”What else have you got?” He turned back to Myra.
She showed them a soft gray, satin and lace full-length gown next. It too was exquisite, but it was the third dress she pulled off the rack, that had Olivia’s heart beating faster. It was a midnight blue silk gown with a draped silk-chiffon one shoulder strap leaving the other shoulder and a lot of the back bare. Cut and draped to seductively hug the curves of the woman wearing it without showing a lot of skin, Olivia instinctively knew that it would make the most of her hour glass shape. It was tightly nipped in at the waist and fell in asymmetric silk-chiffon panels to the ground. A tantalizing thigh-high split in the front of the left leg would make it easier to move in the dress but also show off the shoes Andy had hopefully managed to find for her. She hoped he’d found her a really sexy pair just like he’d promised he would.
Her face must have lit up when she saw it, because Myra and Nate both laughed at seeing her expression, and Myra said,
”I think we have a winner. There’s really no need for me to show you the last two, is there, Olivia?”
”No,” Olivia admitted sheepishly, ”this one stole my heart.”
”Excellent choice,” Myra agreed.
”It’s gorgeous, perfect for your amazing figure,” Nate said and smiled down at her. ”I’ll go get ready and meet you here again when you’re ready too, all right, love?” He bent down and kissed her gently on the lips. ”I love you, Olivia,” he murmured before Myra whisked her away to the next room to try on the dress.
When she had the dress on, Myra turned her around to look in the floor-to-ceiling mirror. Olivia gasped when she saw herself in the mirror. Even without makeup she looked amazing. The rich blue shade of the fabric brought out her eyes and enhanced the creamy paleness of her skin. It made her hair glow like dying embers in the dark. The draped design caressed her curves and made her look incredibly feminine.
”The perfect dress for you,” Mira said, deep satisfaction in her voice. ”The cut shows off your gorgeous womanly figure. Mr Montgomery is a very lucky man,” she smiled at Olivia.
”Thank you,” Olivia blushed, ”that’s very kind of you.”
”Not at all, it’s the truth. Now, the only thing I’m going to do while you’re getting your hair and makeup done, is nip it in at the waist just a little more. You have a really tiny waist and it would be a shame not to flaunt it, I think.”
”Thank you for helping me,” Olivia said sincerely, ”I’ve never done anything like this before and I’m terrified of embarrassing Nate somehow, so I really appreciate your help.”
Myra smiled and squeezed her hand encouragingly.
”Trust me, Olivia, there is no way you could possibly embarrass Mr Montgomery. The only thing you’re going to do tonight is make him very, very proud to have you on his arm. You are an incredibly beautiful young woman with a gentle spirit that shines through. It’s obvious to everyone why he is crazy about you. Now, let’s get you to hair and makeup, there’s so little time tonight.”
* * *
At a quarter to eight they were both finally ready to go. Olivia felt a flurry of butterflies in her stomach as she walked out into the living area of the suite to meet up with Nate. When she had looked in the mirror after the experts were done with her, she had thought she had never looked better but what mattered was that Nate was satisfied with the way she looked tonight. She truly felt terrified about letting him down somehow.
When he turned around and saw her, his eyes widened in surprise and he didn’t say anything. For a split second she panicked and thought he didn’t like the dress on her. But then he cleared his throat.
”Miss Berg, you take my breath away. You look beyond beautiful,” he murmured and swiftly walked over to her.
”You clean up pretty good yourself,” she smiled, taking in his intense, smoldering beauty.
He bent his head and kissed her tenderly on the lips.
”Nate,” she protested, when he let go of her, ”you’ve got lipstick on you now.” She reached to rub it off of his gorgeous mouth, and felt the familiar throbbing between her thighs as she thought of that mouth traveling across her naked skin. ”You look incredibly handsome in that suit,” she breathed.
He smiled down at her.
”All I can think about right now, is you taking it off me later tonight,” he murmured, a wicked half-smile on his face.
She pressed herself against his body then and kissed him, thoroughly this time.
The makeup artist came fluttering at once.
”Darling, no! You’re messing up my masterpiece,” he chided her. ”Here let me fix it for you.” He spent a few seconds patching up the damage.
Nate grinned and winked at her, all the while not letting go of her hand.
She took the opportunity to peek her leg out through the split and show off the gorgeous champagne glitter sandals Andy had gotten for her.
”Look, Nate! Jimmy Choo’s! Have you any idea how much a pair of these cost?”
Nate chuckled and groaned at the same time.
”No, as a matter of fact I don’t. But whatever they cost, they’re worth it and then some. I’ll have to have a serious talk with Andy later for putting me through this kind of torture.” He bent and ran his hand down her leg, all the way to the sandal in question. He took a closer look at it. ”Do you have any idea how incredibly sexy you look in these shoes?” he growled between his teeth.
She started giggling.
”Nate,” she murmured, ”we’re not alone right now.”
”Oh, believe me I know that. If we were alone you’d be wearing nothing but these shoes right now…”
Andy showed up then.
”Great timing as always, dude,” Nate grumbled and let go of her leg.
Andy just smirked at him.
”Great shoes, huh, boss?”
Nate glowered at him some more. Andy just ignored him.
”The Herrmann brothers sent over some jewelry for Olivia to wear, if she wants to,” he said and motioned for a man to bring over some jewelry displayed on a tray. There were several exquisite and very expensive-looking necklaces, one with a matching bracelet, arranged on the tray. A couple of different sets of earrings and a few different rings were also there.
”Wow!” Olivia exhaled. ”Are those real diamonds?”
The man holding the tray looked a little offended.
”Of course,” he said in a thick German accent.
To appease him, Olivia pulled out her very best high-school German and said in what she hoped was correct, or at least understandable, German:
”It is all very, very beautiful and I feel so honored that you would let me wear any of it. That is so kind of you, thank you.” She continued in English, her German all but exhausted, ”But I have my own necklace that belonged to my mother, and I never take it off.” She smiled apologetically and pointed to the simple and small gold heart resting just above her cleavage. ”And I’d rather not wear anything but my engagement ring besides that. I just got engaged and I want the ring to have center stage.”
The man smiled at her and thanked her in German and then he said in English:
”Perhaps you would consider wearing these sapphire earrings tonight then? They won’t take away from your own jewelry and would look amazing with that dress.”
She turned to Nate and he smiled encouragingly at her.
”I think they would look incredible on you,” he agreed.
”Well, then,” she said, ”I’d love to wear them tonight. Thank you very much,” she smiled at the man.
He looked extremely pleased as he helped her put them on.
”You look like a Greek goddess,” Nate said and turned her around to look at her reflection in the mirror on the opposite wall.
He was right actually, the woman staring back at her looked divine. But more than that she shone with happiness and a pure joy that shimmered in her eyes and gave her skin a soft flush of color.
”I had a lot of help,” she
pointed out as she turned around to face the team of experts who had pulled it off. ”Thank you so much, everyone of you, for doing this for me. You’ve made me feel like a princess and I will never forget it. Thank you.”
They started applauding her then and she blushed with embarrassment. Nate smiled lovingly at her and pressed a kiss on her cheek.
”All right, everybody,” she heard Andy call out. ”Sorry to break up this lovely love-fest but this stunning couple needs to get in the car right now.”
Chapter 20
In the car over to the theatre, which was only a couple of minutes drive from the hotel, Olivia checked her cellphone for messages. There was nothing from the boys, which she deduced meant that they were having a ball, playing video games and ordering in junk food.
But there was one text from Sasha.
”Ha, ha! Check this out, Liv! I’m all over Aftonbladet! Going out tonight to enjoy my 15 seconds of fame. Knock ’em dead tonight, girl!”
She had added a picture she’d taken of the front page of the tabloid Aftonbladet.
”Look, Nate, is that Sasha all over the newspaper?” Olivia exclaimed, stunned.
”Yep, sure looks like it,” he concluded after taking a good look at the picture. Then he started chuckling. ”It’s from the café earlier today. Must be a pap-shot. I told you they found me, right? What does the headline say?”
”It says: ’Nathan Montgomery’s new girlfriend’,” she grinned.
They looked at each other and burst out laughing.
”The papers think Sasha is your girlfriend,” she smiled. ”Damn, I wish I’d known that earlier so I could have asked her to step in for me tonight. She’s so much better than me at being in the spotlight.”
”Then I’m very glad you didn’t find out earlier, ’cause I refuse to walk down that carpet with anyone but you by my side,” Nate smiled. Then he thought for a moment before adding,
”I guess, if she insists, Julia can walk beside me on my other side. She is after all the star of the movie,” he joked, incorrigible.
She laughed and looked into his eyes.
”Jag älskar dig, Nate,” she whispered in Swedish.
”Does that mean what I hope it means?” he asked softly.
”It means ’I love you’.”
”Good,” he said contentedly. ”And you’ve said it to me once before, haven’t you?”
”You remember?”
”Of course I do,” he said. ”It sounded so beautiful when you said it there in the cabin. I hoped intensely it meant what I dreamt it meant, but then you lied to me and crushed my hopes completely,” he reprimanded her teasingly.
”I’m sorry about that,” she said, not feeling that sorry at all. ”I wanted to say it out loud so badly, but I didn’t want to lose face by saying it first.” She grinned at him. ”Some things I believe the man should be the first to do.”
”I love you, Olivia,” he said then. ”I love you, I love you, I’ll never be able to stop saying it.”
”Good,” she said. ”I’ll never tire of hearing you say it.”
The car came to a halt then, before she could get her lipstick smudged again.
Her stomach lurched up into her mouth. This was it. She looked up at Nate, panicking a little.
”You’ll be fine, baby. I’m right here the whole time, and I’m not letting go of you, not even for a second,” he promised, her face in his hands. He kissed the tip of her nose. ”Stay right here, I’ll come around and get you,” he said and stepped out of the car.
There was a deafening roar the moment he set foot outside the car. She saw him raise his hand in greeting to the fans before he walked to the back of the limo. A second later her door was opened and he stood there looking at her with his hand stretched out to her, his eyes spilling over with love and tenderness and encouragement.
She took a deep breath and put her hand in his as she stepped out, careful not to trip on the hem of her dress. Nate drew her into his side protectively and walked her over to where Julia was standing.
”Hi Jules! You look stunning as always,” Nate said and bent to give her a peck on the cheek.
”So do you, Nate,” Julia smiled up at him.
She was tiny in person and Olivia felt huge next to her, both in height and in size, her insecurities rearing their ugly heads again. But Nate’s voice was so full of pride and happiness when he started speaking again, that her insecurities melted away in an instance.
”Julia, this is my fiancé, Olivia. Olivia, love, this is Julia.”
Julia stepped closer and took hold of Olivia’s hands. She smiled warmly at her.
”I can see why Nate would risk his whole career for you,” she said. ”Seeing the two of you together is a joy. The love between you is so beautiful to see. I wish you a long and happy life together,” she added and reached up to peck Olivia on the cheek.
”But if you ever grow tired of him and decide to give the other team a try, give me a call, ’cause I want first dibs on you in that case,” she said and winked at Olivia.
Olivia stared at her for a moment, and then she burst out laughing.
”That’s the best compliment I’ve ever had from a woman,” she grinned and drew Julia in for a hug. ”Thank you,” she added sincerely.
”My pleasure,” Julia grinned back and turned to Nate. ”She even smells like a goddess, you lucky bastard!”
Nate grinned at her.
”Please, don’t try and seduce her, Jules, I could never compete with you.”
”All right, for your sake, Nate, I’ll keep my hands off Olivia. But remember, darling,” she added, turning to Olivia again, ”if ever he bores you, give me a call.”
”I’ll keep that in mind,” Olivia smiled, ”although, I can’t imagine that happening anytime soon,” she said, caught in Nate’s glorious gaze once more.
Nate broke away as a man tapped his shoulder and said something in his ear. The roar from the crowds was a surreal experience and made it hard to hear what people said unless you leaned in close.
”It’s time for the photo call, sweetheart. Are you ready?” Nate said in her ear.
She took a deep breath, and with her hand firmly clasped in Nate’s, his thumb stroking her skin reassuringly, she went to stand in front of the photographers. Julia stood at Nate’s other side. He let go of Olivia’s hand only to wrap it around her waist, drawing her securely into his side. He had his right arm around Julia’s waist.
”I’m the luckiest man alive, sandwiched between the two most beautiful women in the world,” he stated and grinned at them both.
Olivia was taken by surprise by the blinding intensity of the camera flashes, and the constant calls from the photographers to look this way or that. She felt herself tremble a little and Nate started rubbing his thumb against the side of her torso soothingly.
”You’re doing great, Olivia,” he murmured into her ear. ”I’m so proud of you, baby. Thank you for doing this for me. I know how frightening this can be and I’m so grateful you’re here with me despite that.”
She looked up into his eyes and drew strength from the love they held for her. She smiled at him and he bent down to press a kiss on her forehead. That brought an excited roar from the fans.
”Sorry, couldn’t resist,” he murmured in her ear.
”I’m not sorry,” she answered and smiled happily at him.
”Nathan, who’s the girl?” one of the photographers called out.
Nate smiled down at her, and then he called back.
”My fiancé,” the pride apparent in his voice. ”Her name is Olivia,” he added.
”Olivia, look here!”
”Olivia, over here!”
”To your right, Olivia!”
Suddenly the photographers were calling her name also. She felt herself turn a shade of red and wishing she could escape somewhere she pressed herself further into Nate’s side, placing her left hand on the front of his shirt. Without realizing it, she displayed her engagement r
ing and the photographers went mad. She sensed their heightened energy, but didn’t understand why, and it just made her more frightened. Nate must have sensed that.
”All right, that’s enough,” he said.
He turned to Julia.
”Jules, you mind taking a few by yourself?”
”Of course not,” she smiled.
”Thanks,” he mouthed at her. And then he turned around and, holding Olivia tightly to him, he walked them over to the stage that had been built in front of the theatre. He took them behind it were they were protected from view, in a small walkway. People milled about - she guessed they were different crew for the event. Andy and Dan were waiting there too.
”Take a breather,” Dan said. ”In a few minutes you’re due on stage, and then it’s meet and greet with the fans, if you’re up for it?”
”Of course,” Nate said. Then he turned to Olivia and wrapped his arms tightly around her. She let out a sigh of relief and inhaled his delicious smell, closing her eyes and imagining them back at the hotel and away from all the loud, crazed energy of the fans.
”Are you okay, baby?” Nate asked after a little while.
She turned her head up to look at him.
”I am now,” she smiled. ”Don’t worry about me, Nate, as long as I’m with you, everything in my world is perfect.”
He bent down to kiss her gently on the lips, careful not to smudge her lipstick.
”I love you, Olivia. You mean the world to me,” he said. ”In a moment we’ll go on stage with Julia and I’ll be interviewed by the host.” He caressed her cheek as he spoke. ”And after that we’ll go down the carpet to meet the fans. We’ll have several bodyguards with us that whole time, but it’s just a precaution. More for the fans than us. If a girl gets too excited, for example, and needs to be lifted out of the line.”
”Okay,” she said and smiled at him.
”And then we’ll go inside the cinema and I’ll go on stage with the others to introduce the movie. As soon as they start the film, we’ll get out of there,” he grinned at her and held her face in his hands, as if she was a piece of exquisite china.
Destined for the Star (Starstruck) Page 21