Page 69 of Priceless
But I couldn’t deny that it was beautiful. All in my size. Now I just had to get the courage to actually put it on and wear it.
I was going to seduce my husbands.
The truth was, I hadn’t fully allowed myself to want them, because it was so unthinkable that they would want me. I’d been attracted from the moment I met them, but attraction and taking the leap from wanting to action were very different things.
What the hell did I wear to say hi, I’m nervous but taking a chance on something I really want, please don’t laugh at me?
The lacier, barer things were out. I was already dreading the thought of walking into view in something like that, even though they’d already—briefly—seen me naked. Even though they’d made it clear they did find me attractive. Even though they’d flat out told me they wanted me.
It sucked, but a few compliments didn’t erase years of being the most undesirable person in every room. Whether or not it was true, it was still the way I was made to feel. And no matter if I didn’t fully hate myself, it was hard to love yourself when no one else did. When no one had ever called you beautiful.
Except Micah.
I knew Cameron and Everett would say it too.
But I didn’t know if I believed it. If I ever would.
A dark blue silk caught my eye, hanging among the rows of lace. It was a simple, short, babydoll nightgown. Covering enough that it soothed my anxiety, and revealing enough—with lace at the hem and baring a sheer, plunging neckline—that it wouldn’t simply be seen as pajamas.
I closed my eyes when I pulled it off the hanger. There were even matching panties draped with it.
Breathe, Ocean. You can do this.
The skirt skimmed down my body, disguising my stomach and the worst of my stretch marks. They were going to see them anyway on my thighs and arms, but those were less visible.
This showed more of my arms than I was usually comfortable with. Laura’s voice telling me I shouldn’t wear anything sleeveless or strapless echoed in my head, but I pushed it away.
They chose me.
They wanted me.
I did look cute. Now I just had to…
Fuck.
Grabbing some lip balm, I put it on and didn’t let myself look in the mirror again. If I was going to do this, I needed to do it. Trinity was in my head cheering me on.
After we got home from Nestled we ate dinner, and then I escaped to take a shower. Now, with my hair damp and curling, I was going to find them. Cameron said they’d either still be in the kitchen or back in the TV room.
This place was so big I still felt like I needed a map to get around it, but I knew how to get back to the kitchen. But they weren’t in there. My bare feet padded on the stone tile as I made my way through it and to the TV room. Their voices sounded low through the air, and then a laugh. Again, I was jealous of how comfortable they were.
I paused outside the room, but only for a moment, because if it was more than a moment, then I’d run back to my room and hide and forget this whole idea ever existed in the first place.
Still, my toes curled under themselves as I walked in. I toyed with the edge of the skirt. Nerves felt they were burning under my skin.
Breathe.
Everett saw me first, eyes locking on me like the predator he reminded me of. He’d been speaking, and then he wasn’t. Just staring at me. Micah, and finally Cameron turned to look at me.
No one spoke, the air thick with tension.
“Um, hi.”
They still just stared at me. My face flushed, and the need to run rose up hard and fast.
“Sorry if I’m interrupting. I don’t really know what I’m doing. I know I said this morning that I’m not really good at this, so I can go and?—”
Cameron leapt up from his seat and crossed the space to me in three long strides. He sank to his knees in front of me, gripping my hips and pulling me closer. His face pressed into my stomach and the rest of him wrapped around me. “Don’t you fucking go anywhere, sweetheart. Don’t you dare.”
