Various States of Undress: Virginia by Laura Simcox Page B

you can go right uptown to Cameron’s corporate offices and settle into the CEO chair.”
    â€œThat’s not true.” And it wasn’t. She had no clue about the hoops he still had to jump through before his ass was planted in that coveted seat. She didn’t know about London and the fact that he’d probably be overseas for two years, minimum. He looked at her. “I want . . .” He paused. What did he want? All he knew was that his desire for her didn’t have anything to do with the insane career path he’d chosen. Telling her about it would only complicate things.
    â€œI think about kissing you all the time, and it has nothing to do with Lilah’s. Nothing to do with who you are.” He slid down next to her. “I mean, who you are on the outside.” She raised an eyebrow, and Dex grimaced. “I didn’t mean how you look.” He gestured at her slinky dress. “Which is amazing. I meant . . .” Damn, he was getting tongue-tied, as usual, but he wanted to set things straight. “I meant . . . it doesn’t have anything to do with you being famous and . . . oh hell.”
    She gazed at him, and he could tell that she wanted to believe him. “Okay. Let me explain what happened at Saks. I’m not drunk. I had two glasses of champagne back there, and I was playing a part. Fashion is a strange world, Dex, and being lively—even fake—at a party is expected. It’s all part of the game, and I was right in the middle of that game when you took me out. I was speaking with buyers and designers and working some of the connections I need for Lilah’s. Stacey has a lot of connections, and with her help, I’m making my own.”
    â€œYou hired Stacey?”
    â€œNo. It’s nothing formal. She’s a generous friend who’s excited about my work, and she knows that when I can return the favor, I will. She probably seemed silly to you, but when it comes to fashion, she’s dead serious.” Virginia snapped her fingers and continued in a sarcastic tone. “Oh, speaking of dead serious, I have something to show you .” Without waiting for a response, she left the room and came back quickly, holding a laptop, which she set on the small coffee table. Then she opened it and clicked a file on the desktop. “Here. See what you think. I’m going to change out of this dress.” She walked away again.
    Dex scooted forward and stared at the screen. It was a proposal—a very detailed one—for the transformation of Lilah’s. He scrolled slowly through the basics, which included sensual window displays and new streamlined layouts throughout the first floor. Virginia had addressed everything from customer traffic patterns to mood music. It was both logical and exciting, and, as he continued to scroll, he stopped to click open photos—each of them containing edgy models wearing provocative ensembles. But there was an unexpected undertone of the classic, the exclusive, to all of it—it was sexy elegance, he realized. It was high fashion.
    Virginia appeared in a doorway. “What do you think?”
    He looked up at her guarded expression and then let his gaze wander over her soft sweater that clung in just the right places. She wore a pair of jeans that drove him crazy, and her feet were bare. Simple—yet he couldn’t take his eyes off of her. “I think you’re beautiful,” he said.
    She started to smile, but shook her head. “Thanks. But I meant my proposal.”
    â€œIt’s truly impressive. And I have complete faith in your abilities, so it goes without saying that it’s approved.” He stood up. “I’m going to kiss you now.”
    â€œWait, what? What about you being pissed at me?”
    He nodded, buying time to figure out what to say. What could he say? That he wanted her even though their relationship ought to be all