Chapter 255

As they moved farther into the boutique, staff members greeted them politely and offered assistance without crowding them. One brought a tray of chilled water. Another asked whether Kylie would prefer to browse first or see a selection of new arrivals, and limited editions.

Kylie was still looking around in amazement. "Christian."

"Hmm?"

"There’s an entire wall of shoes." She looked at another glass. "And I think I just saw a dress that might change my life."

He glanced in the direction she was looking.

"Then we’d better meet it."

She laughed, pulling him towards the display.

He followed without complaint.

For the next several minutes, Kylie wandered through the store with the enthusiasm of a woman who had been handed permission to explore every corner of a fashion magazine.

Kylie stepped closer to the display, examining a bag from every angle.

Christian stood behind her, watching her expression.

He liked seeing her like this.

Not because she was impressed by expensive things. He had enough money to buy whatever caught his attention, and luxury had long since become ordinary to him.

But Kylie didn’t look at the store as though she expected the world to hand her everything.

She looked delighted by the possibility of enjoying something beautiful.

There was a difference.

She could be dramatic about a pair of shoes and laugh at herself two minutes later. She could admire something without pretending she didn’t want it, and she could want it without making the desire her entire personality.

He found himself smiling.

She pointed at the bag again. "Black or cream?"

Christian looked at the two bags. "Black."

"Wrong."

"Why did you ask me?"

"To test you."

"And I failed?"

"Terribly."

He leaned down and kissed her temple. "Get both."

She shook her head, still smiling, and continued towards the next display.

They moved through the boutique slowly, with Kylie leading them towards anything that caught her eye. Christian listened while she explained why a certain dress was beautiful, why another needed to be burned, and why one particular pair of heels was a personal attack against women who enjoyed walking.

.......

They eventually settled into the private lounge.

It was a beautiful space, separated from the main floor by tall glass doors and soft curtains. A plush couch sat in the centre, with a low table arranged with refreshments and a vase of fresh flowers.

A staff member had already brought several pieces Kylie had admired, arranging them carefully nearby so she could examine them at her leisure.

Kylie sat curled against Christian on the couch, her little black heels resting neatly on the floor and her small handbag beside her.

She had somehow acquired a pair of sunglasses she hadn’t entered the store intending to buy.

Christian had said they looked good on her. He adjusted his arm around her waist and looked at her.

Kylie paused. Then she reached up to touch his chin. She smiled and settled closer against him.

Christian pressed a kiss to her temple before looking towards the displays.

"How many pretty things do you want from this store?"

Kylie didn’t hesitate. "One hundred and fifty."

She burst into laughter before she had even finished saying it.

Christian nodded solemnly, his arm tightening around her waist as he pulled her closer.

"One hundred and fifty it is, then."

Kylie laughed harder, leaning into him as he pressed another kiss to her temple. "You’re ridiculous, Christian."

"And you’re getting one hundred and fifty pretty things, Blue. Don’t complain."

She lifted her head to stare at him. "You cannot possibly be serious."

"I asked how many. You answered."

Her eyes widened. "That was a joke!"

"Was it?"

"Yes."

He looked towards the staff member standing discreetly nearby.

"Did you hear that? Apparently, the number was a joke."

The young woman smiled politely, clearly trying not to laugh. "Of course, sir."

Kylie slapped his chest. "Stop recruiting people to your nonsense!"

Christian laughed and caught her hand. "All right. Let’s begin with the things you actually want."

She narrowed her eyes.

He brushed his thumb over the back of her hand.

"You don’t have to take something just because I offer it, Blue. If you love it, we’ll get it. If you don’t, we won’t."

Kylie looked at him for a moment. Then her smile returned, softer this time. "Okay."

He kissed her forehead. "Okay."

She rested her head against his shoulder again, and for a few seconds, they simply remained there together, with Christain’s arm around her waist as he leaned towards her.

Christian listened as she continued talking about the clothes, her voice rising and falling with excitement. Every now and then, he murmured something that made her laugh, his face close enough that she could feel his breath against her cheek.

He wasn’t in a hurry.

They were still on the couch when one of the staff members approached them.

The young woman looked to be around nineteen, perhaps a little younger than Kylie. She was tall, almost exactly Kylie’s height, with an elegant posture and a nervous smile that she seemed to be trying very hard to control.

She held a small tablet against her chest. "Excuse me, ma’am? Miss Benneth?"

Kylie looked up. "Yes?"

The girl glanced briefly at Christian, then returned her attention to Kylie. "I’m sorry to interrupt. I was wondering if I could ask you something."

Kylie nodded. "Of course."

The young woman took a breath. "Would you mind taking a picture with me?"

Kylie blinked. For a moment, she genuinely thought she’d misunderstood.

"With you?"

The girl nodded quickly, her cheeks growing pink. "Yes. If that’s okay. I’m sorry, I know you’re here to shop, and I don’t want to bother you."

"Oh, no!" Kylie straightened immediately. "You’re not bothering me at all."

The girl’s face brightened. "Really?"

"Of course! Come here."

Christian loosened his arm around Kylie so the young woman could stand beside her.

The girl hesitated for half a second before moving closer.

Kylie looked up at her and smiled. "You’re so tall!"

The young woman laughed nervously. "So are you."

"I know, right? It’s amazing. We can actually look people in the eye without breaking our necks."

The girl chuckled, pleased.

Christian looked at Kylie with amusement. "That’s your first observation?"

"Yes," Kylie said, turning to him. "Do you have a problem with it?"

"Not at all."

The young woman held up her phone, then paused. "Would you prefer it if I asked someone to take it for us?"

Kylie glanced at the phone. "Yes, please. That way we can both fit in."

The girl handed her phone to a nearby colleague, who smiled and stepped back to frame the shot.

Kylie slipped an arm around the young woman’s shoulders. "Ready?"

The girl nodded.

The picture was taken, then another.

And another, because Kylie insisted the second one didn’t count when she blinked, and the third was apparently ruined by Christian making a ridiculous face in the background.

"Christian!" Kylie turned to him when she saw it.

He looked entirely unrepentant. "What?"

"You ruined her picture!"

The young woman was laughing too hard to respond. "I don’t mind!" she managed.

Christian leaned back against the couch.

The young woman glanced between them, smiling. "Thank you so much," she said to Kylie. "I really appreciate it."

"You’re welcome, honey."

The girl hesitated. "I’m really sorry about the public opinions. At the same time, I was glad I came across you. It was hard being a tall girl."

Kylie’s smile softened. She reached for the girl’s hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"I know people can be unnecessarily cruel about things that shouldn’t even matter. Your height, your appearance, the way you dress. Apparently, everyone thinks they’re entitled to an opinion about a woman simply because she exists."

The girl nodded, her eyes brightening.

"But look at you," Kylie continued, looking her up and down appreciatively. "You’re gorgeous. And even if you weren’t, you would still deserve to take up space without apologizing for it."

The young woman let out a small, emotional laugh. "Thank you."

"Don’t thank me. Just promise me something."

"What’s that?"

"Wear the heels. Take the pictures. Be tall and beautiful and inconvenience everyone who thinks women should make themselves smaller."

Christian suddenly laughed.

Kylie turned towards him. "What’s funny?"

"Nothing, Blue. I’m just imagining you giving motivational speeches to strangers for the rest of your life."

She rolled her eyes at him. "The world needs me."

"Clearly."

The girl smiled, and Kylie pulled her into one last hug before letting her go.

As the young woman returned to her colleague, she looked back once and waved. Kylie waved enthusiastically until she disappeared around the corner.

Kylie settled against Christian again.

He studied her for a moment, and brushed a strand of hair away from her face. "I love that about you."

"Love what?"

"You make people feel like they belong."

Kylie blinked, caught off guard by the sincerity in his voice. "Everyone should know that they belong."