Liam's first and most important thought was: 'Heck no.'
His second thought was that the vest on the mannequin was not ugly.
It was beautifully made, which Liam considered a personal attack. The fabric was dark green with a black undertone, firm enough to hold a clean line but soft enough to move. The front had no obvious lacing or romantic nonsense, only a concealed closure that sat beneath a narrow strip of dark gold. The waist was shaped with such precision that it looked less like someone wanted Liam's waist reduced to some modeling concept.
The back was worse.
The designer turned the mannequin with theatrical reverence, revealing a set of hidden panels beneath the fabric, reinforced along the ribs and spine, the internal structure almost invisible unless one knew what to look for.
Stanford knew what to look for.
Liam saw his eyes move.
Unfortunately, the designer saw it too.
