His Naughty Lessons-Chapter 279: All Good to Go

** Harper **

Friday felt absolutely phenomenal.

The Miracles office was an erupted volcano of cheers and shouts as everyone gathered on the top floor of the building, watching the trailer come live on the harbor landmark. The official reveal of their new product’s public debut was as dramatic as anyone could have imagined, and a hundred times more successful. The project directors were so thrilled that they even ordered a case of champagne right on the spot, turning the final evening of the week into a grand celebration.

Harper could barely stop her heart from leaping out of her throat as she clutched her phone and shared this once-in-a-lifetime moment with Eli. This was only the beginning, of course — there would be many, many more of these rough deadlines and satisfying accomplishments to come in the near future — but at the moment, she felt as if another pivotal Chapter of her life had been completed. It was her very first career milestone, one that proved what she could do to make her dreams come true.

She let herself indulge in that contentment for once, sharing toasts and congratulations with her coworkers well into the night. When she returned home, tipsy yet thankfully not drunk, she was greeted with an enormous hug that knocked all the air out of her lungs. Then a second round of celebrations ensued, this one much more wild and cathartic for the soul.

They would’ve kept going all night, if not for the gala waiting right ahead the next evening that forced her to get some good sleep.

"Mmm ... I’m not waking up with raccoon eyes, am I?" When the alarm went off at noon, Harper was still groggy, and she rolled her head back in Eli’s arms with a huge yawn. "Darn, I completely forgot about that facial I was going to do last night."

"Pretty sure you aren’t supposed to get those every week." Eli chuckled, brushing his lips lightly over her forehead. "And don’t worry, it’s still flawless and perfectly kissable. No raccoon eyes either, and I even took a lot of effort to make sure not to leave any marks on the rest of you last night. You’re all good to go for that beautiful dress of yours to show off whatever part of your skin you’d like."

Oh, the dress ... If there was anything at this point that could excite Harper even more after all the thrills last night, it’d be the gorgeous gown that she would finally get a chance to wear for real. One that certainly showed a lot of skin for hickeys to be just a little troublesome.

"I appreciate that effort. I know it must have taken an inhuman amount of self control from you." At that thought, Harper smiled meaningfully, returning a teasing kiss to the man’s lips. "Perhaps as a reward, I’ll let you leave all the marks you want when we get back tonight. Wherever you want, too."

Eli’s gaze turned hot almost instantaneously at the promise. Well, too bad he’d still have to wait hours to cash it out.

They took their time getting out of bed, kissing as they went — slowly and gently without leaving evidence, of course — and moved through their weekend morning routine at snail speed. Then, two hours before the gala, Harper sat down in front of the bathroom mirror and started carefully doing her makeup.

She rarely ever went all out like this, with a full-face shadowing and eyeliners and all that. Nor had she ever done her hair so patiently and meticulously. But the occasion today called for extra attention, and besides, she wanted to look her absolute best for the stunning gown hanging right behind her.

Sean had done a truly incredible job on that beauty, making Harper literally gasp "oh my God" the first time she saw it in person. Keeping the asymmetrical ruches across the torso that originally caught her eye, he topped up the creativity with another surprising twist, replacing half of the fabric with intricate laces. The final design was a rich layer of silk cinched from the left shoulder down to the right hip, before falling gracefully back to the left and flaring just above the thigh. Meeting that layer and hugging the body from the other side was a sheer stretch of embroidery, dense enough to cover all the necessary areas and leaving everywhere else bare.

Not to mention the deep cerulean blue that magically complimented Harper’s skin tone, and the shoulder band flowing behind the back with a dramatic flair ... This gown was bold and graceful at the same time, a perfect balance between fashion and sophistication.

So when Harper finished pulling her hair into a chic chignon and slipped into her new dress, she smiled into the mirror — yes, Eli would most certainly love what he sees.

"Ready to go?" She slipped out of the bathroom, finding Eli already waiting for her on the sofa. Just like she expected, his jaw literally fell when his eyes landed on her gala-ready look.

However, unlike what she expected, her own jaw fell as well once she took in the view in front of herself.

She hadn’t seen Eli in his tux until now. It had already been made prior to the gala invitation, and she hadn’t thought of asking to see it. Because a tux was just a regular suit with a lapel, wasn’t it? Maybe with the addition of a charming bow tie and a handkerchief, but still, just a suit!

But if it really was just a suit ... How could he look so impossibly hot in it? How could the luxurious shine of the fabric and the crisp pleated shirt make him look so sophisticatedly gorgeous? How could the sharp contrast of black and white make him look so flawlessly picture-perfect, bringing out that mesmerizing crystal blue of his eyes that suddenly became so overwhelmingly spellbinding that she couldn’t turn her gaze away?

Harper stared at him breathlessly just like that for a few moments, all the while he stared back at her, equally wordless. Then a few more moments passed ... and she was the first one to finally recover from her dazed trance.

"Um, you look ... really amazing." She cleared her throat a bit sheepishly, feeling slightly embarrassed that after all this time, she was somehow still subject to swooning at a mere glance of this man.

"Um, you too. I mean, more amazing, obviously. Much more." Eli, being the usual expert of eloquence, seemed suddenly without words today. He stood up from the sofa, blinked a few times, and then shook his head with a sound that seemed like an incredulous exhale.

"I mean ... I can barely believe ... This is ..."

He shook his head again and closed the distance between them with a few slow steps. Taking her hands in his, he pressed a light peck to her lips. "You simply never cease to amaze me, Harper," he whispered against her mouth.

Well, they apparently shared that talent in common.

"I think that just makes us a matching pair together." Harper smiled, trying her best not to blush. Then she looped her arm in the crook of his elbow, and they headed out for the gala, together as a matching pair. ƒгeewёbnovel.com