Caught Up In You

He prayed that a week would be enough, that he wouldn’t get consumed by that need like he had with Mia …

Because if he stripped Kelsey of even one ray of the light that seemed to shine from her, he’d never forgive himself.

You’re older now, more in control, he reminded himself. He wasn’t some lovesick college student. This was a sexual arrangement, not a relationship. Kelsey was not Mia.

Yeah. Now to get himself to believe it.

“Bring me to your place before you drop me off at mine,” Wyatt said, shoving the worries back into the dusty, dark corners of his mind and refocusing on the task at hand. He needed to take a page from Jace’s book and live in the moment for a change.

“Okay. How come?”

“Because I’m going to need you to open up Wicked for a private shopping session tonight. It’s time I use my investor discount, don’t you think?”

Jace’s grin was pure mischief. “I thought you’d never ask. Hope you’ve got an extra suitcase to bring on the trip, bro. Because you’re about to get the kink hookup of the year.”

* * *

Kelsey sat on a bench outside of The Ranch, her leg bumping up and down as she waited for Wyatt’s driver to pick her up. She was suddenly having visions of those scenes in Pretty Woman where the stuck-up shop owners were giving Julia Roberts shit because they thought she was trash. Kelsey glanced down at her simple white sweater and jeans, hoping her outfit didn’t scream “Imposter!” to anyone who looked too closely.

And what was Wyatt’s personal assistant going to think? Would Wyatt have told him or her that Kelsey was some new woman in his life, or would he have told the person the truth? The latter made her stomach churn. She’d been on the other side of judgment in her life too many times to count. She should be used to it by now—the upturned noses, the whispered comments, the passive-aggressive remarks. But, though she was more practiced at her outward response these days, that kind of judgment still chipped away at her with painful accuracy.

So when the limo pulled up a few minutes later, Kelsey had gone into total mannequin mode—her smile stiff and her fingers clutching her purse like it held the Hope Diamond. But when the back door swung open and a petite, dark-haired woman slid out, all of Kelsey’s anxiety sloughed off her and puddled on the ground, relief swooping in.

“Evan?”

“Hey there.” Evan Kennedy smiled and hopped onto the curb to give Kelsey a quick hug. “You look so surprised. Wyatt didn’t tell you who was coming?”

Kelsey squeezed Evan back before releasing her. “No. He said a personal assistant. That’s all I knew. But man, am I glad to see you.”

“Same here, sweetie. Wyatt asked Jace if he could borrow me to help you out with ‘girlie’ stuff.” She did air quotes complete with an eye roll. “I swear. You’d think I was taking you out to buy your first tampons or something.”

Kelsey laughed, so relieved to see Jace’s girlfriend that the sound came out giddy. She and Evan weren’t particularly close, but she’d gotten to chat with her a few times at The Ranch when Evan wasn’t occupied with both of her dominants, Jace and Andre. And Evan had never been anything but warm and welcoming toward her. “I hope I didn’t take you away from anything important.”

She waved a dismissive hand. “Hell, no. I photographed two weddings and a sweet sixteen party this weekend. I need a day away. Especially when said day includes riding around in a limo and shopping for you with someone else’s credit card.”

Kelsey smiled, even though the idea that Wyatt was buying things for her still sent uneasiness through her.

“Plus, Wyatt helped Jace and I out with a crisis last year, and I’d do just about anything for that guy. He’s good people.”

The driver came around the front of the limo with a polite smile. “Ready, ladies?”

Evan grabbed for Kelsey’s hand to tug her toward the car, her delight evident. “Yep, whisk us away, Henry.”

Both of them climbed inside, and Kelsey had to hold back her gasp at how luxurious the inside was. She’d been inside limos a time or two for bachelorette parties and such, but she could tell instantly by the buttery soft seats and the embossed A&A on the glassware that this wasn’t rented. This one was owned. By Wyatt’s company.

Wyatt owned a fucking limo, probably many, and one day would own an entire company. It wasn’t news, but seeing it right there in her face definitely rocked her a bit. It was easy to normalize Wyatt when he was sitting in the cafe drinking coffee and reading the paper, imagining that he was just an everyday guy who happened to wear designer suits and have a big job. But Kelsey had never really allowed herself to think too far past that, to truly grasp that this man existed in a world of filthy, filthy wealth.

And she was about to enter into that universe to try to deceive it into thinking she belonged there.

She was way out of her depth. With this ruse. And this man.

She tucked her hands beneath her legs, sitting on them to fight the instinct to grab the handle of the door and hop right back out. This was why Wyatt had given her time to change her mind. He knew things would look different in the daylight. But she’d made an agreement and didn’t plan on backing out now.

They rode into the city, Evan providing a steady stream of chitchat to keep Kelsey’s mind from spiraling down into the pit too far. But by the time the driver had stopped in front of the city’s swankiest shopping district, the concerns were starting to tiptoe in again like thieves trying to hijack her remaining resolve.

Evan directed Kelsey into the first shop, where a young brunette flashed them a perfectly practiced smile and led them to a private dressing area that had posh leather couches, champagne, and a tray of canapés set up for them. She motioned to the space like a Vanna White wannabe. “Mr. Austin let us know what types of things you’d need for your upcoming trip, Ms. LeBreck. So our stylist took the liberty of assembling some outfits for you to try on. He said you preferred classic lines with an edge of sexiness. Obviously, if these don’t work, we can go through the store and pull some more looks for you.”

Kelsey stared at the racks of dresses and outfits that lined the far wall of the room. Next to them, accessories were set out on a table, grouped by color and level of dressiness. She cleared her throat. “Um, thank you. I’m sure I’ll be able to find what I need. This looks great.”

The girl beamed as if she’d personally designed all the clothes in the room. “Would you like me to help you get started?”

Evan glanced at Kelsey, then back at the girl. “I think we’re okay right now. But we’ll call for you if we need any assistance.”

The girl nodded and breezed out, leaving Kelsey and Evan behind with the clothes, champagne, and classical music.

Evan shook her head, watching the door close behind the girl. “I can’t believe people actually get to shop like this.”

“Seriously.” Kelsey walked over to the rack of dresses, reaching out to feel the jewel-colored fabrics, the luxurious material gliding over her fingers. Handwritten price tags hung from each one, some costing more than her monthly rent. She grabbed one tag, running her thumb over the outrageous number.

“I can hear you panicking,” Evan said, stepping behind her. “You okay?”

Kelsey peeked back over her shoulder. “You do mindreading on the side?”

Evan sent her a sympathetic smile. “Sorry. I live with two doms. I’ve picked up on a few things. You went all stiff.”

Kelsey dropped the price tag and let a shimmery cocktail dress slide over her hand. It was all … so much. Too much. She headed to the side table with the champagne, but moved past the alcohol and grabbed a sparkling water instead. “I’ll be all right. I think it’s starting to set in that I’m actually going to do this.”

“Which part?” she asked, her pale blue eyes showing true concern.

Kelsey took a long gulp of water. “How much did Wyatt tell you?”