Barbara Dunlop - Christmas Secrets

“I like the necklace, too,” said Cole. “And the belt. Why not try on the whole thing?”

“You don’t think the skirt’s a little short?” Amber asked. Though she would admit, the outfit looked fun.

“Shows you have confidence,” said Cole.

“I don’t have confidence.”

Cole turned to Destiny. “You see what I’m dealing with?”

“It would work with black stockings,” said Destiny.

Cole opened his mouth, but Luca elbowed him in the ribs.

A sales clerk arrived. “Do you need any help?” she asked with a broad smile.

Amber couldn’t help wondering what Cole had been about to say on the topic of black stockings. She also couldn’t seem to stop a shimmer of sexual awareness.

“She needs a whole new wardrobe,” said Cole, gesturing to Amber.

Amber shifted under everyone’s scrutiny. “Oh, I wouldn’t say I need an entire—”

“Shut up,” Destiny interrupted. She gestured back to Cole. “He’s buying, and we need her to look like a million bucks. Literally.”

“Daywear, evening, office?” the clerk asked.

“Yes,” said Cole.

“This is getting out of hand,” said Amber.

She understood the principle behind his strategy. And now that she’d had a few hours to think about it, she agreed with it. But still, it wasn’t necessary to go overboard.

“She’s been appointed to chair the board of a billion-dollar company,” said Cole.

Amber opened her mouth to disagree, but his look stopped her. Fine. Okay. She was going to stop telling people she was a fraud. She was still a fraud, but she could fake it for Zachary’s sake.

“Bring it on,” she said to the clerk. “I need to look good in the office. I have several evening meetings scheduled, and given the season, there are a few formal events, as well.”

“She’ll need shoes and purses,” said Destiny.

“Don’t forget jewelry,” said Luca.

“Do we want to do something with her hair?” asked Cole.

Amber glared at him. “Careful. You’re next.”

“I’m perfectly willing to get a haircut.”

“He’s the…” Amber paused. “What is your title? You’re going to need a title. I’m thinking a big, brass plate on the office door, Mr. Henderson.”

“The Big Cheese?” joked Luca.

Destiny gave him a thumbs-down.

The clerk smirked as she began looking through the well-spaced racks.

“Grand Pooh-Bah,” said Cole.

“I’m not joking,” said Amber. “This is your plan. You need to buy all the way in.”

“We’ve got a president. We’ve got a chair. Executive board member?”

“You can be the chair,” said Amber. “I’ll be an executive board member.”

“Cochair,” said Luca. He pointed to Amber. “Cochair of the board.” Then he pointed to Cole. “Cochair of the board.”

Amber and Cole looked at each other.

“Okay by me,” she said. It would be better than doing it alone.

Cole shrugged. “I’ll order the brass nameplates.”

“What do you think of these?” asked the clerk, holding a gold dress and a black blazer in one hand, and a navy-and-white outfit with a nautical flair in the other.

“The stuff on the mannequin, too,” said Cole.

Amber gave in. “Sure. Bring me whatever you think will work. I’m new at this.”

The clerk showed her to an airy changing room with a settee and a triple mirror.

“Come out and show us,” Cole called.

“I’m going in to help,” said Destiny, slipping past the velvet curtain.

The professional outfits were easy to find. But once they switched to dresses, things bogged down. There were simply too many choices, and all of them were gorgeous. Once she made it past her cost worries, Amber actually began to enjoy herself.

After an hour, Cole headed to menswear. Once he was gone, Destiny dived into the fun, trying on a few of the dresses herself. The women were close enough in size that they could swap back and forth. Destiny was a little bigger in the bust while Amber had the longer legs. Some of the swaps were quite comical.

Amber had accepted a glass of champagne, and now wandered over to where it sat on a glass table. She was trying on a flirty, strapless cocktail dress that was unlike anything she’d ever worn before.

The bodice was snug, wrapping her in silver beading and sequins. It had a high waist of deep jewel blue with a chiffon skirt that flowed to midthigh. Her back was mostly bare, crisscrossed in shiny, beaded straps, ending in a drop V waist. She’d also found a pair of high-heeled silver shoes that were surprisingly comfortable and seemed to go with a lot of outfits.

“ This is a keeper,” said Destiny from behind her.

Amber turned to see Destiny do a runway turn in a glimmering, full-length gold sheath with a slit up the leg.

Luca’s voice drawled from the armchair where he’d stayed back to watch. “Have you got a month’s pay to blow?”

“I was going to let Cole buy it,” Destiny answered with an impish grin. “The man just inherited half a billion dollars. He’s not going to notice one little dress.”

“Sure,” came Cole’s unexpected voice. “Dresses are on me.”

Amber turned to find him looking her up and down. “Buy that one.”

She felt suddenly self-conscious, particularly knowing he’d had a good view of the back.

“I’m just messing around,” she told him. “I’ve already picked out more than enough.”

“Buy it,” he repeated. “It looks good on you.”

“I don’t have anywhere to wear it.”

“You will.”

“I don’t think you have a good feel for my social life.”

“The Coast Eagle Christmas party is on Friday. It’s formal.”

She glanced down at herself. “You call this formal?”

“What do you call it?”

“Nightclubbing.”

“Nobody’s going to complain.” He moved in a bit closer, his voice going low as Destiny and Cole engaged in their own conversation. “I’m sure not going to complain.”

The familiar shiver of arousal teased her limbs. “Stop.”

“You done?” he asked.

She nodded.

“Got shoes, purses, jewelry? Whatever else Destiny says you need?”

“I wouldn’t trust Destiny if I was you.”

“She’s right. I did just inherit a ridiculous amount of money. And this is important.” There was something in his tone, some combination of reluctance and tenacity.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

“I’m fine.”

“Are you still wrapping your head around it?”

It took him a moment to speak. “I don’t think I’ve started wrapping my head around it. I’m going one step at a time. You hungry?”

The question took her by surprise. “Hungry?”

“For tonight, I think that’s the next step.”

“I could go for a pizza,” she admitted. It would feel nice to climb back into her jeans and be normal.

A grin spread across his face. “I like you, Amber. All this, and now you want to go out for pizza.”

“Double cheese if you don’t mind. And maybe a beer?”

Cole tipped his head to the sales clerk. “We’ll take everything she liked, including the dress she’s wearing.” Then he nodded to Destiny. “Her, too. She’s got an important court case coming up, and she needs to look good.”

The clerk’s eyes went round.

“Cole,” Amber protested, horrified to think that the woman might take him seriously and ring up everything.

He ignored her protest, instead speaking to Luca and Destiny. “We’re going for pizza and a strategy session. Now that we look the part, we have to act the part. Amber and I need to make a decision. Something important, positive and significant, and we have to be able to implement it fast.”