Free Unbidden Love (Book Five of the Bidden Series) by Crystal Cierlak

pack up for the move. But his curiosity was too strong. And after all, Audra was family.
    He clicked the thumbnail and watched, mesmerized as Audra’s familiar office came into full color view. His eyes searched the screen, stopping at the far left corner where two figures were seated on a couch.
    Audra and Natalie. They were leaning in towards one another, looking at something in Natalie’s hand. A few inches away the office door opened and someone's head peeked through. James stabbed at the volume key on the keyboard, but the feed remained silent. He watched as Audra and Natalie stood and left the office, and James’ sight.
    “Shit,” he cursed to himself again. He scrolled through the aisle of thumbnails until he found the hallway just outside their suite of offices. Natalie was leading Audra by the hand; it looked like they were heading towards the conference room. He found the corresponding feed, labeled under ‘Conf Rm A - Executive’ and loaded it.
     
     
     
    Natalie’s jaw dropped at the sight of the lush conference room outfitted into a pop-up shop complete with designer clothes, shoes, handbags, jewelry, and a half dozen other accessories. A lanky woman dressed in head to toe black was barking orders at two college-aged girls Natalie assumed were assistants or interns.
    It was like watching something out of a glossy reality show. Dana was a walking encyclopedia of fashions past, present, and future, and had hand selected a large assortment of clothing and accessories that looked quintessentially Audra.
    When one of the assistants-slash-interns uncorked a bottle of champagne, Natalie went from reality show to Hollywood movie in one golden sip.
    "Victoria had these overnighted specifically for you today," Dana explained as she fingered half a dozen dresses in various shades of white, black and navy. "Very classic but contemporary. And the fabric is just to die for," she swooned.
    Audra zeroed in on one dress in particular - a bright pink that practically vibrated against the more solemn and stately dresses in darker hues.
    "Really?" she asked through an amused smile.
    “ Oh, please try this one on!" Natalie begged as soon as she saw the garment. She was trying - and failing - to not burst with laughter. Audra Robertson in a pink dress? She grasped for her phone in her pocket in case the opportunity came to snap a quick photo.
    "Actually that one isn't for Audra. It is for you." Dana arched an eyebrow in Natalie's direction.
    “You are joking," Natalie breathed, suddenly sober at the thought.
    Dana picked up the dress from the rack and held it up to Natalie. "I never joke about fashion," she said with a tone that conveyed she was both serious and self-aware. "T-shirt dress with blush pink double-crepe material. It is fitted, so it will look spectacular on you. Compliments of the designer."
    Natalie cast a side glance at Audra, who was eyeing the same rack of clothing the pink dress came from.
    "Don't look at me! I think the dress would look gorgeous on you. That color suits you."
    Natalie tried to wrap her head around the fact that a world famous designer had even heard of her. It was utterly surreal. She wanted to ask why or even how, but something inside her told her to keep quiet. She reached out to touch the pink fabric, questions circling around in her mind in search of answers. It was difficult to ignore the conclusion that the most obvious question was starting to come to, that she was sent the dress because of Audra. Or rather because she was with Audra. No one ever gifted her free dresses when she was dating James.
    "I love this," Audra mused as she held up a silk wrap coat to examine it closely. "What do you think, Gorgeous?”
    Her questions momentarily forgotten, Natalie flushed at the term of endearment and slid to Audra's side to examine the coat for herself. "It is beautiful." She fingered the hem of the neckline as it dipped deep into the front of the garment.
    "Obviously it needs something