Chapter 11 #2
I was feeling like my throat was closing in on me.
Did they put something weird in these pretzels?
I didn’t think looking at Shae’s lingerie would be good for my mental health, so I looked left.
Big mistake. The mannequin had an ass modeled after Brazilian butt lift patients and a pair of G-string underwear on.
I swung my gaze right and nearly choked again.
This mannequin had lifelike boobs with a bra on that didn’t cover the even more lifelike nipples.
“Uhh…”
Sudden pain flared at my side. I gaped downward to find Tully glaring at me. The little minx had pinched me. Hard.
“Ouch.”
“Oh good. He speaks,” she drawled.
“We’re going to see if we can find Kinsley some age-appropriate things,” Emmerleigh interjected, pulling my daughter away from the group and taking Pip and Savannah with her.
Pip looked over her beefy shoulder and put two fingers to her eyes and then turned them around to point at me.
Her meaning was clear…she was watching me.
I swallowed hard and did what I always did when I felt a little uneasy. I faked it ’til I made it. That tactic had worked for me my whole life, and I was confident it wouldn’t let me down now.
I shoved the milkshake and two buckets of pretzels at Tully. Hands free, I stepped up to Shae, my face plastered with my flirtiest smile. Her eyes went wide behind her glasses. I tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and leaned in close.
“I think I need to see the items on,” I whispered.
Shae gasped.
Tully cackled around another mouthful of my pretzels.
When Shae looked like she might be on the verge of an old-fashioned fainting spell, I took mercy on her.
“I’m kidding. Unless you’re offering?”
The eyebrows that had been nearly in her hairline slammed down into the frown I was so familiar with.
“Okay. Not offering. Got it.” I snapped my fingers, stepping back and giving my eyeballs the pleasure of taking in every inch of Shae’s body.
I spun away before she could slap me or hurl an insult.
I twirled around the store, grabbing a black satin shelf bra off the rack, a see-through robe in a light lavender, a collection of panties all the way from G-string to boy shorts for days she wanted comfort over looks.
I spun back around, shoving all of it into her arms. “Go try that on. I’ll find one more outfit. Every woman needs a statement piece.”
Tully shoved Shae toward the dressing rooms, shooting me a wink over her shoulder. I’d never had a sister, but I was finding that Tully might make a good wingman. Woman. Whatever.
It didn’t take me long to find the statement piece. It was obviously made for Shae the second I saw it. I eyed the sizes and grabbed the right one off the rack, taking it over to where Shae was in the dressing room.
“Found it!” I tossed it over the door, counting off on my fingers why it was perfect for her.
“It’s a royal-blue one-piece—your favorite color.
The bra portion looks both comfortable and sexy with a band below the cups instead of wire, and a sheer midriff.
The legs are cut high on the hip, which would accent your gorgeous ass and make your legs look even longer. Snaps for easy access.”
I heard Shae choke behind the door.
Tully smiled proudly at me, still eating my damn pretzel bites. “I’m going to see if they found underwear for Kinsley.” She wagged her eyebrows up and down, trying to tell me something. I waved her away, tossing a longing glance at the pretzels.
I waited a bit, hearing sounds from the dressing room as Shae changed into the things I’d picked out for her. Leaning against the wall outside, I went over my baseball stats to keep from envisioning her in the lingerie.
“How’s it going in there?” I finally asked, unable to stay quiet.
The door banged open and my breath caught.
For a quick second there, I thought I might have died and gone to heaven, getting a glimpse of Shae in lingerie.
Sadly, she was fully dressed, her arms full of the items. She wouldn’t meet my gaze and I wasn’t sure if it was because of me personally, or because of some of that shit she confessed about her ex the other night.
I stepped up close, blocking her exit out of the dressing rooms. “You better buy those, lovebug. They’re perfect for you.”
Shae lifted her pert little nose in the air. Her eyes had gone more blue than gray. “I know. Which is a little concerning. You weren’t kidding when you said you worship women. How’d you know what would look good on me?”
I opened my mouth to answer, but she held up her hand, shutting me up. “Never mind. I don’t want to know. But I’m not buying them. It’s a waste of money to wear them just for myself. Teacher’s salary and all that.”
She went to hoist them onto the return table in the hallway, but I pushed them back in her arms. “I’ll come over and watch you wear them if that’s what you need to feel good about the purchase.”
Shae’s mouth dropped open. Her eyes darted back and forth from mine. “Are you…are you flirting with me Boon Wolfe?”
I grinned. Damn. It was about time she noticed.
I’d begun to think I lost my touch. I couldn’t deny that flirting with her was just as much fun as fighting with her.
I folded my arms across my chest to keep from putting my hands on her and freaking her the fuck out.
I did lean in, however, inhaling her fruity scent that did more for me than all the expensive perfume back at the makeup store.
“I think I am, Shae Fletcher. Whatcha gonna do about it?”