snowfall / cl16

thirty-two

"Hey," I said, smiling at him through the mirror. He grinned in response, picking up one perfectly done curl and letting it bounce back against my bare shoulder. "How was your shower?"

"Good. Very refreshing," Charles said with the same teasing smile on his lips. "You look beautiful."

"I'm not even ready yet," I said, motioning to the various bits of makeup laid out in front of me and then to the obvious half-applied foundation on my face. "You know, they usually tell you to put your outfit on before your makeup."

Charles chuckled. "I know, but isn't that only when you have to pull it on over your head? That won't be the case with this dress."

I bit my lip nervously, glancing back at my reflection and applying the rest of the fancy foundation to my face. I had invested in a couple of high quality pieces for the event, after stopping by Sephora with Celine and picking specific products out for a look that would complement any dress. Seeing as Charles refused to give me any details about the final look he and the designer had decided on, I had been left in the dark with what accessories to pick out and makeup to match the look.

Ever since the dress was delivered early this morning, I had been tempted multiple times to sneak a peek. And yet, every single time I had taken a step towards the bag that hung so temptingly on a hanger on the closet door, Charles would pop up as if I had stepped into a laser detection system and alarm bells had gone off in his mind. It had left me reeling with anticipation.

"I can't believe you still haven't told me," I muttered with a shake of my head as I applied a couple of blots of concealer under my eyes and on the side of my jaw where a couple of pimples had popped up over the past couple of days.

Charles, in the meantime, had turned around and walked towards his side of the dresser, reaching for his signature Louis Vuitton cologne. He only shrugged while spritzing his neck and wrists, filling the room with the familiar scent I had come to love.

"Should I be concerned about your ability to keep secrets from me?" I mused, secretly hoping to get under his skin just enough to retrieve more details about the bespoke dress he had commissioned for me. My heart did another flip in my chest, and my gaze travelled to the black bag hanging from the closet, the zipper staring at me tauntingly.

My view was blocked when Charles was suddenly standing in front of me once again, my gaze at the same level as his waist, and he was still only wearing that godforsaken towel that never looked as good on me as it did on him. Although I much preferred him without it, but that went without saying.

It was incredibly hard to lift my gaze to meet his instead of staring at his delicious skin and the v-cut that led to a destination that might be more tempting than the garment bag I had been eyeing all morning. However, I was forced to meet jade hues when Charles lifted my chin up, and the stern expression that I was met with had a tantalising chill running down my spine.

"I would never lie to you if it wasn't for your own benefit," Charles said, a smirk playing on his lips towards the end of his teasing sentence. I couldn't help but smile, but before I could say anything, his lips were on mine.

I let out a whimper when his teeth tugged at my bottom lip, and seconds later his tongue met mine and he deepened the kiss. I lost all sense of time, transfixed on Charles and the scent of his cologne and his hand on my cheek. He was everywhere and I was loving every second of it.

When we finally broke apart, we were both breathless. His forehead rested against mine as he caught his breath, his smile so soft it made his eyes crinkle slightly at the sides.

"I love you," he whispered, his thumb brushing my cheek gently. "So much."

"So much that you'll show me the dress now?" I whispered back cheekily, trying my very best not to smile.