"ARE YOU READY?"

My heart is hammering in my chest as Izzy leads me blindfolded to the mirror inside her store. She would only let me see the dress once I put it on, making getting into it extremely difficult, but she helped me every step of the way. Now, as I wait for her to take the blindfold off, it feels like I can't breathe.

The dress is form-fitting because I can feel the material clinging to my hips, but the fabric is smooth, not itchy, and rather than it being too tight, it fits my body just right.

"Relax," Izzy says, moving her hands to the blindfold. "The minute you see yourself in this, you'll die."

She strips it off my eyes, and when I stare at the reflection in the mirror, I suddenly can't see through the blurriness of my tears. I'm trying to blink them away, but it's no use for a dress like this. I'm practically sobbing with a hand placed over my heart, unable to get a fucking grip while Izzy tries to figure out a way to console me.

"I... Do you not like it?" She asks gently.

"No, Izzy, that's not it at all. This dress is perfect." And I'm about to fuck her brother into next week as soon as I get home.

"Oh, good. What a relief. Everett gave me a picture for inspiration. It's after—"

"The salmon chiffon gown Marilyn Monroe wore in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes," I finish.

Izzy arches a brow. "You're familiar with it?"

"Yeah. I, uh... My mom and I used to watch all of her movies together before she passed along with my dad. It's where my love for fashion stemmed from. I used to go through all of her old clothes and try to recreate all the fashion eras, but I couldn't get this one right. You know, Old Hollywood. I told Everett I never had anything fancy enough."

We stare at each other in the mirror, realizing just how much emotion and thought Everett put behind the idea for this dress.

Izzy swipes at her eyes to grab a few tears of her own but quickly recollects herself. "Well, it's certainly all making sense now. I'm sorry you lost your parents. Mason did, too, when he was younger, and I've seen how much of a toll it's taken. I wouldn't wish that on anyone."

"Thank you," I whisper. "This dress is incredible, Izzy. You outdid yourself."

Inspired by the knee-length dress in the film, it's the same shade of bright orange that makes my tan skin practically glow, but rather than a sweetheart neckline, Izzy created a plunging effect that runs almost to the middle of my stomach, and the inserted bra cups make my breasts look unreal. There's ruching at the hips, just like Marilyn's dress, emphasizing my curves, and intricate beadwork lines the spaghetti straps and down the center of the plunging neckline. I don't even recognize myself.

"It's those hips doing the magic," she says.

I shake my head, still in shock. "I've always felt like I was too much of everything. Too dark, too fat, too poor... But for the first time, this dress makes me feel like I'm none of those things, and you did that for me. I will forever be grateful, Izzy."

An odd expression passes across her face, but eventually, she clears her throat and says, "We're very similar, you know—more than you'd think. We may come from opposite walks of life, but I understand what you mean. Just know that you're never too much, and for the right person, you'll be just enough."

Regardless of what Liam would say, I was always too much for him. He allowed his family to treat me like dirt beneath his shoe because he feared standing up to them. He allowed us to have sex in the dark because it was what I was most comfortable with, and that's not necessarily a bad thing, but with Everett...

He pushes me into a version of myself that I'm beginning to love. Being around him makes me more confident than ever, and he never makes me feel like I'm less than perfection. He's constantly reassuring, supporting, and caring for me, and why did it take seeing me in this dress to realize that?

The man genuinely listened to my story and cared enough to bring this last era to life, and when he asked if I was fishing for clues, he looked at the television screen when that exact movie was playing, but I didn't pay it any mind. I thought he was just curious.

"It's about time," Izzy says with a tiny smile. "Anyways, you're going to fit in perfectly or stand out in the best way. I guess we'll have to wait and see."

"What's the theme?" I ask. Everett wouldn't tell me, but now that I have my dress, I should be able to know, right?

Izzy blinks away more tears as she replies, "Old Hollywood."

•─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─────•

I have one goal when I burst through the front door.

The television is playing, but he's not on the couch, so I race up the stairs, not even knocking when I open the door to his room. He's getting changed, whirling around with his t-shirt half over his head, his abs peeking out the bottom.

"Em, what's going on? You okay?"

And then I take the two steps to close the distance, grasp his cheeks, and kiss the living hell out of him.

I back him towards his bed until we fall onto it together, my body on top of his, and my hands roam underneath that damn t-shirt to stroke his muscles as his fingers weave through my hair, making the kiss deeper.

Knowing he went into all that effort for me makes me want to tear his clothes off yet take the time to explore and worship his body until he realizes how much I need him. I can't explain the surge of emotions thrumming through my veins, but right now, I can only think about him.

I kiss down his neck, leaving hickeys the entire way, and he's groaning from the pleasure, letting me do as I please. "You tried the dress on, didn't you?" he pants.

With a slight nod, I tug off his briefs, discarding them on the floor. "I don't want to tell you my appreciation, Everett, I want to show you. Now kiss me."

Because I can't verbally express how much he matters to me without scaring myself in the process. I can't tell him I've been falling for him since middle school without sounding like a backstabbing bitch to his best friend. I can't ask him if the reason he was so mean to me wasn't that I dated Liam but rather because Liam dated me without going into a full-blown panic attack.

But I can show him.

Everett rolls on top of me and continues to kiss me nice and slow, even though he's painfully hard against my inner thigh. He peels off my leggings and sweatshirt, the articles of clothing joining his briefs on the floor, and when his fingertips scrape down my sides, every brush tender and gentle...

"Emery." He pulls back, and everything we've tried to hide from each other all these years seems sprawled across his face. The words seem like they're on the tip of his tongue, but I shake my head, placing a finger over his lips.

"Don't, Everett. Please." Not when Liam doesn't know. Not when there's still so much we have to work on within ourselves. It wouldn't feel right to say those words at a time when there's still so much left uncertain. If he was about to say what I think he was, I don't want to hear it until there are no obstacles in our way. Until we can be together fully with no uncertainty.

"Okay," he whispers hoarsely.

The sentimental moment vanishes in the blink of an eye, and this man is so goddamn attractive when he kisses me again, and that tongue darts inside my mouth, his piercing giving me rough strokes that make me weak in the knees.

I've never wanted to hear that sentence come out of his mouth more, especially now when he slips his hands into my panties and rubs my clit with those magical fingers.

"So fucking wet," he grunts. "I really get to you this much?"

I nod desperately, pulling my bottom lip between my teeth.

"It never takes much, does it?" He arches a brow as he rubs torturously slow circles around my sensitive bud. "All I need to do is..." He enters a finger inside me, and I cry out, earning a wicked grin from him. "Yeah, I know that's your spot, baby. Right there."

"Everett, please." I reach between our bodies and grab his cock, bringing it to my entrance. I rub him along my slit to gather the wetness along his velvet crown, and when those eyes grow feral with lust, my insides quiver like jello.

He grabs my ankles with each hand, spreading me as wide as an eagle when he enters me. It's so deep this way, and his pure size is filling me to the brim.

His head falls back as he feels the tightness of my core, a moan leaving his lips. I love this position because I get to see every inch of him. The broadness of his chest... All of those rippling muscles... The v-line that leads straight to his cock.

Bringing his blazing eyes between my legs, he watches his cock move and hisses, speeding up his thrusts ever-so-slightly. I feel my body react from the movement, my tits and stomach getting a motion of their own, but as soon as I bring a hand up to cover them, Everett desperately shakes his head. "Please don't," he begs. "Fuck, fuck, fuck, I'm going to come just watching this sexy body of yours."

He watches as I recoil against every painful thrust of his cock with such admiration, and suddenly, I don't care what my body looks like. How could I when the man is staring at it like it's a fucking buffet? And knowing my body can make him get like this?

"You have no idea how long I've pictured railing you just. Like. this." He pounds me with every word, muttering through gritted teeth, and I'm grasping the sheets beside me, desperate for release.

He releases my ankles to grip my stomach, his other free hand squeezing my breast, but this was supposed to be me showing him my gratitude, not the other way around, so I flip him onto his back before he can finish, giggling when he lets out an annoyed grunt.

"You can watch me like this instead," I soothe.

Reaching behind me to brace my hands on his knees, my entire body is elongated in front of him, my pussy, stomach, and tits on full display, and the sound I get in return is the most satisfying thing I've ever heard.

And when I begin to move, Everett's cock grows harder inside of me.

"Fuck, yes." He runs a hand up my stomach to my nipple but then moves it back down to play with my clit. He's so turned on he can't decide where he wants to place his hand, and knowing that will push me over the edge. Knowing I drive this man wild is going to have me come all over his cock in less than a minute. "Ride your fucking cock, baby. You're perfect. Fucking perfect."

My hips move in countless circles, but I need to ride him faster and stronger, so I place my hands on his chest so I can bounce, more than pleased when his hands meet my ass with a loud crack.

"Yeah, that's it. Put those tits right in my face." I lean forward for him to put a nipple in his mouth, and the sensation of that piercing rolling around it...

He smacks my ass repeatedly, and then he thrusts, pounding relentlessly until my eyes roll to the back of my head. "Fuck, yes. Are you going to come for me, Emery?"

When I'm close, my body takes over my mind. I'm a person I don't recognize as I bury my nails into his chest, scraping down his body, and I bounce with as much force as I can muster up, the sound of my ass hitting his thighs filling the room.

"Christ," Everett groans. I can tell he wants to close his eyes, but he can't seem to tear them away from my body. I watch as he scans my stomach and tits, and I'm seconds away from exploding.

"Fucking come for me," I plead. "Fill me up, Everett. I want you to come while you watch this body bounce just for you."

"Just for me?" He asks in a strained voice.

"Only for you. Fuck, I'm coming!"

He grips my side with one hand as I scream out his name, and after four more thrusts, Everett stills beneath me, his nails digging into my skin, more than likely leaving a mark.

His cock continuously twitches inside me as he tries to catch his breath, and when my brain finally comes back into my body, I collapse onto his chest, letting him rub up and down my back.

Then he chuckles, and a smile falls onto my face. "I take it you liked the dress?"

With a nod, I say, "Very much so, but I think I'm going to like your reaction even better when you see me in it, Ev."

Author's Note:

what did you guys think?!?!

ALSO, BIG NEWS!
I just found out that MBBF is the highest ranked paid story on Wattpad 😭 I am so grateful to everyone who gave this story a chance!

With that being said.... Wattpad wants a FOURTH BOOK of Maddie and Cameron, which I have agreed to write! It will be coming this fall :)

The ending bonus chapters/novella at the end of the perfect timing will remain the same, but I will be branching out Maddie and Cameron's story as they adjust to becoming parents/get used to the fame. (Hopefully that makes sense)

Connor's story will be released AFTER this book is finished. It will be a lot of work writing the fourth book and A Billionaire's Mistake at the same time, so after I finish Maddie and Cameron's fourth book, Connor's will start releasing :)

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