enjoyebooks Chapter 18: The Makeover
Chapter 18: The Makeover
Diary Entry:
Date: September 19th
Time: 11:30 PM
Dear Diary,
Alec took me shopping today.
I thought it was just about appearances—making sure I looked the part when I met his grandfather. But it wasn’t just clothes.
He was different. Soft. Playful. And when he kissed me…
God, I’m not sure where the pretending ends anymore.
He said his offer still stands.
What happens if I say yes?
-Ivy
Ivy was out of her depth.
The boutique reeked of money. Soft lighting, velvet curtains, delicate perfumes lingering in the air like a promise of exclusivity. Every item of clothing in the store looked like it cost more than three months' rent.
The second they stepped inside, the sales associates swarmed—their polite smiles stretching wider when they recognized Alec Brayton. Not just a customer. A VIP.
“What exactly are we doing here?” Ivy whispered as Alec examined a sleek black dress on a mannequin.
Alec barely glanced at her. “You’re meeting my grandfather tomorrow,” he said, plucking the dress off the rack and handing it to her. His fingers brushed hers, sending a shiver up her spine. “You need to look the part.”
Ivy’s mouth opened, then closed. There was no arguing with him when he was in this mode—cool, composed, completely in control.
A whirlwind of silk, lace, and indecently high heels followed. The sales associates fussed over her, adjusting hems, tucking and pinning fabric with delicate fingers. Alec sat back in a leather chair, one leg crossed over the other, watching her like she was some kind of personal project.
The worst part? He looked like he was enjoying himself.
“Having fun?” Ivy asked, arching a brow as she tugged at the hem of yet another dress.
Alec smirked, his gaze slow and appraising. “Immensely.”
The next dress was an emerald green gown, fitted in all the right places, draped elegantly over her curves.
She stepped out of the fitting room, already bracing for another round of Alec’s usual sarcasm.
But this time, his expression changed.
The smirk faded.
His usual cool composure slipped—just slightly.
“That’s the one,” Alec said, his voice low and certain.
Ivy’s throat tightened.
There was something raw in his gaze, something that made her stomach flip in a way she wasn’t prepared for.
They walked out of the boutique with too many shopping bags, the evening air crisp against her skin. Ivy teased him, trying to break the strange tension still humming between them.
“You just wanted to play dress-up with me, didn’t you?”
Alec tilted his head, stepping closer. Too close.
“Maybe I did,” he murmured. “Or maybe I just wanted an excuse to spend the day with you.”
Her breath caught.
Before she could respond, he leaned in.
Slow. Deliberate.
His lips brushed against hers—soft, but certain.
Ivy froze, heart hammering. His hands gently framed her face, his fingertips warm against her skin. The kiss was nothing like the first one he had given her in front of the cameras. This wasn’t for show.
This was real. Too real.
When he pulled back, his voice was a whisper against her lips.
“My offer still stands, Ivy. Think about it.”
She was still breathless, still caught in the heat of it, when Alec casually picked up the shopping bags and smirked.
“See you tomorrow.”
And then he was gone.
Leaving her completely, utterly unprepared for what was coming next.