“Why were you late, Claire?” my mother asked in an angry tone over the phone.
With what happened at the house, Brad and I ended up being about fifteen minutes late for our final fitting at the boutique.
“I couldn’t find the right dress to wear for lunch. I wanted to have it with me so I wouldn’t have to return to the house after our fitting. I was only thinking about the lunch, and how I wanted to make a great impression with it being our first family outing,” I lied, closing my eyes because I knew sure as the world I was going to go to hell.
I heard her sigh over the phone. “Well, at least you were thinking of later.” I blew out a breath at her believing my lie.
If anyone were to find out what transpired in the house before we got here, there’d be no way that I would live it down. Hellfire, he fucked me over worse than any man ever could a woman. Add that to the fact we were about to be siblings. That’s a damn bomb just waiting to explode.
I saw the seamstress coming toward me, so I ended the call. “Mom, I have to go. They’re here to get me into my dress and see if anything needs to be done.” Without waiting for her to say good-bye, I ended the call.
She stopped in front of me, a smile on her warm, aged face. “You Claire?”
I nodded, “Yup, that would be me.”
She beckoned me to follow her. I rose, taking one last glimpse at Brad. He caught my gaze in the mirror, giving me a panty melting wink, licking his lips. He was so crude sometimes, but his intent had the desired effect. My mind was instantly transported back to the house this morning. I blushed, as he began chuckling. God, he was such an ass.
“You two seem to be getting along quite well,” the older woman, I now knew as Gloria, stated.
“We get along all right,” I agreed.
“Your stepbrother seems protective over you. He hasn’t taken his eyes off you that much since you’ve been here,” she said.
I blushed. “I’m sure he hasn’t been looking at me that much.”
She quirked her eyebrows, then busted out laughing. “Okay dear, whatever you say.”
We got back to the dressing rooms, where I assumed my dress was. She led me to the second room on the right and told me to take everything off except my panties, which was the only way to wear the dress. I groaned when I pulled the dress out of the bag. There was nothing left to the imagination. Don’t get me wrong; it was a beautiful gown. However, this gown was completely backless and dipped low in the front where a line of diamonds held it together between my breasts.
The only thing keeping the gown on my body were the straps that swept over my shoulders and connected with the gown right at my armpits. The back dipped down low enough to show the dimples above my ass, where it tightened so it wouldn’t go lower. The bottom flared out as it swept to the floor, a small train on the back. The gown was a gorgeous light blue color, almost silver.
When I finally got the dress to cooperate, I stood back, a gasp slipping past my lips. I looked like an ice princess, the only thing I was missing was my tiara. The silk of the dress caressed my body like a lover would. It felt fantastic. I noted the diamond studs I had in my ears and the diamond teardrop necklace fit perfectly with the dress.
As I came out of the dressing room and stepped onto the platform, I heard someone gasp behind me. Looking over my shoulder, I saw Brad standing there in his regular clothes, gaping at my body with wide, lust-filled eyes. He ran his hand through his hair, his muscles twitching under his shirt. I smiled innocently, catching his eyes. There was a dangerous glint in them, like he could just fuck me right here on this platform and not care what they’d say.
“I’m going to go check on things at the site,” he growled in a sex-fueled voice, pulling his phone out of his jeans.
My nipples pushed against the fabric of my dress, his words wreaking havoc on my body. I need to douse the reaction my body has toward him. It’s being a traitorous bitch right now, which will only get me in trouble and my heart broken once more.
I turned my head around, trying not to meet his eyes in the mirrors. That lasted all of two seconds. Half shutting my eyes, I looked through my lashes at him. I grew wet at the sight of his eyes glued to the reflection of my chest, his breathing becoming harsher as his eyes darkened with desire. The more I’m around him, seeing the way he looks at me, becomes harder for me to control myself around him. I’m going to look like one big fool if I let my body override my brain.
Silently, I watched him start to walk away, and then, as if he were second-guessing himself, he stopped. But he shook his head, visibly fighting an inner battle I knew nothing about. I knew the moment he made his mind up because he began walking the rest of the way toward the front door, pushed it open, and stepped outside.
Just watching him walk was foreplay, or at least it had been in high school. What the hell am I saying? It fucking turns me on to see him strut around like he’s the king and everyone is his loyal subjects. He’s cocky in his gait, which is a turn on if I’ve ever saw it.
I would say that it was fucked up beyond compare. I couldn’t keep my eyes away from him, watching him walk back and forth in front of the storefront window. It seemed he was upset about something. His brows furrowed as anger riddled his face. Whoever it was on the other end of that phone, I was sorry for them. I’ve never seen him this upset before—if ever. Not even that time I left years ago. He’d showed more hurt than anything. I wondered who it was on the other end of the phone. He said he was calling the site, so maybe something was wrong. I watched silently as he put the phone between his shoulder and head as his right hand came up to twist the ring that was now missing from his left ring finger.
I cocked my head, perusing him. It was like he forgot the ring was no longer there. The only thing I could come up with was that the divorce had been recently. In truth, I didn’t want to think of him married to someone else. It always got me in a terrible mood when I did. Especially that he had married Cherish. The one girl that I couldn’t stand in school.
Just hearing that when my mother told me a few months ago still ate at me. I didn’t know when he had gotten married to her, or divorced her, for that matter. I’d asked my mother several times when he’d taken the plunge, but she would never tell me. She would just tell me that it was none of my business, and if he wanted me to know about it, he would tell me.
If anything, by my asking, it could piss him off I was dragging up the past. I spied at his reflection as he grabbed his finger, and he turned and looked at me through the window. Averting my eyes, I looked at the old woman hemming the bottom of my dress. I watched as her old wrinkled hands made fast work of pinning the bottom. When she was done, she moved up to where my back had been left unclothed. I shied away from her touch when her fingers grazed my back. I was never good with someone I didn’t know touching me—never had been.
Every time I would shy away from her, she’d meet my eyes in the mirror, a small smile playing on her face. But she didn’t stop her work; she kept pinning and marking the areas that needed to be fixed. It was good she was fast at her job. It was already almost time for us to meet my mom and Henry for lunch. That was going to be fun. It was already a little weird being around Brad after the incident at the house this morning, so lunch is going to make things even more complicated.
I was stepping off the platform when he came back inside, a weary look on his face. I wanted to ask him what was wrong but thought better of it. If he wanted to tell me, he would. If not, then, oh well. The truth would come out later; of that, I was sure.
Gripping my train, I made my way to the dressing room. Shutting the door, I leaned back against it. Everything going on was confusing me. I missed the easy life I had in New York, yearned for Sunday to come faster so I could return. I missed being able to be myself, and not reminded of the girl that had everything ripped away from her when she thought it was all hers for the rest of her life.
I missed cock. There, I said it. It’s been a week and a half since the last time I was with anyone, and it’s starting to get to me. I’m ogling Brad Titan for goodness sakes! That is a no-no at the top of my list of ‘don’t fucking do ever’.
My body wanted Brad with a fierceness I’ve never felt before, but my mind was screaming for me to run—to run and never look back. He’d hurt me, and I wasn’t in the market to be hurt like that ever again.
I was in the process of changing out of my dress when someone knocked on the door. I put the gown in front of me as a shield before opening the door, immediately regretting it. Brad was standing there with a cocky smirk on his face, his eyes lit up with devilish intent. I tried to breathe past the lump that formed in my throat from him being so close to me, but nothing I did helped.
“Need any help?” he seduced, pushing through the door.
Forcing himself into the small dressing room, my breathing picked up, turning to a slow pant. My body was already beginning to thrum with threads of desire my body should not be feeling right now. Backing up to the wall, he locked the door, walking toward me with a slow predatory grace, a wicked smile on his face. He stopped inches in front of me, lifting his arms next to my head, caging me in. He deeply inhaled, closing his eyes and groaning as he exhaled.
“Brad … You have to leave,” I breathed, a shaky rattle taking over my once strong voice.
He eyed me, his eyes darkening further. “Is that what you really want, Claire? Do you want me to leave?” he whispered, running his nose along my jaw before breathing in my ear. “If so, I will. I’ll leave and never bother you again.”