Chapter 21
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHARLIE
E mma stepped out of the fitting room, wearing a simple black dress, the fabric stretchy and soft-looking as it hugged her curves. It skimmed over her belly, highlighting the gentle swell, and dipped low in the front to showcase her new cleavage. She looked stunning. Radiant.
“Well?” She did a little spin, the skirt flaring out around her legs. “What do you think? Too much for everyday?”
I shook my head, struggling to find my voice. “No. No, it’s perfect. You look stunning.”
She ducked her head, a blush staining her cheeks. “You’re just saying that because you have to.”
“Hey.” I stepped closer, dipping my head to catch her eye. “I’m saying it because it’s true. You’re gorgeous, Emma. Pregnancy suits you.”
She met my gaze, her eyes searching mine for any hint of insincerity. I held steady, willing her to see the truth in my words. The air between us crackled with tension. I couldn’t stop myself leaning in, drawn to her like a magnet. Her breath hitched, her lips parting slightly.
Why is this a bad idea?
“I’ve got a few more items for you to try on,” the shop assistant said, breaking the spell. She brushed past us and hung another load of clothes in the fitting room.
Emma blinked, stepping back. She noticed the items the assistant added and frowned. “I put all of this back.”
“You didn’t want to.” The assistant shrugged, before directing a sly smile at me. “I’m just following orders.”
“Charlie.” Her eyes narrowed on me, her tone beseeching.
“I told you there was no limit.” I pointed to the fitting room. “Go on. I can’t wait to see what you really picked.”
With a grumble and a look that said the conversation wasn’t over, she disappeared back into the fitting room, I let out a shaky breath. I’d been seconds away from kissing her again. If the assistant hadn’t interrupted, I would have.
The next hour passed in a blur of outfit changes and compliments. Emma tried on everything from casual leggings and tunics to elegant dresses that made my heart race. With each new outfit, I fell a little bit more for this incredible woman.
When total silence fell, I should have known trouble was coming.
The fitting room door burst open, and Emma stormed out, her face flushed and eyes blazing. She clutched a piece of midnight blue lace that made my heart stop. It was the lingerie I’d been eyeing earlier, the one I’d tried desperately to push from my mind.
“What the hell is this?” she asked, her voice dangerously low. “And why is it in my pile?”
I opened my mouth, but my brain short-circuited, caught between the image of Emma in that scrap of lace and the very real, very angry woman standing in front of me.
“I... uh...”
Her eyes narrowed. “Did you put this in there? Is this some kind of joke?”
“No!” I finally managed, holding up my hands in surrender. “I swear, I didn’t?—”
A soft chuckle interrupted my fumbling explanation. The shop assistant stepped forward, a sly smile playing on her lips. “Sorry, that was my doing. You said to add anything she looked at longingly, and well... you spent a good five minutes staring at that piece.” She shrugged. “So I figured what applied for her should apply for you too.”
If the floor could have opened up and swallowed me whole, I would have gladly let it. Emma’s gaze swung back to me, a mix of confusion and something else I couldn’t quite name in her eyes.
“You... looked at this? Longingly?” Her tone softened.
I ran a hand through my hair, searching for the right words. “It’s a nice piece, that’s all. I thought you might like it.”
Emma’s face fell, and she looked down at the lingerie in her hands. “Right. Well, I appreciate the thought, but there’s no way I could pull this off. Especially not with my waistline the way it is now.”
Something in me snapped. All the pent-up frustration, the desire I’d been trying to suppress, the overwhelming need to make her see how beautiful she was — it all came rushing to the surface.
“Stop,” I growled, stepping closer to her. “Stop talking about yourself like that.”
Her eyes widened, and she took a step back. But I followed, closing the distance between us until her back hit the mirrored wall of the fitting room.
“Charlie, what are you?—”
“You want to know what I think about your body?” My voice was low, intense. “I think you’re gorgeous. Every curve, every new inch — it’s enough to drive a man crazy with want.”