, I grinned against her ear. "You look like dessert, heiress."
She flashed me a dazzling smile as she turned around, taking my hand. "I guess you'd better take me to dinner first, then."
• • •
Thank you guys so much for reading this book! While this is the last oneshot, I currently have a few other books in progress on my profile. Maxon & America, Grayson & Avery, and Jameson & Avery kissing snippets. It would mean so much to me if you checked them out. Thanks y'all!
