Chapters (92)
- First
- Love Connection
- Zero
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- One Month Later
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Six Months Later
- Sixteen
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- Twenty-one
- Twenty-two
- Twenty-three
- Twenty-four
- Six Months Later
- Twenty-five
- Twenty-six
- Twenty-seven
- Twenty-eight
- Twenty-nine
- Thirty
- Thirty-one
- Thirty-two
- Thirty-three
- I Have Never
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- Twenty-one
- Twenty-two
- A Christmas Date
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- Twenty-one
- Twenty-two
- Note from the Author
- Sneak Peek – To the Stars and Back
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Also by Camilla Isley
- About the Author
Okay, I admit I made a bit of an effort. In my defense, it wasn’t to seduce the boss. After only a few days, I was so fed up with the athleisure style, I couldn’t wait to put on an elegant dress. And this little black midi dress is nothing too provocative. Maybe it’s the shoes. The super narrow, super high stiletto heels must be eye-catching. Richard was openly staring at my feet just a moment ago.
“Well, since I didn’t have to walk for once,” I finally reply.
Richard’s gaze flickers to the ground again, and I suppress a tiny smile. Are shoes his weak spot?
Ten
Never Make Exceptions
By the time we land, I’m so over the shoes. As gorgeous as my pumps are, I can’t wait to kick them off. No matter that I’ve been sitting the entire time; these shoes were not made for pressure-bloated feet. Outside LAX, we hop in a cab to reach our hotel, and I have to muster all my willpower not to kick the stilettos off during the ride and reach for the flats in my suitcase. No pain, no height.
Indira chose a nice hotel in Santa Monica, near the ocean and with a stunning view of the pier. We check in and agree to meet in the lobby in an hour for dinner. The room is cozy if a little nondescript—a typical hotel chain with standardized furniture. But the view is everything.
A quick shower, and it’s already time to get ready for the night. To pack light, I’ve picked out all my outfits in advance. The designated one for tonight is a sheath bandage dress in a shimmering metallic gold-bronze. The bandage’s horizontal stripes and thick fabric are body-sculpting and make sure everything hangs just right.
But the real stars of this outfit are the shoes. As I take them out of their travel bag, I smirk. If Richard liked my pumps, wait until he sees these beauties. Knee-high metallic sandals with eight narrow straps, toes-to-knee, of which I have to individually buckle the last six. Not a quick job, but worth the trouble.
The soles are cushioned enough for me not to need gel inserts. Since the shoes are already such a statement, I keep the makeup light and natural.
In the lobby, I’m rewarded for my efforts with a long stare at my lower legs and two raised brows as I walk down the hall to meet Richard.
I smile. “Hey.”
“Hey, yourself,” Richard says. “Fancy dinner near the beach?”
“Couldn’t think of a better place.”
If May in New York is mild, in California it’s already summer. I don’t have much time to enjoy the warm evening breeze, however, as we hop in a cab right outside the hotel.
Richard gives the driver the name of a restaurant and we zip off into traffic.