A Calculated Seduction(25)

The woman staring back at her was a stranger. The tight skirt of the dress had a slit so high, she didn’t know how she would sit in it and not show most of her leg. The soft, dark fabric hugged her hips and accentuated her waist.

“Are you done in there yet?” Pete asked from just outside the door.

She gasped and opened up the door. “Pete, you’re not supposed to be in the ladies dressing room.”

He smiled and ignored her admonishment. “I was right. That’s the dress for you. Come look in the mirror.”

He grabbed her hand and pulled her in front of the mirror. “Peter Anderson!”

“Dulcy, chill. We’re the only ones here and besides, nothing in here interests me anyway.”

She snorted and looked at her reflection again.

“I don’t know. It makes me look hippy,” she said, settling her hands on her hips.

Pete turned her, this way and that, studying her as if she were an art exhibit.

“Hun, you are hippy.”

She frowned. “That’s mean.”

“No, it’s the truth.” He turned her until she was facing the mirror and met her eyes in her reflection.

“Dulcy, you may not like what you see, but men do. At least smart heterosexual men. There is nothing wrong with full hips. You have skin women pay huge bucks to have. You’re funny and sexy and the best friend a gay guy could have. And you’re gorgeous. ”

A lump clogged her throat and her eyes stung. “You’re only saying that because you love me.”

“Yes, I do love you. But you are still one of the sexiest women I know. And that’s the truth. Now, stop those tears. I think the salesclerk will really think it strange to see both of us come out crying.”

She laughed and blinked back the tears.

“Get out of that and give the rest of those horrible dresses back to the clerk. We have shoes, hose, and a strapless bra to buy.” Pete and Dulcy returned about fifteen minutes late from shopping for her dress. They’d spent so long arguing about lingerie and footwear, she hadn’t even had time to eat. Still thinking about the heated words they exchanged when she resisted buying stockings and a garter belt made her blush. The saleswoman had looked as if Dulcy were insane.

They walked side by side down the hall, Dulcy carried a multitude of bags and Pete held her dress. Ethan stood at the door to their office, anger darkening his features. He glanced at his watch, then shifted his gaze back to Pete and Dulcy.

“Uh oh, looks like your lover boy is upset with you,” Pete said in a whisper.

“Shut up.” She elbowed him as he drew closer to her. He ignored it. “He’s not my lover boy.”

Pete chuckled and slung his arm across her shoulders. He leaned closer to her ear. “Do you think we should give him a good show for his money?”

Before she could interpret the question, Pete stopped and pulled her closer. He touched his lips to hers in a brush of a kiss. He straightened, with a smile brightening his face, and handed her dress to her.

“See ya later, hon.” He winked and then sauntered down the hall, ignoring Ethan as he strolled past him.

Her attention shifted from the younger man to Ethan, who stood in the doorway, glowering at her. Even at that moment with his irritation so strong, she could almost feel it slapping her in the face, he made her hormones jump to life. God, he was gorgeous.

He wore a gray suit with a cream-colored shirt and green tie. It deepened the color of his eyes and highlighted the few wisps of gray in his hair. Oh, why couldn’t she remember what an overbearing pain in the rear he was? Instead, the only thought crossing her mind was how good he would taste.

She sighed and decided to get the confrontation over with.

“Is there something you need?” she asked as she brushed past him. The spicy scent of his cologne filled her senses and warmth pooled in her belly.

She couldn’t look at him. Her face still heated every time they talked that morning, although he had been a perfect gentleman. In fact, he had been well behaved the last few days. And somewhere, deep inside where she really didn’t want to look, she was annoyed that apparently, it hadn’t bothered him as much as it did her. But each time his smooth voice washed over her, her nipples tightened.

“Do something for me?” he asked. “Yes, Miss Menendez, you could do something for me, actually to me, but you refuse.”





Chapter Eight



Dulcy glanced up at his sharp tone and realized he was angrier than she first thought. In fact, he looked ready to explode. And worse, it turned her on. It was crazy that all his moods seemed to arouse her.