I obey his command and lower my hands, which I instinctively held in front of me. We lock eyes in the mirror. He doesn’t say a word, just narrows his eyes and lets out a low, rumbling growl from deep in his chest. That one sound is all the feedback I get, but it’s enough to make me worry that I might be soaking through my panties and into the new ones. I can’t help but wonder how many women would strip down on the spot just from looking at him. Probably more than a few. He’s utterly irresistible in those tight jeans, the dark blue shirt with a few undone buttons, and his perfectly messy hair. I know exactly why it’s messy, and my fingers ache to tangle in it again, to grab and pull.
“That one is definitely coming home with us. You look so good I could eat you,” he says admiringly.
“Do they sell boxers here?” I ask weakly.
“Haha, nice try. Go ahead and quickly try on the next set.” Yes, sir.
As I struggle to figure out how the ribbons and hooks on the bodysuit work, I hear the saleswoman and Andreas laughing and chatting about another set, which they both seem to find particularly amusing. I peek through the curtain and see her laughing at one of his jokes, her hand brushing against his arm occasionally. I realize she—despite possibly being old enough to be his mother—probably isn’t immune to the strip-down effect. Which woman would be? A cold thought creeps in: Andreas could never be content with just me, could he? And I desperately don’t want to be just another woman in a long line. I don’t fully understand what’s happening between us, but I know one thing, I crave being with him and miss him when we’re not together.
I didn’t like the bodysuit, so I’m trying on another set, this time with garters. I’ve never worn them before, but I like it, I feel seductive and powerful, and I don’t even have the matching stockings on yet. The set is black again, and this time the exquisite lace is interspersed with sheer material. The bra does nice things for the curve of my breasts. It’s sheer enough to show my nipples, but is still very elegant and not too revealing. The same goes for the bottom. This time not a thong, but a Brazilian panty with the same exclusive lace on my butt as the bra. This set flatters me better. I spontaneously imagine various scenarios in my head starring Andreas, me, and this set.
“Andreas?” I call softly and peek through the curtain. “I think we should get this set, do you want to see?”
“That’s a question you only have to ask once.” He replies with a wide grin that makes my stomach tingle. He looks so ridiculously sexy. I bite my lip. “Fuck, Nora.” His eyes narrow and his jaw clenches as he looks at me. His expression is intense, almost angry.
“What? Is it not good? I thought you…”
He silences me by grabbing my hip with his hand, and before I know it, he’s standing with me in the far too small fitting room. He strokes my stomach, rubbing the bulge in his jeans against my ass.
“More than good, Nora, look at yourself, you have no idea how attractive you are. Can you feel how much I desire you?”
I’m sure the shop assistant can hear us, and I turn beet red.
“You’re truly insatiable, Andreas. We’re not alone here, remember?” I whisper sternly.
“We’re definitely taking this, and I’ll make sure we’re alone as soon as possible,” he whispers in my ear. I can’t think of any counterarguments.
Andreas takes a step back when he feels his phone vibrate. He looks at the screen, furrows his brows, and his face hardens. I immediately feel the distance between us. His focus is gone, and the mood has shifted. His gaze radiates irritation and anger.
“Everything okay?” I ask worriedly.
“A message from Eric. He’ll call me later. Don’t worry. Will you put this on?” he asks quickly.
I feel dismissed. I try on another set, but the atmosphere between us has completely changed. He paces nervously and doesn’t give me half as much attention as before Eric’s message. He’s trying to hide it, but I can see something is clearly bothering him. Andreas is always so calm and in control, the master of any situation, but now I see a crack in that shield. He’s clearly worried, and so am I. I don’t feel like trying on lingerie anymore, not like this. I take the set we liked the most and hand it to the friendly shop assistant. I nearly have a stroke when she tells me the total, but Andreas barely seems to register it as he leisurely swipes his credit card.
Chapter 12
Andreas
I’d rather be at B-Tech right now, but I don’t want to jump to conclusions before knowing all the facts. I can’t just leave Nora here without an explanation, and I need to trust that Eric will handle things properly, but damn, it’s tough to bite my tongue. Apparently, someone was caught on camera throwing the flowerpots off the windowsills at B-Tech. Eric couldn’t see who it was yet and is racing over there now, but I have a strong suspicion about who we’re dealing with. The timing of Eric’s message couldn’t be worse, especially now that I’m here shopping for lingerie with Nora. I’d hoped to make her happy for at least one day, but even that seems out of reach.
“Thanks for the lingerie, I didn’t know it would be so expensive,” she says, slightly embarrassed.
I wrap my arm around her waist and pull her close.
“Expensive? Nora, I don’t mean to brag, but I’m really not going to feel this. And don’t forget…” I catch her gaze with mine and look at her seductively. “My motives aren’t entirely selfless, I want to enjoy that set too.”
“Hmmm, that changes things, of course.” She laughs. “But I really mean it, thank you so much. I’ll treat you to lunch, okay?”
“No way, I’ll…” My phone rings. I already know who it is. “Eric is calling, he wouldn’t bother if it wasn’t important. I need to take this,” I let go of Nora, step back, and focus on the call with Eric. “Did you get a good look at whoever it was?” I ask.
“It was Isabella, she ran off when I arrived, but I saw her clearly. On the camera footage, she’s harder to recognize. She knew where the cameras were and was wearing loose black clothing and a hoodie. I think Noah was in the car waiting for her a bit further away, but I couldn’t see him or the license plate clearly,” Eric says, frustrated.
“That’s the second time within a short period. Fuck. Are you passing the info to Anthony?”
“Yes, I am, but I’m not sure if we can have them arrested based on this footage. Isabella isn’t easily recognizable, and Noah even less so. I’ll file an official report with the police later. Maybe my testimony will count as additional evidence.”
“I hope so,” I say. “What’s the damage? Just the flowerpots?”
