"Choose whatever you want," Alexander muttered, his fingers still slightly stinging from where Mia had yanked his silk tie. "Just make sure it has enough fabric to pass family inspection."
Two hours later, Alexander found himself standing outside the VIP suite of Maison de Noir, Manhattan's most exclusive and obscenely expensive bridal boutique. He had expected a quiet afternoon of signing a contract and getting this absurd arrangement over with. Instead, he was sweating in a room full of Italian velvet chairs while store employees ran back and forth like panicked ants.
The heavy mahogany door swung open.
"Alright, big boy, prepare to have your corporate mind blown," Mia's voice echoed from inside the fitting room.
Alexander stepped through the doorway, and his breath caught hard in his throat.
Mia stood on the raised platform under the warm spotlight, wearing a wedding gown that defied every single rule of traditional high-society fashion. It was a stark, brilliant white, but the bodice was structured from sheer, corseted mesh with exposed geometric boning that hugged every curve of her body with agonizing precision. A high, daring thigh-split slashed up the side of the heavy silk skirt, revealing her toned legs encased in fishnet stockings and those same beat-up yellow boots. Her copper waves cascaded down her bare shoulders in wild, untamed curls.
It was scandalous, breathtaking, and entirely inappropriate for a conservative family gala.
"Well?" Mia spun around, striking a dramatic pose with one hand on her hip, amusement flickering across her face. "Does this scream dutiful billionaire's wife, or should I add a neon sign that says open for business?"
Alexander's analytical brain shut down. The man who routinely negotiated multi-million dollar mergers without blinking found himself speechless, his gaze tracing the sharp line of her collarbone down to the sheer plunge of the neckline. The scent of her vanilla perfume mixed with expensive boutique leather filled his senses, making his blood run hot.
"It..." Alexander cleared his throat, his voice dropping an octave lower than intended. "It has entirely too many transparency issues."
"Oh, hush," Mia laughed, stepping off the platform and walking right up to him. She invaded his personal space with easy confidence, sliding her hands up the lapels of his suit until her fingers brushed against his stiff collar. "Your grandfather wants a scandal, doesn't he? Trust me, this will give the old man a heart attack, and the tabloids a field day."
"My grandfather has a pacemaker," Alexander warned, though he made no move to push her away. Instead, his hands instinctively dropped to her waist, his thumbs pressing against the warm skin exposed by the gown's side cutouts.
The touch sent an electric jolt straight through both of them. Mia inhaled sharply, her playful smirk faltering for a fraction of a second as her eyes locked onto his stare. The heavy, charged air between them suddenly felt suffocatingly hot.
"Then let's give him a show he'll never forget," Mia whispered, her voice dropping to a husky purr.
Before Alexander could pull her closer and close the distance between their lips, the boutique manager cleared her throat loudly from the corner of the room, clutching a clipboard to her chest and blushing furiously.
"Ehem... Mr. Sterling? Shall I package this gown, or... would you like to inspect the private fitting room in the back first?" the manager asked, her eyes darting between the dangerously close pair.
Alexander slowly dropped his hands, taking a deliberate step back to regain his composure, though his jaw remained tightly clenched. He pulled out his black titanium credit card without breaking eye contact with Mia.
"Wrap it," Alexander said smoothly, his voice cool once more, though his pulse was still hammering like a jackhammer against his ribs. "And add whatever else she points at. Put it on my tab."
Mia snatched the black card right out of the manager's trembling fingers with a wink. "I love a man who speaks fluent capitalism. Come on, husband. We have a family to terrorize."