Hayley left Shackleton’s with Josh feeling like they’d done a deep dive into getting to know each other. Certainly, he’d gotten her all lusty and sexy-feeling, which was the right frame of mind for the kind of shopping she’d be doing. She was ready to try on whatever Josh suggested, and she planned to study his gorgeous brown eyes as they expressed what he really thought about the clothing she tried on.

Although it was the only true shopping mall within a hundred miles, the Nanook Valley Mall was still small, with fewer than seventy stores. It was laid out in a cross pattern with a center food court and a coat check, where Josh and Hayley dropped off their bulky parkas.

“Okay,” Hayley said, spreading her arms. “Make me sexy.”

“Sexier,” he corrected her and glanced around. “Where do you usually shop?”

“Um … the Gap?”

“Gap’s the opposite of sexy.” He glanced at a familiar pink storefront and smiled. “How about starting with Victoria’s Secret?”

She already wore alluring undergarments; she considered them one of life’s indispensable little luxuries. But of course, Josh didn’t know that—yet.

She punched his arm playfully. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”

“I would indeed.”

“Sorry, but I think we’re going to have to start with what people actually see first.”

“Let’s pick an occasion. An event you want to look good for. What’s the thing tonight?”

“A business mixer,” she said. “It’s not fancy or anything, but there might be new people there.”

He put his arm around her as they began to walk. “You do know you’re already sexy, right?”

“The goal is to get every head to turn,” she reminded him as she leaned into him, loving the feel of walking together. “At this point, that’s not happening.”

“Well, my head turned when I saw you for the first time at your Singles Night.”

It had, and she’d never forget the way it had made her feel—like they belonged together. Like she was his. Damn it, Josh. Why aren’t you available?

“You and nobody else,” she said.

“I doubt that’s true. Hey, how about that place?” He pointed ahead to a store called Venus and Vixen.

Hayley had never shopped there, but the mannequins in the display window had a fetching angel-devil vibe about them. They stopped inside the doorway to look around, and Josh waved at the saleswoman behind the counter, who smiled and came over.

“Can I help you?” She looked from one to the other. She was model-thin and fashionable in a silky top and tight black jeans.

“This is Hayley,” Josh said. “We’re trying to sex up her look.”

“Always a good goal,” the saleswoman said with a smile.

“I’m going more for everyday sexy,” Hayley said. “So nothing too … um … slutty. I still have an office job.”

“So slightly more Venus than Vixen?”

“Exactly!”

“I’ll get a dressing room going for you while you take a look around. My name’s Gabrielle. Do you want any help selecting items, or would you prefer to browse on your own?”

“Help would be great,” Josh said. “Hayley’s got two sides to her, her professional side and her provocative side, and today’s goal is to combine the two.”

Flattered by how he described her, Hayley gave him a sideways look. “That’s quite the assessment.”

“Am I wrong?” he asked. “Every time I’ve seen you, you’ve worn long sweaters or shirts, and you should be showing off your ass. Men like that. And I have yet to see any cleavage.”

“So you want cleavage and derriere,” Gabrielle said, and he nodded. “Can I—? Do you mind?” Gabrielle indicated for Hayley to come closer, and when she did, Gabrielle turned her to face the nearby floor-length mirror. “This outfit right here. The boots are good, and the leggings are good, but while the sweater’s gorgeous, it’s too conservative. It lacks sex appeal.”

Hayley made a face at herself in the mirror. “That’s me, lacking in sex appeal.”

“Want a few ideas to glam it up a bit?”

“Definitely.”

Gabrielle showed Hayley the effect a big belt had with the turtleneck. The belt showed off her curves to nice effect. But Hayley was uncertain, self-conscious under Josh’s gaze, approving as it was.

“I feel like it shows how slim my hips aren’t,” she said.

“You have shape,” Josh said. “Shape is good.”

“We always want what we don’t have,” Gabrielle said. “My body’s like a stick and I’d love some curves. You’ve got curves and want to be a stick. We shouldn’t do this to ourselves. We need to work with what we’ve got. But seriously, when you try to hide what you perceive to be your flaws, all you’re going to do is draw attention to them.” She gestured to Josh. “He’s already said he wants to see your shape. You need to believe him.”

Josh grinned at her. “Yeah, Hayley. Believe me.”

They waited as Gabrielle moved deftly around the store collecting items. She came back with a white lace camisole, a wide black belt, some dangly earrings, and a fitted pink plaid shirt.

“Here, try these things on. The camisole gets tucked in, and the shirt hangs open.”

While Hayley was in the dressing room, she took a moment to reapply her lip gloss, which made her think of the searing hot kiss she and Josh had shared in the bar. A warm glow still suffused her body at the memory of his lips on hers. She enjoyed shopping as much as the next woman, but in that moment she wanted to be anywhere else, as long as it was with Josh and alone. As she slipped off her sweater and into the new clothes, Hayley was all too aware of how aroused she was.

She emerged from the dressing room, wearing what she’d been instructed to put on. Where before her sweater hid her hips, thighs and ass, now all were on display. Her cleavage spilled out of the camisole in a way that made her feel flirtatious, and the fitted plaid shirt was flattering and weather-appropriate.

The look on Josh’s face was gratifying. His eyes traveled the length of her, and Hayley felt all kinds of sensual in a way she hadn’t in a long time.

Gabrielle came back with an armful of more outfits to try on, including a vivid emerald knee-length dress with cunning laser cutouts that made a kind of fringe along the bottom. “I think it’s really sweet of you to shop with your girlfriend,” she said to Josh. “Most guys wouldn’t be caught dead.”

Hayley’s mouth opened to correct her, as did Josh’s, but they caught glances with each other and neither said anything. Why not let the saleswoman think they were dating? There was no harm in it, and it seemed easier than the real explanation.

“I’ll grab some shoes for you to try on with the dresses,” Gabrielle said, hanging up the additional outfits in the fitting room and zipping off again.

“I like that look on you,” Josh said. “Sexy tomboy. Emphasis on the sexy. You can definitely retire the baggy sweaters, Hayley.”

“You think?” She preened in the full-length mirror, turning to inspect how she looked from all angles.

“I’d have a hard time keeping my hands off your ass,” he said quietly, as soon as Gabrielle was out of earshot.

Hayley gave him a daring smile. “I don’t know if I believe you.” She stepped closer to him. “Maybe you’ll have to prove it.”

Josh reached his arms around her and pulled her close. Hayley was dizzy in the presence of his muscular strength, his confidence, and she couldn’t help but push her hips against him. She felt the shape and heat of his arousal through their clothing.

“I love the cleavage,” he said into her ear, sending tingles down her spine. He smoothed his hands across the curve of her ass. “And I love seeing your neck. The more skin, Hayley, the better.”

He lowered his head and kissed her neck. Her breath caught. She waited for him to kiss her lips, but he didn’t; instead he moved up to nibble on her earlobe for one tender instant before releasing her. It was sweet agony when he stepped away from her, and she nearly moaned with frustration at the sudden space between them.

Gabrielle appeared, holding a pair of strappy metallic high heels.

“Why don’t you do some trying on, and I’ll be out here if you need me. Otherwise, I’ll leave you to yourselves for a bit.”

The twinkle in her eye suggested she expected them to engage in some hanky-panky in the dressing room, but Hayley stepped further away from Josh.

“You stay here,” she said to him.

“Spoilsport.”

Hayley went back into the dressing room, closed the door behind her, and then released a long, slow, steadying breath. Josh just blew her away. Lit her on fire. She’d never wanted a man so much, and the fact she felt this way after knowing him for only a few days scared her, doubly so because he was off limits from a long-term perspective. She thought back to Cassie’s concern—what if he’s the best sex you’ve ever had and no guy after him can compare? Wouldn’t that set you up for disappointment with your forever guy?

Why, yes, it might, Hayley realized. But there was no way she wasn’t going to sleep with him, no way at all. When he’d embraced her and she’d felt his arousal, it was all she could do not to move his hand beneath the waistband of her leggings so he could feel her wetness in return. They had a good rhythm together, she could tell already, and she knew sex with him would be sensational. The foreplay had already begun: the whole day was foreplay, and she couldn’t wait for the night. She had a mind to skip the business mixer and get straight to business—with Josh.

You want forever, she reminded herself. The man sitting out there won’t give it to you. Have your fun, move on, and stay on target. She grabbed a pair of jeans and a clingy purple knit sweater with cutouts up the arms, showing flashes of skin all the way.

Hayley did a double-take in the mirror when she saw how good the outfit looked. Her breasts were full, her neckline was deep, and her torso narrowed nicely until connecting with the flare of her hips. She slipped on the heels and immediately looked ten pounds thinner.

Not bad, she thought. No matter what you say, parental units, I’m not so bad.

Growing up with her mom’s constant criticisms had done a number on her. Her hair was too unruly. Or didn’t flatter her face. Her posture was bad. Her thighs were fat. She didn’t look good in a bikini. She didn’t measure up to her parents’ rich Miami social set. And from her dad, it was pure indifference, and nothing she could do would warrant his attention and love. It was no wonder she’d never dressed sexy before. The little voice in her head always told her there’d be no point, thanks to the negative voices of her past.

But when she opened the dressing room door and saw Josh’s eyes lighten with admiration as she pulled him inside, she knew there was a point indeed.

“Nice.” The dressing room was large, and he was able to twirl her around and inspect the outfit from all angles. He brought her close, gave her a warm kiss that left her wanting more, and said, “Now try on the dress.”

“You want me to change in front of you?”

“Actually, I want to undress you.”

His gaze was challenging, as if he expected her to resist. Well, she didn’t want to. She felt a pleasurable rush of heat at the idea of him undressing her. At the idea of him pulling the shirt over her head and kissing the space between her breasts. Unzipping her jeans and reaching to touch her beneath the red lace panties she wore. She felt a delicious ache between her legs at the thought of his touch there, and she knew it wouldn’t be enough. The lust between them had been building all day, and once he touched her intimately, she’d need all of him.

The idea of it thrilled her—hot sex in a hurry—but then it would be over. Their first time would be over, and if they were going to be together only once, then she wanted hours together, maybe even a whole night, not just a quickie in a shopping mall dressing room. She’d seen enough of his body from the calendar to know a quickie wouldn’t be enough. She wanted to linger with his body, to explore it—and to be explored by him, too.

“You can undress me later,” she said, and gently pushed him away.