“Are you tired?” Ben asked as they drove away from The Den.

“Huh?” Penny turned her head toward him.

“You seem quiet,” he observed.

“I’m not,” she said in a defensive tone, then sank back into the seat. “Maybe a little.” The truth was Penny was tired. Tired of wondering when Ben Walker was going to make any kind of move on her.

They’d gone on five dates total now. Every day, he’d pick her up, they’d go to dinner, and he’d drive her to work. He would stay the whole night, keeping a respectful distance while she was on her shift. By the time she clocked out, he’d be waiting outside to take her home. When they reached her house, he would walk her up to her door and then … that was it. He’d say goodnight and wait until she got inside and locked the door before leaving.

Ugh. She couldn’t believe she was annoyed at him for being a nice guy. And Ben was so nice to her. He opened doors, paid for their meals, and even brought her flowers. Every single date without fail. But ….

But what? Most girls complained about dates being too grabby, right? Penny pouted. Of course she’d be the one who would complain about a date not trying to cop a feel. Just her luck.

Maybe it’s because you’re a virgin. She squashed the thought that seemingly came from nowhere. Oh God, she told him, too, after that first date. She slapped her hand on her forehead with a loud smack.

“Penny?” Ben glanced over at her. “You all right?”

She gave him a weak smile. “I’m fine.”

No, she knew why he was avoiding getting physical with her. It was that kiss. Oh God, she shivered when she thought of that amazing kiss. It was perfect. Ben. His lips. His hands. And then … she felt his erection pressing against her. It had excited her and thrilled her; she didn’t know what to do. So she tensed up and froze.

He must have thought she was scared. That she had been thinking about what happened in the past. But it wasn’t her fault. Over and over again, Marian said it wasn’t her fault. Grams said it wasn’t her fault. She knew that now.

The memories of John’s attack hadn’t faded away, and sometimes she had bad episodes, like when that one customer had cornered her or when Christina brought it up. However, she didn’t stay a virgin because she couldn’t have sex. She went on a couple of dates back in Houston. Really, she tried. But before it could go any further, she would push them away. Maybe it was partly the memories. But now she realized none of them felt right.

Ben did, though. Oh God, did he feel so right. But how was she supposed to tell him that?

“We’re here,” he announced as he opened the door.

Penny didn’t even realize they had arrived. She took his hand as he helped her down. He had even installed one of those power step boards on his Jeep so she didn’t have to climb up so high.

I’m an awful, awful person, she moaned to herself. Ben was the nicest guy, and she was annoyed he hadn’t even tried to kiss her since their first date.

“Well, here we are,” she said as they stood in front of her door.

“Uh, yeah.” He seemed nervous. “So, Penny, I need to ask you something.”

Yes! Oh yes, you can come in, she wanted to scream. She pursed her lips instead. “What is it?”

“Will you come to the wedding with me next week? Christina and Jason’s wedding, I mean?”

“Huh?” She frowned. “I … I don’t know. I mean, I know we’ve been going on dates, but … the wedding?”

He looked crestfallen. “Oh.”

“Wait, it’s not that I don’t want to!” Though the thought of showing up at such a major event on Ben’s arm was making the butterflies in her stomach flutter again. “I just don’t have anything to wear. I don’t own any fancy gowns.”

“It’s not white tie or anything,” he said. “But I guess us guys will be wearing tuxes.”

“Oh.” Her heart fell. She didn’t even have anything suitable for business casual. “Ben, that’s nice of you to invite me. But—”

“If it’s the dress that’s a problem, I’ll take care of it.”

“Absolutely not.” She was putting her foot down at that. Even a simple dress would cost way too much. “You’re not paying for a dress. I still owe you for the car.”

He grunted and rubbed his hand down his face. “You don’t owe me anything.”

“Yes, I do!” She stamped her foot like a child, then quickly realized how immature she was being. Again, Ben was being sweet and thoughtful, but she was being stubborn. But she still had her pride after all. It was her own damn blue-collar values that made her refuse to take handouts.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “It's just, it would mean a lot to me if you were there.”

She let out a breath. “Look, can we talk about this another time? I’m really tired.”

He nodded. “Whatever you want. Can we still have dinner tomorrow?”

“Of course.” The way he looked at her—so sincere and eager to please—it made her heart wrench. She couldn’t stand the thought of not seeing him for more than a day. “Actually, it’s my night off, so you can come a little later? Say, six-thirty? And you won’t have to stay up so late, waiting for me to finish my shift.”

“I don’t mind at all.” His face was lit up. “See you tomorrow, then?”

“See you.” She went inside, closed and locked the door behind her, and listened to Ben’s heavy footsteps as they grew fainter. She smacked her forehead on the wood. I really am an awful person.

* * *

Penny was sitting in her kitchen the next morning, enjoying a cup of coffee and a book when she heard her cell phone ring. “Huh?” Who would call her at this time? She scrambled for her purse, which she had tossed onto the couch last night. “Hello?”

“Penny, it’s me.”

Ben. Oh God, did he change his mind about her? “Hey, there,” she said, trying to sound casual. “Did you need to reschedule or something?”

“No, we’re still on for tonight. Unless you need—”

“No! Er, I mean, I’m good.”

“Good. Now, I called you because … well, don’t hate me, but I kind of did something.”

Penny sank down on the couch and twisted a curl of her hair in her fingers. “What do you mean?”

“Well, remember last night when you said you didn’t have anything to wear to a wedding?”

“Yeah?”

“And you wouldn’t let me buy you a dress?”

“Uh-huh?”

“Well, I got someone to help.”

“Who?” Before Ben could answer, an insistent knock made her jump up. “Hold on.” She put the phone away from her ear and bounded to the door. When she looked in the peephole, she frowned in confusion. It was Kate Caldwell, Nathan’s sister. She’d met Kate twice before, once when she served them at Catherine’s bachelorette party and the second time was when she walked up to Christina at the cafe. But what was she doing here?

“Kate?”

“Penny, my girl!” Kate breezed into her living room the moment she cracked the door open.

Another figure was right behind Kate. “Hey, Penny!” Sybil Lennox greeted as she followed behind Kate. Sybil was Matthew and Jason’s sister, and Ben’s cousin. “How are you?”

“Good. It’s nice to see you, but what are you guys doing here? How did you know where I live?”

“Ben sent us!” Kate said cheerfully as she plopped herself down on the couch.

“What?”

“You’re on the phone with him, right?” Kate nodded to her hand.

“Oh. Right.” She put her phone up to her ear. “Ben?”

“Are they there?”

“Kate and Sybil?”

“Yeah.”

“They are. But I don’t understand.”

“Well, you know how you didn’t have anything to wear to the wedding?”

“Uh-huh?”

“I told you, they’re there to help.”

“I said I didn’t want you to pay for a dress!” she exclaimed.

“I’m not.”

“He’s not,” Kate piped in. She stood up and grabbed the phone from Penny. “Ben, we’ll take care of this, okay … Yeah, yeah, don’t worry about it. She’s in good hands. Now stop moping. Bye.” She rolled her eyes and passed the phone back to Penny. “Get dressed, Penny, my girl! We’re going out!”

“But—”

“Go!” Kate shooed her, pushing her toward the bedroom.

Penny wanted to protest more, but she had a feeling it would do no good. She grabbed some clothes from her closet and quickly dressed.

“Where are we going?” Penny asked later as they sat in Sybil’s car. They were driving in the direction of Blackstone. “I told Ben not to buy me a dress.”

“He’s not,” Sybil said.

Penny slumped back and crossed her arms over her chest. “You guys are not buying me one either.”

“We aren’t.” Kate looked back at her from the front passenger seat. “Look, Ben told us you didn’t have anything to wear to the wedding and you wouldn’t accept a dress from him. So, I’m taking you to a friend of mine. She’s an aspiring designer and would be absolutely thrilled if you would wear one of her designs to the wedding.”

Surely a dress by a designer would be out of her budget. “I can’t afford it.”

Kate shook her head. “You’re just borrowing it. Hollywood movie stars do it all the time, you know? For exposure.”

Huh. That actually wasn’t a bad solution. She could keep her pride and go to the wedding with Ben. “I guess that would be okay.”

“Great. You’ll love her stuff. Her style’s all vintage and glam.”

They drove for another twenty minutes until they arrived at a house just on the edge of Blackstone. It was small but quaint, painted in blue and white. The trio walked up to the door, and Kate rang the doorbell. The door opened a few seconds later.

“Hello, Kate.”

“Dutchy!” Kate greeted. “Thanks for letting us drop by on short notice.”

“How could I say no to a fashion emergency?” The woman who answered was probably their age, with pale blue eyes and strawberry blond hair that was perfectly styled in waves around her face. “Come in, please.” She smiled at them and stood aside to let them through.

“Guys, this is Duchess Forrester.”

“Please, call me Dutchy. Everyone does.”

“You already know Sybil, but this is Penny. She’s the one with a fashion emergency.”

“I’m sorry for the trouble,” Penny said in a quiet voice.

Dutchy laughed, her voice like tinkling bells. “No trouble at all. I’m not exactly busy. Let’s go into my workshop.”

She led them into the main area of the one-story house, which should have been the living room, but this room was filled with half-unpacked boxes, bolts of fabric, two sewing machines, and several mannequins. The mannequins were outfitted in gorgeous outfits, from casual sundresses to an elegant-looking ball gown in black and white. “Sorry about the mess; I’m still figuring things out. I only moved in a couple of days ago.”

“Oh, that’s nice,” Penny said, looking around her. “From where?”

“New York. I just finished fashion school and was looking for a change,” she explained. “I came to visit Blackstone last month. My aunts live here, and they said I should check it out." She smiled wistfully. "I don’t know, something about this place makes me feel at home.”

“Dutchy is going to start her fashion line here,” Kate explained. “She’s going to become famous!”

“Kate, you’re too kind,” Dutchy said with a laugh.

“Can the modesty, sister! You’re so talented. Blackstone will be the place where you flourish! I mean, imagine, a shifter designer making gowns for other shifters! You could start a trend!”

Penny didn’t realize Dutchy was a shifter, though it made sense, with her feeling feel like she belonged here. The rest of the world, especially in the big cities, wasn’t very welcoming to their kind.

“Blackstone is growing, so I thought, why not? Anyway, please have a seat.” She gestured to the couch, the one area that was relatively clutter-free, and sat next to Penny. “So, Kate tells me you’re going to the Lennox-Stavros wedding and you need a dress.”

“Yeah.” Penny fidgeted with the bottom of her shirt. Dutchy looked so elegant in her vintage dress and sandals. She wished she had thrown on something more stylish than a shirt and jeans. “Kate said you’d let me borrow a dress?”

“That's the plan.”

“But,” she looked around at the beautiful dresses on the mannequins, “all your dresses are gorgeous. And probably expensive.”

“Oh, don’t worry.” Dutchy put her hands over Penny’s. “You’ll be doing me a favor if you wear one of my designs to the biggest social event in Blackstone.”

“You’ll be a walking billboard,” Kate said.

“But more elegant,” Sybil added. “Just give people Dutchy’s name when they ask about your dress.”

“Oh, I can do that,” Penny said, nodding her head excitedly.

“Great. It's settled then,” Dutchy said. “I think I know the perfect one. It’s an earlier work of mine, but it should still be in good condition. Give me a second.” She disappeared into another section of the house and came back with a garment bag. “Here.” She handed it to Penny. “Come with me."

Penny followed Dutchy to another room. She hung the dress on a coat rack in the corner. When she unzipped it, she let out a gasp. The dress was gorgeous. It had a navy blue satin corseted bodice with a sweetheart neckline. The skirt was made of layers of dark blue tulle covered in gold specks, like the night sky filled with stars. The fabric was delicate to the touch, and she ran her hands over it lovingly.

“Do you like it?” Dutchy asked.

“It’s beautiful.”

She gave Penny a warm smile. “Try it on then.”

Penny nodded and took off her clothes. She slid the blue dress over her body and when Dutchy came forward to zip her up, another gasp left her mouth.

“Perfect fit,” Dutchy said.

It really was. She could breathe in the dress and it didn’t pinch or bunch anywhere.

“Let’s get a better look outside.”

She left the room, lifting the skirt as she walked. This was the fanciest dress she’d ever worn, and she didn’t want to ruin it by tripping all over herself. “Well?” she asked Kate and Sybil when she stood in the middle of the living room.

Kate’s eyes were wide and her mouth open. For once, she was actually speechless.

“Oh Penny, you look gorgeous!” Sybil said, clapping her hands together. “You’ll be the most beautiful girl there.”

“Aside from the bride,” Penny joked.

“Seriously, Penny, you are fine,” Kate said. “And I mean fiiiiiine. All the girls will be jealous when you show up on Ben’s arm. He cleans up nice too, ya know?”

“And you’ll be meeting his parents,” Sybil added. “But don’t be nervous or anything. Aunt Laura and Uncle James are the sweetest.”

Penny thought for a moment. Meeting’s Ben’s parents would be big. Like, humongous. And though she was nervous, she’d be a liar if she said she didn’t want it to happen.

“Don’t worry, they’ll love you,” Kate assured her. “Especially since you’re his mate and all.”

Penny felt her cheeks grow hot. “He … he … told you?”

Kate grinned. “More like, I twisted his arm at work this morning until he told me why he looked like someone had kicked his pet cat or something.”

“She probably literally did,” Sybil added.

“Pshaw, I did that to him all the time when we were kids. Anyway,” she turned back to Penny. “He really wants you to come. They’ll be so thrilled you’ll be giving them grandkids soon.”

“Yeah, well that means Ben has to have sex with me first.” Penny was pretty sure she had said that in her head, not out loud. But from the shocked looks on the three other women’s faces, she knew they had heard every word. Damn word vomit! She cringed and covered her mouth with her hands.

The silence in the room was deafening. Sybil shifted uncomfortably beside her, while Dutchy stood off to the side trying not to look at her. Of course, Kate could only stare, her mouth open.

“What?” Kate finally said. “Ben hasn’t been all over that?”

Penny shook her head.

“Why?”

“Er ….”

Kate got to her feet, throwing her hands in the air. “And why haven’t you been all over him? I mean—excuse me while I push the bile down my throat because he’s like a brother to me but—Ben is a smokin’ specimen! You need to climb that man bear like a tree!”

“I don’t know how! I’ve never had sex before.” Oh hell, not again. Her face felt like a three-alarm fire.

This time, Kate’s head swung back and forth between Penny and Sybil, then she burst out laughing as she fell back on the couch, clutching her stomach. “Oh. My. God!”

Sybil let out a long, drawn-out sigh. “Isn’t this getting old yet?”

Kate waved at them. “You guys should form the Blackstone Virgins Club or something.”

Sybil rolled her eyes and looked at Penny. “Sorry, my virginity’s a running joke with her. Kate, will you stop!” Sybil said. “Penny’s obviously embarrassed.”

“S-s-sorry,” Kate said, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. She cleared her throat. “Sybil’s been my friend since we were in diapers, so I can joke with her like that. I didn’t mean to make fun of you.”

“It’s fine.”

“But … really?”

Penny bit her lip. “It’s not that I didn’t want to or tried.” She swallowed the lump in her throat. “I’m just … something happened when I was younger and since then I just ….”

Sybil put an arm around her. “Penny, I had no idea.”

“Jesus.” Kate was gritting her teeth. “I’m sorry.”

She straightened her shoulders. “It’s not that I can’t or don’t want to. No one felt right, that’s all. No one until Ben. And he won’t even … he thinks he’s doing the right thing. I mean, obviously he is, but he’s so nice. I just don’t know what to do or what to tell him! Am I supposed to wave a flag? Take an ad out in the paper?”

“Screw Me Silly, Ben Walker!” Kate waved her hand in the air like she was reading a big headline. Even Sybil guffawed. “Aww, Penny, my girl.” Kate put an arm around her. “Look, it’s no big deal. You’re his mate. He can only resist you for so long. It’ll happen for you.”

“Do you think it’ll happen before the next ice age?” Penny asked wryly. “But seriously. Do you think he’s turned off by the fact that I’m a virgin?”

“What? No!” Kate protested. “No way. I know Ben. I mean, not about his sex life or anything, but he’s the type of person who will do the right thing. He’s always been there, looking out for us and taking care of us like a big brother. He’s a nice guy. And because he’s a nice guy, he’s going to do everything to put you first. Even if it means blue balls for the rest of his life.”

Sybil swatted her on the shoulder. “Kate!”

“Ugh, c’mon, we’re all adults,” Kate said.

Penny sighed, her shoulders sinking low. “I don’t know what to do. I like him so much.”

“You have to seduce him,” Dutchy said matter-of-factly. “And I know how.” She disappeared into the other room again, then came back with something lacy and satiny in her hands. “Here.” She held it up. It was a light pink corset and garter belt set.

“Holy. Shit.” Kate exclaimed. “Ben’s going to cream his pants when he sees you in that.”

“It’s the same size as the dress so it should fit you,” Dutchy said. “Go ahead,” she held it out to Penny. “It’s yours.”

“What? No, I can’t take that! You’re already letting me borrow your dress!”

“And you’re giving me free advertisement. Please, just take it. It’s a gift. Besides, I can’t take it back after you wear it.”

“Yeah, there might not be anything left,” Kate said.

Penny took it gratefully. “But, so, what do I do? We’re going out to dinner tonight, and he usually takes me straight home after.”

“Just give him a peek of what you’re wearing,” Dutchy said. “Put on something really sweet and innocent on top. Then, when you’re all alone, give him a preview.”

Penny flushed. Could she really do that?

“And then you know what happens after, right?” Kate asked.

“Kate, I’m sure Penny knows the mechanics,” Sybil said.

“Excuse me, Miss Sybil Lennox, but you’ve never had a first time! Penny needs to know what she’s in for. Especially with Ben.” Kate put her palms together and then pulled them apart in an exaggerated manner.

“Ew! Kate!” Sybil lobbed a throw pillow at her.

Kate ducked. “What? He’s a shifter, so you know he’s gifted in the size department!” She turned to Penny. “Seriously, you have to set the pace. Tell him to go slow. He can’t go wailing on your vagina like the guitar solo from Sweet Child O’ Mine.”

Oh God, she hadn’t even thought of that.

Dutchy laughed. “Well ladies, I think Penny’s embarrassed enough. Her face is about as red as her hair.”

Penny shot Dutchy a grateful look, glad that the other woman put a stop to the teasing. She was nervous enough.

They chatted for a few more minutes, and Penny exchanged numbers with Dutchy so they could arrange for her to pick up the dress after some minor adjustments. They said their goodbyes, and the three women left.