#Chapter 248: The Academy’s Winter Dance

On the evening of the Academy’s winter dance, I slipped into my shining purple gown and checked myself out in the bathroom mirror. Gone were the days when I could pass as not pregnant. Now, my bump was a distinctive round bulge, pressing out the front of my gown – which I had bought in the maternity section. Asher ducked his head in through the open door. “You about… ready…” His gaze drifted down the length of my body. His blue eyes darkened. I knew that look. “We don’t have time,” I said fondly. He stepped more fully into the bathroom, enough that I could see the full length of him now too. He wore a tailored black suit that hugged his wide shoulders and tapered waist. A simple black bowtie hugged the base of his throat, snug under a starched white collar. He’d tried to do something with his wild hair, slicking it back some. The loose curls could not be contained though and broke free in several places. Overall, he looked like he just walked straight out of a fashion magazine.