Seen Enough?

After the chaotic phone call with Cassian the day before, she expected today to feel like a disaster, but her styling team had showed up early this morning.

They had transforming the center of the living room into a makeshift wardrobe studio, complete with rolling racks of designer clothed and a set of curtains drapes.

"Let's try the white chiffon next, Mrs. Vale," the head stylist said, pulling knee length gown from the rack. "It has a very clean, minimalist design that will stand out beautifully on a red carpet."

Selene nodded silently, stepping behind the heavy drapes to change. The fabric was unforgivingly tight, hugging every curve of her body, but it made her feel sharp. Armed. Before she could ask for the adjustments, the stylist realized she was missing a critical component.

"The bodice needs to be pinned perfectly to keep the structure flat," the stylist murmured, checking her kit. "The extra micro-pins are still in the hallway trunk. Let me grab the some I will be right back."

The stylist stepped out of the living room to grab more pinning kits from the hallway, shutting the front doors behind her.

Selene stood in the center of the room, forcing on the tight white dress the stylist had asked her to try on. The house was silent until she heard a pair of familiar shoes hit the floor of the foyer.

The footsteps stopped right outside the make shift changing room, and without announcing himself, Cassian reached out and yanked the curtain open revealing her bare body.

Selene was adjusting the front of the gown, and the white chiffon was draped down around her waist, leaving her completely bare from the waist up.

She didn't flinch, or scramble to cover her chest. Instead, she casually picked up a gold hoop earring from the small table next to her, and held it up to her ear.

"Seen enough, Cassian? Or are you planning to stand there drooling all day?"

Cassian froze, his hand squeezing the curtains tightly. The arrogant expression he usually has on vanished as his eyes glances down at her exposed chest. He’d seen her in the shower but that was nothing compared to the what he was looking now.

Her breasts were full and round with the nipples looking brown and erect. He took a deep breath, his chest rising and falling beneath his suit as he tried to calm himself down.

Selene didn't look away, instead, she let him look, treating his barging in like a minor issue while she forced the earring through her skin.

Then slowly, she pulled the dress up over her breasts, turned her back to him, and swept her hair over her shoulder. The long metal zipper of the dress was wide open from her lower back to her neck.

"Fix my zip," she said.

Behind her, the rug muffled his footsteps as he stepped inside the small changing space. The heat radiating off him hit her bare spine a second before his long fingers did. His hands were warm, but his grip was rough as he took hold of the zip

He didn't pull it up immediately, instead he stepped closer, pressing his chest right against her shoulder blades, his breath hot against the side of her neck.

"You're playing a dangerous game, El," Cassian murmured. His free hand moved down towards her waist, pulling her back against his suit. "I’ll keep reminding you not to think you’re suddenly free. You’re still my wife and if you think I’m going to let that man touch what belongs to me on that red carpet next week, then you’re out of your damn mind.”

The calm she had kept all morning broke. The weight of him pressed against her back, combined with his arrogance, turned into pure irritation as she twisted violently out of his grip, spinning around to face him chest-to-chest.

"Belongs to you?" she spat. "I am not a piece of land you can just acquire, Cassian. You’re acting like an insecure man; Buying fifty percent of Daniel's launch fund? Forcing a stupid condition into a business contract just to keep me on your leash? It’s pathetic. Even for you."

“Daniel? Oh! So you’re on a first name basis with him now?” Cassian didn't back down. He stepped right back into her space, his face completely hardened. "And it’s business, El, it’s keeping my wife where she belongs."

"Fuck you Cassian! It’s not business, you’re just throwing a tantrum because I’ve chosen to be Independent," she shot back, "You are terrified. You’re terrified that the second I stand next to another man, everyone is going to see right through your perfect marriage. Don’t give me the bullshit about investing in the gallery because you care about art. You did it because you can’t stand the thought of me being with another man even if it’s just for work purposes!”

Cassian’s eyes narrowed to slits. Reaching out, he wrapped his hand around her waist again, pulling her flush against his body so hard the air left her lungs. She could feel the fabric of her dress riding higher as he bunched it in his fist.

"Watch your mouth Selene," he whispered, his gaze dropping to her lips before snapping back to her eyes.

“And if I don’t?… what will you do?” Selene dared, her heart slamming against his chest, but she didn't pull away. She leaned into him, her smile mocking. "Pull your money out? cancel the deal? Let everyone watch the great Cassian Vale publicly fail to control his own wife. Go on, call your lawyers right now."

Cassian stared down at her, his grip tightening on her waist until it start to hurt, and his knuckles turning white against the dress. For a long, breathless moment, neither of them moved.

Slowly, Cassian let out a dry chuckle. Though his eyes remained hard, he let go of her waist, but his hand trailed up, forcefully catching her chin and making her to look up.

"You've grown a spine," he murmured, his thumb pressing into her skin. "I like it. But it's not going to save you next week. Find a better dress, El. Because when those cameras flash, you're going to act like the loving Mrs. Vale, or I will make sure your little firm doesn't survive the night."

He dropped his hand, turned on his heel, and strode out of the living room, leaving the curtain swinging behind him.

Selene stood alone in the center of the room, her breathing ragged as the front doors slammed shut down the hall, she wondered what suddenly got into her to stand up to Cassian like that.