Chapter 48
Inside the store, he scanned the displays as if looking for something in particular. He stopped at an elegant display of silk blouses in a wide array of colors. He pulled out a pale blue one and held it against my skin. He shook his head and returned it to the rack.
For all his size and masculinity, he was reminding me of a toddler in a toy store. I had to laugh. "What exactly are you looking for?" I asked.
"I'll know it when I see it." He reached for a different blouse. This one was creamy white with a classic cut and little pearl buttons all the way down the front.
He held it up in front of me and nodded. "That's the one," he said.
I raised my eyebrows. "Is it now?"
He handed the blouse over. "Try it on. We'll see." He held up a hand. "No, wait."
"For what?" I said.
"You need a skirt," he said. "Something black. And short."
"Actually," I said. "I have one of those. Remember?" I'd been wearing a short black skirt the morning he'd shown up at Maddie's apartment.
He gave a slow nod. "Yeah. I remember."
That reminded me of something. "Whereisthat skirt, by the way?" I hadn't seen the thing since taking it off to shower a couple days earlier.
"Probably at the cleaners," he said. "It doesn't matter. We'll get you a new one."
"I don't need a new one," I said. "The old one's fine, really."
He flashed me a grin. "Hey, this stuff is for me. Remember?"
I gave him a dubious look. "You're planning to wear a skirt?"
"Sorry, no more questions," he said.
"You don'tlookvery sorry."
"That's because I've been thinking about this for a while."
"How long?" I asked.
He stopped to give me a look that, I swear, made my toes tingle and core ignite. He leaned close, and his voice was nearly a caress. "I've been thinking about this since yesterday morning."
The words were completely innocent. And yet, all of a sudden, the store felt a whole lot hotter. I almost wanted to fan myself. No. I definitely wanted to fan myself. With his shirt. He'd just need to take it off and–.
From just behind me, I heard a crisp female voice say, "Can I start you a dressing room?"
I whirled around and nearly knocked over a nearby mannequin. Color shot to my face, and I stammered out, "Oh. Yeah. That'd be great. Thanks."
The clerk reached out for the blouse. "Here, let me take that for you."
"She'll need a skirt too," Jake told her. "Something black." His gaze dipped to my legs, still clad in those yoga pants. "Short, but not too short. Let's leavesomethingto the imagination." He grinned over at me. "Right?"
Oh God. I was imagining all sorts of things right now. Wordlessly, I nodded.
Inside the dressing room a few minutes later, I studied my reflection in the mirror. The outfit was the infinitely respectable and yet somehow a lot sexier than I would have imagined. Before entering the dressing room, I had promised Jake I'd let him see me in it before I took it off.
Almost embarrassed, I opened the door to the dressing room and peeked my head around the corner. Jake was sitting in one of two chairs just outside the shallow dressing room hallway.
He looked up. "Do I get to see the whole thing?" he said. "Or just the collar?"
