Chapter Twenty-Seven

The next morning I take a long, hot shower and pick out my clothes carefully. It’s going to be a colder day than yesterday, but I want to make sure my outfit is appropriate to meet the Dean. My father pulled alot of strings to get me accepted at this school, and I don’t want to sully my family name by appearing unworthy of it.

When I called him about it last night, my dad said not to worry too much about it and to just be myself, having likely foreseen this exact predicament of me stressing over what outfit to wear. Adrian is already waiting for me downstairs, even though our first lecture isn’t until this afternoon today. We have three in total, so we should get out past sundown. That means I should dress extra warm so I don’t have to steal his coat again, as nice as it was the first two times.

I press my lips together in thought as I ponder the three outfits that I have laid out on the bed, unable to decide which one I like better. I glance at my smartwatch and see the time, finally decided to ask for help. “Hey, can you come up here?” I call, hoping that my voice is loud enough to reach Adrian’s ears in the kitchen.

After a moment of silence, I’m about to call out to him again just as I see his head poke over the stairs on his way up. “What’s up?” He asks, pausing outside of the bedroom door. “Are you decent?” He seems to have learned his lesson the first time he barged in without knocking.

“Not morally, but I have clothes on if that’s what you’re worried about,”

Taking my response as an invitation, he turns the corner and walks through the threshold. He first eyes my bare shoulders and legs, covered only by a towel. Then, he eventually pulls his gaze from my long legs to the clothes on the bed with a raised eyebrow. “A towel really doesn’t count as clothes. Is this what’s been taking so long?”

I snicker playfully, choosing to ignore his quip. I just like to watch him squirm, really. “I can’t decide what to wear. Can you help me?” I ask, batting my lashes helplessly.

Adrian frowns at the clothes laid out on the bed as if they’re alien weapons. “They all look fine to me. Jut pick one.”

I suck my teeth, flipping my hair over my shoulder. “It’s not that simple. Besides, I know that you have some knowledge of fashion. I’ve seen how you dress.” To prove my point, I give his outfit of choice a once-over in appreciation. Today he decided on dark slacks, a black designer sweater with a white button-up shirt beneath it, allowing the collar to fold neatly over the neckline of the sweatshirt. Other than the accent, his whole outfit is jet black, making his complexion look more fair than usual.

He sighs and shakes his head as if I’m a helpless child, but gives the garments more consideration at my compliment. “Can you try them on for me?”

I lock eyes with him over the bed, raising an eyebrow with a cheeky smile. “You want me to model them for you?”

He holds my gaze, shifting his feet and folding his arms. Even in all dark garments, I can still see his muscles flex beneath the material. He follows the shift of my eyes, a knowing smile gracing his lips. “Isn’t that your job?”

“It is,” I say with confidence, gathering the first outfit. “I’m not changing in front of you though, perv,” I make a b-line for the walk-in closet, tossing him a warning look over my shoulder.

Adrian chuckles and turns his back to me, facing the doorway. “I was just about to tell you not to turn me on before school.”

I make a noise of disbelief, but decide not to dignify his comment with a response this time. I leave the closet door open, knowing that he won’t be able to see me getting changed unless he deliberately wants to look inside, which I wouldn’t stop him from doing. I change into the outfit and step back into his view for him to judge.

Adrian stepped closer to the foot of the bed in front of the fireplace so he can get a better view. He looks me over carefully, making a noise in his throat as he makes a twirling motion with his finger in the air.

I do as the silent command tells me to and hold out my arms, spinning slowly once. “I know it’s going to be cold when we get out tonight, so I wanted to keep my options open,” I explain, beginning to get unnerved by his silence. The outfit is a pair of blue jeans with a black turtleneck tucked in at the waist, with black booties and a tan long coat.

Adrian raises an eyebrow quizzically, finding the look of some significance. “I can guess your inspiration for this one,” He says, referring to his outfit from yesterday. “Maybe you should save that for next week. I’ll wear mine with you so we can make a couple’s outfit together.”

I purse my lips with a nonchalant shrug. “It looked comfy.”

“It looks cuter on you,” He says sweetly, shooting me a wink that makes me roll my eyes at him. “Go change into the second one for me, Bunny.”

I sigh and do as I’m told, making sure to leave the closet door ajar again this time. From where he stands now, I know that if he looked over just a little bit closer to the windows, he could see inside. I check the mirror expectantly but don’t catch him trying to catch a peek of me again.

I step back outside in the second outfit, and give him a little spin again to make sure sees enough to make his decision. Judging from his thoughtful frown, he seems to have mixed feelings about the tight dress. I like that it’s comfortable and has long sleeves, made of a sweater material that makes it feel warm enough. The length is a little bit short for the weather but paired with my thigh-high boots, it’s perfect.

Adrian eyes my waist and holds a finger up to his lips as he thinks. “This one is very… curvy,” He says carefully, his gaze drifting to the high neckline. He seems almost disappointed that it doesn’t provide a good view of my cleavage, though I know that he would have surely said something about it being too low if it was.

“So not this one either?” I clarify, looking down at the sweater dress in disappointment. This was the most comfortable option today, though it’s not quite as eye-catching as the last outfit. I have a feeling that he’ll like that one the best, so I head back to the closet, feeling his gaze on my back.

I change quickly into the third choice and step out into view. “What about this one?” I ask hopefully, pulling the blaze jacket closer to my shoulders.

Adrian’s eyebrows shoot up as his eyes ravage me, taking in the tight dress pants appreciatively. When his gaze finds the plunging neckline of the corset top, he reminds me of an old cartoon where their eyes bug out of their head exaggeratedly. “Isn’t that lingerie?”

I look down at the top, adjusting it over my boobs. “It’s a shirt. It’s classy, yet flirty. I have to show my appreciation for my admission into the college,” I say sarcastically, giving him a deadpan look.

Adrian returns it and doesn’t laugh. “You look too good to go to school like that.”

I raise a brow, taking his words as a challenge. “Are you trying to tell me what to do?”

He gives me an unamused expression, eyes drifting back to the bodice. “You asked me for my opinion,” He reminds me. “I’m just giving it to you.”

It’s true that it’s basically a bra that covers my breasts, with the remaining part of the shirt made of a sheer lace that matches the red bralette. The black blazer and tall heels give it a feminine chic look that I really like.

“Okay,” I say, turning away. “Thanks. I know which one I want to wear now, so I’ll meet you downstairs. Can you get me some coffee to take with me?” I ask, batting my lashes innocently. There’s no game I love more than making a man feel special, especially if it’s a scenario that makes him feel useful.

Adrian sighs and turns to leave to fulfill my request, but I turn to catch him staring at my ass as I walk away. I turn to the mirror inside of the closet and adjust the jacket, turning my head to admire the look. Once I pull my hair into a sleek ponytail and accessories with some gold rings, layered necklace and earrings, this outfit will be perfect. I might be a little cold after all, but that’s fine with me if it means I can get under Adrian’s skin a little.