“I can’t wear this.” Felicity stared at her reflection in the changing room mirror, eyes wide. She wore a filmy black babydoll top with bikini underwear bottoms.

“Let me see.” Layla’s voice came from the other side of the door.

“No!” she responded instantly. “I’m practically naked in this thing!”

A soft giggle echoed inches away. “That’s kind of the idea.”

Plucking at the lacy hem of the top, Felicity studied herself in the mirror again and swayed her hips experimentally, just to watch the way the fabric swayed. It was loose, and she liked that. Even though the fabric was sheer, the loose feel of it didn’t make her as uncomfortable as she thought it might be.

The bra part that cupped her breasts was transparent enough to show the dim outline of her nipples. What would Jared think if he saw her in this? Would he want to tear it off? The idea made her nipples pebble into hard points, and she hastily scrambled out of the bikini bottoms and slid the top off. It was too exciting and too strange. She’d never worn anything like that before.

“Well? What are you going to do? You tried on half the store. Didn’t you see at least one thing you liked?” She and Layla had been shopping for the better part of an hour, but it felt like a hundred years.

Layla was right. A large pile of discarded items lay in the corner of the changing room. Half of the things she couldn’t even figure out how to put on, and some of them were complicated enough that she’d needed instructions to know where to put her arms and legs. Most of them were small enough that if she crumpled them up she could close her fist around the fabric completely and not see a single piece of it outside of the clasp of her hand.

For a girl with curves, she sure as heck wasn’t wearing anything that revealing. The last thing she wanted was to highlight her fuller figure. It wasn’t that she didn’t like her body—she did. It was just that…well, she was so new to this whole sexy thing that she wasn’t comfortable with that new side of herself. Easing into it seemed the best approach.

“Pick one thing. Just one.”

“None of these really feel like me,” she admitted as she got dressed. Felicity welcomed the comforting feel of her jeans and sweater and, more importantly, the concealing sensible bra and underwear.

When she opened the door, Layla was waiting, a patient expression softening her usually intense features.

“Sometimes you don’t know what feels like you until you try it once. Besides, you don’t wear this kind of stuff all the time. You wear it for one night, and twenty bucks says Jared will be ripping it off you as soon as he can get his hands on you. It’s part of the game. You get to spice it up for the guy. Remind him how lucky he is to be with you.” Layla picked up the babydoll outfit and handed it to her.

“Buy this one. It’s sexy, but conservative enough to be a first try.”

Felicity had to admit Layla was right. The other outfits had been…well, she couldn’t buy those. But this one—it covered her, but also revealed a lot. It would have to do.

“Now, we need black heels. Ones with something provocative on the back,” Layla explained as they walked over to the sales desk and Felicity set her chosen lingerie on the counter and put her prepaid debit card on top.

“Heels? I have black heels.” She thought of the standard pumps she’d worn to Club Amazon the night before.

“No, no, no. Those are fine for parties and stuff. For seduction, you need something else entirely.” Her friend shuffled the multiple shopping bags on her arms.

“Layla, I swear, sometimes it’s like your speak another language.” Felicity groaned as she collected her small red bag with the babydoll outfit and tramped after her friend. A shoe store was just across the way in the mall.

“This will do.” Layla swept her hair over her shoulder and marched into the shoe store like a commanding general. Shopping was serious to her, maybe a little too serious.

They approached a display of sexy black heels. All of them had something interesting at the back part of the heels: bows, spikes, glitter, different- colored fabric like leopard print. She reached out and touched one finger to a pair that had small spikes jutting off the back.

“Ouch!” She pulled her finger back after it got pricked by one of the sharp points.

“No. Not those.” Layla studied them seriously. “Once a guy throws your legs over his shoulders, you don’t want to stop him, unless he’s into pain.” Layla glanced at her. “Jared’s not into that, right?”

“Huh?” Felicity then realized what her best friend was asking. “Uh, no. At least I don’t think so…” She thought back to the way they’d made love. No, he wasn’t into pain, at least not on his end. He hadn’t seemed to want to hurt her, either. But they’d only had sex twice, which wasn’t enough to gauge someone’s deeper desires.

“What is it?” Layla picked up on her hesitation.

“He takes control a little. Pins me down and holds my wrists.” She flushed with mortification. Maybe she shouldn’t have said that.

“Oh.” Layla laughed. “A bit dominant? Do you like it when he does that?”

Felicity bit her lip and nodded. “It makes me…” She paused. “I can’t explain it. I just go blank inside, in a good way. I don’t think or worry, I just feel everything when he takes over, and it’s so hot.”

Her friend smiled. “I get that way too. Tanner is playful, but every now and then he gets into this darker side. Not bad dark, just like alpha male caveman dark. Like when I get mouthy, he’ll, you know…” Layla glanced around to make sure no one was close enough to hear her. “He’ll spank me. Totally hot even though it sounds crazy.”

Normally the idea of anyone being hit would have sent Felicity into a spiral of panic, but she knew what Layla meant. A sensual punishment seemed different. Her body certainly reacted to it differently. The idea of Jared smacking her ass with his hand? A little shiver of longing racked her.

What’s wrong with me? She wanted him to do things to her that would have shamed and embarrassed her a week ago.

“Ah, here’s what we need.” Layla pointed to a pair of black velvet pumps. On the back of each heel was a red satin bow. The flash of rich scarlet was sexy and provocative.

“Wow.” Felicity had to admit there was something sensual about the shoes.

“I know, right? Now imagine those if you wore thigh-high hose with seams down the back of your legs that pointed toward the bows. Jared wouldn’t stand a chance.”

“How much are they?” she asked. Her budget had barely afforded the lingerie. There was a high probability she couldn’t afford these shoes. Her heart sank to the pit of her stomach as Layla flipped the nearest shoe over and winced when they both looked at the price tag.

She and her friend stared longingly at the shoes, and then Layla gave a little whooping cry of triumph.

“You know what? I never got you a birthday present.” Layla waved over a sales clerk. “Size eight, please.”

Felicity placed her hand over Layla’s and tried to get her to put the shoe down. “Layla, no! They’re too expensive! You can’t do that!”

“Yeah, I can.” They struggled silently before Layla smacked Felicity’s wrist and then with a whoop of victory dashed away toward the sales clerk, shoving her credit card in the poor girl’s face. “Ring them up!”

“Damn it,” Felicity muttered. There was nothing worse than feeling that you owed somebody something. She’d never liked it, and owing a friend felt somehow worse because she knew this particular friend would never let her make it up to her.

“Give it up, Hart,” Layla taunted as she signed the receipt. “I will always out-shop you.” She waggled her fingertips with a gleeful cackle of a laugh.

“I’ll pay you back,” Felicity threatened.

“Nope. Not happening. I won’t take a dime from you. You can repay me by sexing the hell out of that workaholic boyfriend of yours.”

The sales clerk, a girl their age, snorted as she tried to restrain her smile. Felicity found she was grinning too. Layla was just too damn irresistible, even to total strangers. After they were done with the shoes, her friend dragged her to a department store in search of hose. Half an hour later they were back on campus, finishing the day’s classes.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket at exactly five o’clock when her last professor of the day had turned off his PowerPoint presentation and dismissed the class. She stuffed her books into her bag and pulled her phone out.

One new message.

Jared: Dinner, my place, 6:30. I’ll send a cab for you.

Not a question. He just informed her of his plans. She found that both irritating and delightful. The man knew what he wanted, and she inwardly squealed with joy at the thought that he wanted her. She hastily typed a reply, unable to resist the urge to tease him.

Felicity: And if I have homework?

She was dying to see how he’d react to that. There really was a mountain of reading with her name on it.

Jared: Bring it over. I’ll cook while you read. Pack an overnight bag.

He cooked? Was that possible? Could he be any more perfect? There was just one flaw in his plan. She wouldn’t be able to concentrate if she was near him. Especially now that she’d bought the lingerie and those heels. All she could think about was putting them on and enjoying the look on his face.

Felicity: Okay. I’ll be there soon. Have to stop at my place first.

There were clothes to pack and textbooks that she had to get before she could head over to Jared’s, even though her entire body was already keyed up and almost vibrating with the need to see him.

He had changed her—or rather, wanting to be with him had made her change. She was braver, more outgoing because she wanted to be with him. In a few short days, knowing him, feeling for him, she’d started to overcome years of being that girl who hid from the world by burying her nose in her books and working. Now she was the girl who was trying on lingerie and giggling with her friend about how to seduce a man with sexy shoes.

Felicity drew in a deep, measured breath and then went to pack an overnight bag. She tucked the sexy heels and babydoll with the hose in her bag, along with her black trench coat. She’d save it for tonight, after studying and dinner. She paused when she packed her toiletries and then with nervousness and excitement tucked the new small circular disc of birth control pills into her bag. Layla had helped her get in to see a doctor this afternoon and to get a prescription picked up after class. It was a good thing to be prepared, and this way they wouldn’t have to worry about condoms.

Once Felicity’s bag was packed with clothes, her shower kit, and her homework, she locked her apartment and headed to the street to find the cab Jared had sent for her. Tonight shouldn’t have to be about school or work. It was about her and Jared and figuring out what they meant to each other. That was what was important. Was she with him? Not with him? Were they exclusive? Could she even ask him about that? And what would they do about the future when she was ready to graduate?

God, what am I doing?

She covered her face in her hands as she waited for the taxi to get to Jared’s apartment building. The simple, animal instinct to bury her face in her palms and hide from the world was so strong. But she dropped her hands when the car stopped in front of Jared’s place. She didn’t have to hide. Jared had shown her in their short time together that she never had to hide from him. He didn’t want her to. That thought alone had her getting out of the cab, her overnight bag and backpack slung over her shoulders. This was an adventure—that was how she needed to view being with Jared.

The security guard nodded at her warmly. “Ms. Hart. Nice to see you.”

When she froze, startled, the man held his hands up apologetically. “Mr. Redmond said to expect you. I noticed you coming and going a few times. He wanted to make sure I know to let you in since you don’t have an after-hours security card.”

He was having the doorman watch out for her? That made her feel…special. The thought that he was treating her as special made her heart flip over in her chest. They were rushing into this, but she didn’t want to stop.

“Uh, thanks.” She smiled at the guard and headed over to the set of sleek silver elevators. This world—Jared’s world—was so different from hers. He was all vacation homes in Colorado and the Bahamas. And she’d grown up in a one-story two-bedroom house in a town that had less than a hundred thousand people in it. Now she was renting a shoebox-size apartment on the bad side of Chi-town.

When she reached Jared’s rooms, she thrust her shoulders back and swallowed the little flutters of nervousness back down. She rapped her knuckles on the door and waited. Within a few seconds the door opened and there he stood. Still in his expensive suit. His jacket was gone, sleeves rolled up, tie loosened, and hair falling across his eyes as he brushed it away with a flick of his hand. Temptation, seductive, wonderful, irresistible. Her heart clenched, and she smiled as a swell of pure joy hit her at the sight of him.

God, I’m so screwed…