Chapter 17
1817 Words
Liora’s POV
I had been working for Ezra long enough to stop feeling like I was drowning every morning. I knew the rhythm of his days now. The moods he cycled through. The way he liked his documents sorted, the way he preferred his coffee, the subtle tilt of his head that told me when he was about to hand me more work. It was strange how quickly a person could adapt to someone so intimidating.
That afternoon, I placed the latest stack of prepared documents on his desk and stepped back with the practiced efficiency I had been trying to master. Ezra was writing something in his sharp, elegant handwriting, barely sparing me a glance. His sleeves were rolled just above his forearms, showing clean lines of muscle and veins that for some reason made my heart act stupid.
I cleared my throat softly. “Everything you asked for is there. If there is nothing else, I will return to my office.”
I was halfway turned when I heard his voice.
“Liora.” Calm. Firm. Impossible to ignore.
My entire body reacted before my mind did. I turned back, trying to look composed while my heart flung itself at my ribs like a trapped thing.
“Yes?”
“Come with me this afternoon.”
I blinked. That was not an instruction I heard often. “To where?”
He finally lifted his gaze, and I caught the faint spark in his dark eyes. “You will see.”
It was the kind of answer that both irritated and intrigued me. I nodded, pretending not to feel the tiny jump of nerves that shot through my chest. “Alright.”
A few hours later, I followed Ezra through the lobby, trying not to stare at the way the staff bowed or greeted him with respect that bordered on nervousness. He walked like a man who owned every surface his shoes touched. I trailed after him like a shadow trying to pretend it belonged there.
Outside, the driver opened the door, and once we settled inside, I tried to gather some courage.
“Are you going to tell me where we are going?” I asked.
Ezra rested his arm against the door, studying me in a way that made it difficult to breathe. “I need you to accompany me for some preparations.”
Preparations. That could mean anything with him. My stomach tightened, though I kept my expression calm.
Fine. I would find out soon enough.
The car stopped in front of a sleek designer menswear boutique, the kind with black marble floors and spotlights shining down on mannequins wearing suits that cost more than my entire rent for the year. I followed Ezra inside, trying not to feel entirely out of place.
The store manager practically sprinted over the moment she recognized him.
“Mr Reeve, welcome. We prepared the new collection you requested.”
Ezra nodded and walked toward the fitting area, where several suits were displayed. I assumed I was there to take notes or hold things. Completely wrong.
“Liora,” he said, shrugging out of his jacket. “Come here.”
I stepped forward, not sure what role I was supposed to play. “Do you need me to take notes or review the documents you sent earlier?”
“No,” he said, handing me his jacket. “I need your opinion.”
I froze. “My opinion? On what?”
“On these.”
He gestured at the suits. The manager helped him into the first one, and when he stepped in front of the mirror, I watched him the way one watches something dangerous without meaning to. The dark charcoal fabric hugged his shoulders perfectly. He looked like power carved into human form.
“Well?” he asked.
I snapped out of my trance and cleared my throat. “It is… very fitting.”
“Is that a yes or a no?”
Honestly, everything looked like a yes on him. “It suits you. But maybe the second one will look sharper.”
We went through four more suits, and I found myself walking around him, adjusting a sleeve, smoothing a wrinkle, checking the fall of the fabric. It felt far too intimate for something so normal. My fingers brushed the back of his hand once and my heart almost crashed through my ribs.
He ended up choosing the third one, and after he changed back into his clothes, he paid without hesitation. I still could not believe how casually he dropped amounts of money that made my wallet want to faint.
I assumed we were done. I assumed wrong.
Ezra led me down the polished mall hallway to another boutique. This one was unmistakably a women’s store. Soft lighting. Mannequins in elegant evening dresses. Sparkling accessories. A heavy floral scent in the air.
I stopped walking. “Why are we here?”
Ezra looked back, his expression unreadable. “Because you are next.”
“Next for what?”
“Clothes.”
My feet refused to move. “Ezra, I already have clothes.”
“Not the ones you need.”
That sentence shot a cold shiver up my spine for reasons I could not explain. Before I could argue further, the sales assistant approached us, her eyes widening the moment she recognized him.
“Mr Reeve. Welcome. What can I help you with today?”
Ezra motioned toward me. “She needs outfits. Bring options.”
“Right away.”
I stared at him. “Ezra, I really do not think this is necessary.”
“You can think that after you try them.”
“I really do not want to spend your money.”
“It is not spending. It is something required.”
“How is buying me clothes required?”
He held my gaze, steady and calm. “Try them on, Liora.”
There was something in his tone that made my resistance crumble. It was not harsh. It was not command for the sake of control. It was a quiet certainty that he rarely used, and my whole body betrayed me by obeying it.
The assistant returned with arms full of dresses, suits, and elegant blouses. She ushered me into a changing room that felt more luxurious than my entire apartment.
The first outfit was a soft cream dress that hugged my waist. I stepped out, feeling awkward under Ezra’s gaze. He looked me over once and shook his head.
“Next.”
The second was a black fitted dress. Ezra’s eyes lingered a bit longer, but he still shook his head.
“Next.”
The third was a wine colored evening gown that made me feel like someone else entirely. His eyes softened for a moment before he dismissed it.
“Not this one.”
The fourth outfit was a matching set of tailored pants and a silk blouse. He studied me with his arms crossed. “Closer. But no.”
The fifth outfit had sequins, and I practically blinded myself wearing it. Ezra looked at it for three seconds before saying, “Absolutely not.”
By the time I put on the sixth outfit, I was exhausted, irritated, and strangely nervous. It was a deep sapphire dress with thin straps and a fitted shape that followed every curve of my body. The color made my skin look a shade lighter, my hair darker, and my eyes brighter. I caught my breath in the mirror, because even I did not recognize myself.
Still, I expected another dismissal.
I stepped out.
Ezra’s reaction was instant and impossible to misinterpret.
His eyes locked on me. Not just a quick glance. Not a casual assessment. He stared like I was something he had not prepared for. Something he had not expected to see.
The air thickened, and my stomach flipped violently.
Ezra stood straighter. His jaw tensed. His usual calm expression faltered for a fraction of a second.
“Liora,” he said quietly. “You look beautiful.”
Beautiful.
The word hit me like a warm punch straight to the heart. My breath stuttered. My fingers curled around the fabric at my sides.
For a moment, neither of us spoke. The silence did something to my pulse, made it rush through my body. Ezra did not look away. His eyes traveled slowly, deliberately, as if memorizing every part of the moment.
I forced myself to swallow. “So this one is fine?”
“More than fine,” he said.
The sales assistant returned with a bright smile. “Shall I package this one for you, Mr Reeve?”
“Yes,” Ezra answered, his voice still lower than usual. “We will take it.”
I panicked the moment she walked away. “Ezra, this is expensive. I cannot let you buy this.”
“You will wear it.”
“Wear it where?”
He exhaled like he had been waiting for the question. “At the charity gala.”
My brain froze. “What?”
“I need a date,” he said simply. “You will accompany me.”
My heart tripped over itself. “A date. Ezra, I am just your assistant.”
“Not that night.”
“You cannot just decide that.”
“I already did.” His eyes softened slightly. “It is only for one evening.”
Only one evening. Only one event. Only one moment where people would look at me standing beside him and assume something impossible.
I felt breathless. Unsteady. Warm all over.
“But why me?” I whispered.
His answer was too calm. Too direct.
“Because I want you there.”
The words sat heavy in my chest. They echoed through every corner of me. I had no idea what expression I was making, but Ezra watched me carefully, as if he saw every thought I was struggling to contain.
I held the fabric of the dress tightly, grounding myself. My voice came out soft. “Then I guess I will go with you.”
Ezra’s lips lifted in the faintest smile. Rare. Subtle. Dangerous.
“Good.”
The sales assistant returned with a carefully packaged garment bag, and I stepped aside while Ezra paid. I could feel my pulse at the base of my throat, fast and unwilling to calm down.
When we stepped out of the boutique, the afternoon sunlight hit my face. I felt lightheaded. Unsteady. Like I had been swept into a storm I was only beginning to understand.
Ezra walked beside me, close enough that the warmth of his arm brushed mine.
I did not trust myself to speak.
And we were not going home yet. Not even close.
He still had somewhere else he planned to take me. And I had no idea what waited next.
- Writer
