Chapter 16: Shopping Date

KIANA

I woke up early to head home and grab some clothes. I was thankful not to run into Chase on my way downstairs to meet his driver, who was already waiting for me.

It was only eight in the morning when I got home. I found the place silent. Mia was still asleep, which I could understand. It was Saturday, and she loved her leisurely mornings.

Not knowing what I might need for the weekend, I chose a few different outfits.

Memories of last night quickly flooded my mind. The thought of spending another twenty-four hours alone with Chase filled me with a rush of nervous energy and hope that I might share another kiss with him.

My fingers grazed my lips as though I could still taste his minty fresh breath or smell his strong, masculine scent…

I shook my head from the thoughts and headed to my shower.

Once I was washed and dressed, I hurried back outside and hopped in the waiting car.

The driver led me back into the penthouse, and I thanked him before moving toward my room, my small case of clothes rolling beside me.

I walked past Chase’s room, noticing his door was slightly ajar. I could hear the shower running.

Without thinking, I paused to peek inside.

I swallowed hard as I saw him step out of the bathroom, clad only in a towel.

My mouth fell open. His body was something straight out of a movie, enhanced by the natural light that only accentuated what I’d seen last night. His sculpted abs glistened with water droplets, and his wet, tousled hair added to his allure.

In another life, he could have been a model—no doubt.

I blinked and scolded myself. I shouldn’t be invading his privacy, let alone peeking into his room.

Just as I was about to walk away, his bedroom door swung open. He leaned against the door frame, seemingly unfazed by my seeing him in his scanty attire.

Our eyes met and I swallowed hard, forcing myself not to look below his chin to avoid any awkwardness.

“Why did you leave so early?” he asked, toweling off his hair.

“I…um…,” I stammered.

~Get it together, Kiana!~

I took a deep breath and continued. “I wanted to get my packing done as soon as possible.”

I was somewhat surprised by how easygoing he appeared. After last night, I thought he would have been somewhat…different. Yet, he behaved as if it hadn’t happened at all.

Did he merely see me as an easy target to sleep with?

I shook my head, trying to ignore my runaway thoughts. “What’s on the agenda today?” I asked.

“~Your~ agenda today is a shopping spree with my cousin,” Chase said, his tone commanding. “No arguments. You need new clothes.”

I’d completely forgotten about Crystal!

The intercom buzzed. Chase quickly covered himself in a bathrobe and walked over, letting in whoever was waiting outside.

Crystal waltzed in wearing sleek black boots, white skinny jeans, and a striking red sweater. She looked like she had stepped directly off a fashion magazine cover.

“Kiana!” she squealed, enveloping me in a hug.

I felt so out of place in my dark blue jeans, sneakers, and simple T-shirt.

“Ready for our date?” She winked, a beaming smile on her face.

“Of course she is,” Chase answered for me.

~Was he trying to get rid of me?~

“Take this.” He held out his black card. He must have sensed I was about to argue because he turned and handed it to Crystal instead, who was all too happy to accept.

“I need you to send Kiana home with no less than ten new outfits and three new gowns, including accessories and whatever else she may need,” he added.

“Can do, Cuz,” Crystal replied with a cheery salute.

“Just don’t be back too late,” Chase said seriously, narrowing his gaze at her.

“Yes, Daddy,” Crystal teased, tugging me by the wrist toward the door.

***

Seventeen stores and an abundance of bags later, my feet were killing me.

Crystal had her driver follow us all day, so whenever we bought something, he would take it straight to the car. To say I was afraid of what I would see when we got back was a major understatement.

Alongside the outfits Chase had made us promise to buy, Crystal also got me a few casual and formal looks to “fill out my wardrobe,” as she put it.

We eventually sat down to lunch at a cute café not far from the last boutique we visited.

“Thank you for today,” I said.

“I liked spending the day with you. Although dressing you up was my favorite part. I can see why Chase has an interest in you.” She winked.

I coughed, taking a sip of my drink to cover my embarrassment. “You’re so good at this, you should think about becoming a personal shopper. I never would have looked twice at half the outfits we bought today,” I told her.

She laughed, a look of joy mixed with pride flashed across her face. “Whenever you want to go on another shopping date, just let me know,” she replied.

“So, what are Chase’s parents like?” I asked, changing the subject.

“Aunt Loren is a darling. Uncle Charlie can be a tad serious, but don’t let his first impression fool you—he’s a softie at heart.

“Don’t worry about next weekend. You’ll fit in just fine. Just be yourself and they’ll love you,” she assured me. “Ben and I will be there as well, so you’ll have me to keep you company whenever the boys get a little much.” She giggled.

After we finished lunch, Crystal stopped me before we got into the car.

“Just one more place to go.” She smirked a little too seductively as she led me into another store.

“Crystal, I—” I began my protest, but I was silenced when a manicured finger was placed against my lips.

“This is the last place. I promise,” she said excitedly, pulling me through the rows of sexy lingerie and almost scary-looking toys on display.

“Here.” Crystal thrust a bundle of barely-there material into my arms. “Try this on.”

“I don’t think I n-need…this,” I stuttered.

“Every woman needs a sexy wardrobe. Spice things up in the bedroom. If ya know what I mean.” She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

I unconsciously bit my lip, and I could feel my cheeks burning red.

“Wait. You haven’t…?” Crystal asked with a gasp, her eyes wide in disbelief.

“No.” I spoke in a hushed tone, hoping no one could hear us.

“Well, I never,” she said, feigning shock. “At least you’ll be prepared for when you do.” She gave me a suggestive smirk before pushing me into the changing room.

If there was one thing I’d noticed about Chase and his family, it was that they were all confident individuals who invariably got their way. There was no arguing with them about certain things.

Back in the car, we were finally heading home with my endless bundle of bags.

“You don’t think this is all a bit much?” I asked, gesturing toward the mountain of bags.

“You should enjoy letting Chase buy you things, and that includes clothes. Trust me, that man has more money than he knows what to do with. Spending it on his girlfriend isn’t such a terrible thing. Don’t feel bad about someone wanting to spoil you now and again,” she said.

“You sound like someone else I know.” My phone pinged, displaying Mia’s name on the screen.

“Speak of the devil,” I said.

“Who’s that?” Crystal asked.

“My roommate, Mia. We’ve known each other since we started university and shared a dorm before deciding to get our own place together a few months ago.”

Now that I thought about it, Mia and Crystal were more alike than I’d realized. They were both straightforward, and they both loved luxury.

I smiled. “I think you’d like her too.”

“We should all go out sometime. Aside from playing dress-up, I like to dabble in matchmaking, and my brother is still single.

“My mother is practically begging us to settle down and give her grandbabies, so if he falls victim first, my mother might give me a break.” Crystal giggled. “That and I don’t really know many people I can trust in the city.”

“Sounds like a plan,” I replied, already looking forward to our next outing.

***

Back at the penthouse, Crystal directed a few poor doormen to assist in lugging the evidence of our shopping spree into the penthouse.

Chase didn’t even bat an eyelid at the endless bags streaming in. If anything, it seemed like he expected a few more as he continued staring at the door after the last bags came through.

Crystal said her swift goodbyes while handing back Chase’s card and reminding us that we’d see her again next weekend, which I now found myself secretly looking forward to.

“Did you get everything you need?” he asked, looking through the bags.

“More than enough,” I said, picking up a few bags and getting ready to take them to my room. “This should cover any and every occasion.”

“And this?” Chase cleared his throat as he held up a thin piece of sexy white lace that Crystal had insisted I buy.

I dropped the bags I was holding and snatched the lingerie from his hands. He had a teasing grin on his face, his dimple displaying proudly as he went to take something else from the same bag.

I acted quickly, grabbing the bag away from him and pushing the sheer white lace back inside with the rest of the things I never intended to wear.

“Cute,” he said with a grin.

“Crystal didn’t exactly give me a choice. She thinks we’re actually together.”

“No need to explain. Whatever makes your body feel comfortable,” Chase added playfully, scooping up a large selection of bags and taking them to my room.

After unpacking and filling up my once-empty wardrobe, Chase decided to order Indian for dinner.

We watched the third movie in the ~Bad Boys~ franchise, but I struggled to pay attention. I couldn’t shake a nagging thought that had been bothering me for some time.

“Chase, I have something I need to tell you…,” I started, twiddling my thumbs, nervous about how he would respond.

He paused the movie, looking my way, waiting for me to continue.

I was never one for lying, especially when it was someone like Chase who had done nothing to deserve it.

“I broke a rule of the contract.” I’d captured his full attention.

He sat up a little higher. “What rule?”

I took a deep breath, preparing for the worst. “I may have told Mia, my roommate, about us.

“She already knew about the job offer, and she would have known something was up if I suddenly had a billionaire boyfriend the day after getting a £50,000 proposal and my university debt cleared.”

He sat in thought for a moment. The silence stretched for what seemed like forever before he finally spoke.

“Okay,” he said rather too casually, reclining against the sofa.

“Okay?” I repeated, taken aback.

“You made the right choice, telling me about it. You didn’t try to hide it. You told me of your own accord. And by the sound of it, anyone in her position with some common sense would have discovered our arrangement on their own.

“But no one else can know. And I’ll need to insist that she visit my office during the week to sign an NDA.”

“No punishment?” I asked.

A quick smirk tugged at the corner of his lips as he chuckled. “I’ll let you off this time. Unless you have a specific punishment in mind?”

“N-no,” I stuttered, my cheeks burning with embarrassment.

I turned toward the TV again, digging into my dinner with conviction.

I wondered what kind of “punishment” he would have had in mind.