Kit and Ivy: A Red Team Wedding Novella (3 page)

Val came back to the front room. He smiled at her as he held up his hands. “I’m staying out of the dressing rooms. You can report back to Kit.” He poured a cup of coffee. “Want some?”

“No thanks.”

He walked up to her and smiled. “Go back and join them. I’ve got your post.”

“Forget it. I’ve a job to do.”

“You do. Picking out an outfit for Ivy’s wedding.”

“I’m not going to her wedding.”

“Of course you are. The entire household is. You’re going. And you’re not going in tactical gear.”

“Someone has to be on guard duty.”

He ignored that. “I’ve selected a couple of things for you to try. If they don’t work for you, let me know. I’ll find something else. There will be no forgotten Cinderellas at Ivy’s ball.”

“I fucking hate fairytales.”

“Why?”

“Because they showcase the ideal of women being dependent on men.”

“You got a problem with men helping women? Women help men all the time. It doesn’t lessen the men in any way.”

“I have a problem pinning all my hopes on men.”

He lifted a brow. “You pin all your hopes on women?”

“I pin all my hopes on me.”

“Then you’re in good company. Go. Try the outfits on. Don’t worry about prices. Owen’s treating. He knows you can’t afford them on a soldier’s salary.”

She stood her ground. Ivy came out, followed by Mandy and Casey. She was wearing a vintage gown of white silk with a fitted bodice, a wide peach satin sash, and a flaring skirt with layers of crinolines. She wore nude, slightly tinted hose and white satin pumps. A multi-strand pearl necklace dressed up the simple bodice. She walked up to Val and turned around.

“What do you think?”

He tilted his head, considering her outfit. “I think you look beautiful. But that’s not the dress.”

“Okay. I’ll be right back.”

For the next two hours, the girls presented themselves to Val in ensemble after ensemble. When they got frustrated, he helped them refine their choices until each had an outfit she adored.
 

“Why do you make them keep trying things on when everything they’ve come out in is gorgeous?” Selena asked when there was a lull in the modeling.

Val was seated in a green sateen chair that swiveled. He turned and looked at her. “I’m not sending them back. They know when they come out that it’s not quite the right dress. I’m not deciding anything for them. I can see in their eyes if they love what they’re wearing. And when they do, I will, too. I only mirror their thoughts.”

Ivy came out in a stunning floor-length dress. The design was classic and feminine. The outer shell was a sleeveless ivory lace from the V-neck to the hem, with a solid ivory sheath beneath that fell only to mid-calf. Light sifted through the lace by her ankles. A simple white sash banded her narrow waist.

Val pulled in a long breath. “That’s it. It’s perfect.”

“You like it?”

“Oh, yeah.”

She smoothed her hands down her hips. “I love it. It’s elegant. Understated.”

“It’s perfect. Kit won’t be able to take his eyes off you.”

The other girls came out in their final outfits, all in complementary shades of ivory and beige and cream. Casey’s had a faint print of dusky roses and champagne satin straps. Eden’s was a simple dress of lined eyelet lace with short sleeves and a scooped neck. It hit mid-thigh, making her short legs seem longer than they were. Mandy’s was a flowing muslin dress with a wide sash that was laced at the waist. Her sleeves were cut away at the elbows. Fiona chose a sundress with a skirt made from three layers of different types of lace, ending above the knees. Very different dresses for very different women.

Val looked from one woman to the next. He shook his head. “You’re breathtaking independently, but together you look like a bouquet of women. So beautiful. I’m lucky I got to spend this day with you. What about shoes?”
 

“We’ll do that next. Selena hasn’t selected her outfit yet,” Ivy told him.

Val turned in his chair and looked at Selena. They all were looking at her. Jesus, that was uncomfortable. “I’m not coming to the wedding.”

Ivy frowned. “Why not? Do you have to be somewhere else?”

“No.” Selena braced herself for the arguments that would be lobbed at her.

“Don’t you want to come?”

She frowned at the women, seeing their expectant faces. “I’m not in Wolf Creek Bend for social reasons. I’m there to work.”

Ivy shook her head and came forward. “That’s nonsense. We’re all there for work. And we’re all coming to the wedding.” She took hold of Selena’s wrist and led her back into the dressing rooms area. They were surprisingly neat given how many different outfits the girls had tried on. The staff had worked hard to keep everything organized. Two outfits she hadn’t yet seen on any of the women were hanging on one of the dressing room doors.

“Val picked these for you,” Eden told her.

“He doesn’t know my size.”

Ivy opened the dressing room door for her. “I bet he figured it out; he did with us. Try them on. And he said Owen was paying for your outfit, so you don’t have to worry about the cost. Just see if you love it. You’re coming to the wedding, Selena.”

“Do you want help changing?” Fee asked.

She made a face, glancing around at each of the women. “No.”

“Then we’ll go get your shoes. What size do you wear?”

“Eight.”

Fee hurried off. “We’re on it!”

Selena removed her gun from its holster and set it on the table, then sat down and removed her boots and socks. What a pain in the ass this was. Far easier to just stay in her room and avoid the whole wedding thing. She was hoping she’d have been able to return to regular duty by now, but Owen had had her tour extended for some reason.
 

She stripped to her bra and panties, then looked at the two outfits Val had chosen. She was surprised he’d picked pantsuits for her. Maybe he’d guessed—correctly—there was no way in hell she’d wear a skirt.
 

The first outfit was made of a taupe linen. The pants were high-waisted and wide-legged with a thin cuff at the hem. The top was a sleeveless vest with suit lapels and a striped pattern of darker and lighter taupe tones. She put it on and looked at herself from the front, then the side. She flexed her shoulders. It fit comfortably, let her move easily. It showed her curves, hugging her breasts and slim torso. She peeked at the price: $375. She laughed. Served Owen right to have to pay so much for an outfit she’d only wear once.

“Selena? I have some shoes for you,” a saleslady called through the door. “Oh! I like that!” she said when Selena opened the door. The girls, still in their wedding clothes, gathered around.
 

“Come out here and let us see you,” Ivy urged.
 

“Let me get some shoes on.” Selena looked through the boxes of shoes and selected a pair of black high-heeled sandals with a wide band across the toes. She tucked her gun in the waistband, then opened the door and stepped outside into the mirrored room with the seamstresses.
 

At five foot eight barefoot, the heels made her almost a head taller than some of the other girls. Selena liked the advantage her height gave her. In crowded spaces, she could see across a deeper area of a room since she didn’t have to look through walls of people but could look over their heads.
 

“Wow,” Ivy said. “Just wow. You look fabulous. Do you like it?”

Selena thought about Val’s words, how he knew when a woman loved what she was wearing. She wasn’t sure she loved it, but she did like it. It was comfortable. And it looked good on her. “I can move in it. I haven’t been out of ops clothes in so long, I’m not sure I know what I like. It’s expensive.”

“Don’t worry about that. Owen’s got it covered,” Ivy told her. She gestured for her to turn around.
 

“How can you wear those heels?” Eden asked.

“I like them.” Selena grinned. “They’re terrific weapons in hand-to-hand. If something goes down at the house, all contact will be in a close-quarters fight.”
 

Eden laughed. “I wish I had your grace.”

“You have a different function.” She looked at the dog trainer. “Those cowboy boots are a beautiful contrast to the softness of your dress. It works.”

“That’s what Mandy said.”

“What about the other outfit Val picked?” Fiona asked.

Selena shrugged. “It has ruffles. Fucking ruffles. No.”

Ivy laughed. “Just try it on. I didn’t expect to choose a floor-length dress, but it was one of the ones Val picked.”

Selena went back into the dressing room and switched outfits. The second ensemble was another taupe pantsuit, this one of brushed satin in a champagne color. The pants were low-rise, hugging the middle of her hips. They had a wide cuff at the bottom that hung open like a slouchy hem. The top was a jacket of the same material with cutaway sleeves edged in sheer chiffon just a shade lighter than the satin. The lapel was made of the same chiffon, loose enough to make gentle folds as it framed the neckline. The chiffon lapels ended in a large bow where the jacket sides met. The tails of the bow draped down longer than the jacket hem. Three buttons closed the jacket, right at her breasts, leaving it open above and below. The lower edges of the jacket were cut at an angle so that it spread apart over her stomach, exposing her navel and hinting at bare skin between the jacket and the hip-high trousers.

She looked at herself, shocked that she would like such a feminine outfit. There was a large ornamental rose in the middle of the bow, which she hated, but the rest she loved. She dug through the shoeboxes again and found a pair of strappy stiletto sandals. The white satin didn’t do anything for her, but maybe she could find something like them in a better color.

She opened the door and stepped out to the women. Their eyes widened as they looked her over from head to foot. Uncertain what their shocked silence meant, she filled it with her own assessment.

“I hate the flower.”

Lisa nodded toward one of the seamstresses, who hurried over to remove the rose. “You could wear a large brooch there instead. Something in amethyst or pearl.”

Selena looked at herself, imagining the jacket with something else in place of the flower. She looked at Ivy and Casey. “Say something.”

Ivy brought her hands to her mouth and shook her head. “I can’t. I’m speechless.”

“Take your hair down,” Mandy suggested, coming over to hold a hand out for the clips and bobby pins that held Selena’s dark hair in a tight twist. Her heavy hair fell down, drifted about her shoulders and spilled down her back.

Fiona clapped her hands. “Selena, you’re gorgeous. You have to take that outfit.”

“You don’t think it’s too much?”

“Too much what?” Ivy asked. “Too stunning?”

“Go show Val. You have to show him,” Eden urged.

“No.”

“Please, Selena. You’ll know it’s a hit when you see his face.”

“I don’t need his approval.”

“Oh, go on. What are you afraid of?” Ivy challenged her.

Selena made a face. “Fine.”

“Wait! Let us get out there first,” Eden said. “I want to see his face.” The girls hurried out the dressing room exit.

Selena bent her neck this way and that, easing some of the strain from her shoulders. The girls had abandoned her. She looked back at Lisa, who gave her an encouraging nod. Refusing to hide in the dressing room, she put her shoulders back and walked down the corridor to the front room where Val sat.
 

His eyes locked on her midsection as she stepped in front of the women. His face tightened. He hadn’t looked at her eyes once.
Freakin’ liar, Mr.-I-mirror-their-thoughts fashionista
.

“Walk toward me,” he ordered, motioning her forward with a wave of his hand.

Oh. She so did not like doing this, but her feet had a mind of their own. She moved toward him with a slow prowl. He seemed fascinated with the way the jacket shifted over her waist and hips, hiding and exposing her navel. His blue eyes went dark as he looked her over from head to toe. He came to his feet.
 

Selena lifted her chin, prepared to take the outfit regardless of his reaction. Why the hell she was submitting to his perusal, she didn’t know. Too late to turn back now. He stood not a foot from her and looked down into her eyes.
 

“This is the one.” She didn’t answer him, didn’t want her agreement to be taken as submission when she’d already chosen this outfit. “What happened to the rose?”

“I ditched it.”

“I’ve brought you a selection of brooches so that the heart of the bow won’t seem bare,” Lisa said, indicating a velvet-lined tray one of her assistants held.
 

Val looked over the choices on the tray. He picked the very one Selena liked. It had a huge, halved pearl circled by several other smaller pearls set off by a dozen even smaller amethysts. He looked at Selena as he handed the brooch to the salesgirl. Selena didn’t look away from him as the salesgirl pinned the brooch where the rose had been, between her breasts. When the girl stepped back, Val’s gaze moved down Selena’s chest on its way to the pearl pin. His nostrils flared. Without looking away from her, he gave Ivy an order.

“She sits at my table.”

Ivy shook her head. “Sorry, Val. Owen’s already made it clear she’s to sit with him.”

He did look at Ivy then. “Owen can join us.”

“Yeah. I don’t think I’m going to get between you two,” Ivy said. “I already have the seating plan figured out.”

“Then change it. If you want me to deal with Owen, I will.”

“Oh, for crissakes. I’m not a toy for you and Owen to fight over. Ivy, I’ll choose my own table.”

“There’s no need to worry about it. I’ll work it out,” Ivy told her. “I love your outfit. The guys won’t know what to make of you.”

“They’ll make nothing of her. She’s our teammate,” Val snapped. To Lisa, he said, “I like her shoes, but the color’s wrong.”

“That’s not a problem. I can have these dyed and then overnight them to you.”

Selena was just looking down at the price tags for the outfit and the pin when Val said they’d take her ensemble. This suit was twice the price the other one was, and the brooch was three times the price.