Free Dare Me: A Dark Billionaire Romance by Evelyn Troy Page B

outfit she had worn to work. The shops would still be open, she thought quickly as she hurried downstairs from her apartment. She had to keep up the façade of being a wealthy, powerful executive; she couldn’t be seen in the same dress that she had worn the night she met him—that would be too obvious. And the rest of her clothes marked her status just as obviously.
     
    She went into Nordstrom once more, looking around quickly. She would buy another dress—something more casual, but still every bit as pricy—and then return it to the store the next day. Jasmine knew that she would have to be careful; if she got it stained she might find herself facing an uphill climb to return it, even though Jasmine had heard that Nordstrom had one of the most relaxed return policies of any of the major department stores.
     
    A clerk approached and Jasmine greeted her offer to help with a grin. “I hate to do this to you,” she said. “But I have a very, very important date to get to and less than two hours to get there.”
     
    “Man of your dreams?” The clerk, a middle-aged woman with an impeccable dress suit, asked. Jasmine shrugged, not quite wanting to lie to her.
     
    “Something like that. I need something kind of casual, but still gorgeous.” The woman looked her up and down slowly, and then led Jasmine towards a particular section of the women’s wear department.
     
    Less than twenty minutes later, Jasmine was leaving the store, clutching her garment back protectively. It was exactly what she wanted—the kind of thing that Jasmine could easily imagine herself wearing for a night out in an alternate universe where she was exactly who she had told Dominic she was. The filmy, light material of the black dress clung to the curves of her body, almost showing off more than it hid, with thin straps at the shoulders and a plunging neckline that Jasmine thought she would only be daring enough to be seen in once. It would go perfectly with the expensive black pumps she had already invested in, and while it would be a shame to return it the next day, Jasmine knew that as much as she loved it, she couldn’t really afford it.
     
    She took a quick shower, deciding that it would be better to simply coil and twist her hair up into a bun rather than waste time styling it the way she had the night she’d originally met Dominic. Jasmine did her makeup just as quickly, using a light hand to emphasize her cheekbones and the depth of her eyes, adding just a swipe of color to her lips before she slithered into the slinky black dress, smoothing it over the satin of her matching bra and underwear set. She dabbed a little bit of perfume at her wrists, between her breasts, at the nape of her neck, and stepped into her shoes, compulsively checking the time; she had a little more than twenty minutes to get to Dominic’s hotel.
     
    Jasmine fidgeted as she waited the final few moments before the cab arrived outside of her building. She gave the driver the address, and sat back in the seat, looking around at the passing traffic and street signs, the fluttering images of buildings sweeping past the window. Should I call him if I run into traffic? Oh god, how would that make me look? He’d know in an instant that I must have done more than just take a shower and throw something on. Jasmine’s thoughts whirled around in swirling wisps, but she forced herself to take deep breaths. Dominic wouldn’t expect her to be exactly on the hour, would he? He’d know that there were such things as traffic, and that the last-minute invitation probably would have thrown her whole evening into disarray. He might even punish her for it, use it as an excuse. The thought made Jasmine smile slightly, anticipating the possibilities.
     
    She tipped the driver generously and rushed into the hotel building, barely remembering the floor and room number. Jasmine stopped in her quick sprint to the elevators, thinking it was entirely possible that she’d get there