Page 84 of Pretend To Be Mine

“Unexpected details. Things that surprise you when you look closer. Like a conservative neckline but with a dramatic back. Or a simple silhouette with complex internal structure.”

“Yes.” Adrian’s hand moved to the page, sketching a rough form. “Like this?”

I studied it, then grabbed my own pencil. “More like this. See? If you brought the waist here, and then let it flare?”

“But kept the bodice nice and tight,” Adrian added, drawing over my lines. “What about color? What are you drawn to?”

“Jewel tones.”

We fell into a rhythm, trading the sketchbook back and forth, building on each other’s ideas. It was collaboration, but it was also something else. Something intimate and exciting that felt almost like foreplay.

“Beautiful.” His lips found my shoulder, pressing a kiss there even as his eyes stayed on the sketch. “You’re brilliant.”

“We’re brilliant together,” I corrected, adding final details.

By the time we set down our pencils, we had three complete designs. Three dresses that made my heart race just looking at them.

The first was an evening gown in deep sapphire, with a plunging neckline balanced by a structured back. The silhouette was classic, but the internal construction created dramatic movement—fabric that would swirl and catch light with every step.

The second was cocktail length in emerald green—my color, Adrian said—with an asymmetrical neckline and strategic cutouts that managed to be sexy without being gratuitous. The proportions were daring but wearable.

The third was the most ambitious, a full-length gown in burgundy that played with volume and negative space, creating a silhouette that was both architectural and feminine.

They were wild. Daring. Beautiful.

They were mine in a way my portfolio pieces had never been.

“Now those are amazing,” Adrian said. “I’ll tell you what. If you can get these dresses made in time for the Milan show, we’ll include them in the lineup. What do you say?”

I stared at him. “You’re serious?”

“Completely. Dash’s show is Thursday night. That gives you four days to create three dresses. It’s ambitious, but with Annika’s help and our resources?” He grinned. “I think you can do it.”

“Oh my God.” The excitement bubbling up in my chest was almost too much to contain. “Yes. Yes!”

I kissed him then, hard and desperate and grateful. When I pulled back, I was grinning so wide my face hurt. “I need to find Annika. And fabric. And a sewing machine. Oh God, four days⁠—”

“Breathe,” he said, laughing. “We have time. But first, we need to get ready for tonight. Sebastian’s going to murder me if we’re late to his show.”

“Right. Yes. The show.” I looked at the sketches again, unable to stop smiling. “Thank you. For pushing me. For believing I could do better.”

“I believe you can do anything.” He said it simply, like it was the most obvious fact. “Now come on. Let’s get dressed.”

Why did it feel like I just bought the winning lottery ticket?

27

ADRIAN

The manor house appeared through the trees like something out of a fairy tale. The honey-colored stone and big-arched windows revealed the centuries of history the place had seen. I didn’t know specifically how old it was, but at least two-hundred years. It was perfect for the show. A slightly Gothic feel that would lean into the decadence theme.

The car wound up a long gravel drive. In a couple of hours, the driveway would be lined with limousines. As we rounded the final curve, the full scope of the estate revealed itself.

“Holy shit,” Elizabeth breathed beside me.

I’d seen it before during our initial location scouting, but even I had to admit it was impressive. The building rose three stories, with wings extending back to create a U shape. Manicured gardens stretched in every direction. But the thing that really tickled Sebastian was the fountain.

It was a massive creation featuring naked cherubs and nymphs in various states of frolicking. Naked, of course. Water cascaded over their marble forms in ways that were either artistic or pornographic depending on your perspective.