I've been broken for so long I forgot what it feels like to want someone.
But I want Shadow.
God help me, I want him so badly it scares me.
I dry off and pad back into the bedroom, my skin still damp and warm.
Charlie has managed to climb the stairs—she's not supposed to, but she's stubborn—and is curled up on the rug beside my bed, watching me with those intelligent brown eyes.
"What do you think, girl?" I ask her. "Am I crazy?"
She thumps her tail once against the floor.
I'll take that as a yes.
I open my dresser and stare at the contents. Practical cotton underwear. Sports bras. Nothing remotely sexy.
Except...
I reach into the back of the drawer and pull out a set I bought months ago on a whim.
Sage green lace—delicate, feminine, and completely impractical.
A matching bra and panty set that I've never worn because who was I going to wear it for?
My hands shake as I hold it up.
I bought this after a Sunday dinner where I caught Shadow watching me across the table.
His eyes had been dark and hungry, and when I excused myself to the bathroom, I'd felt the weight of his gaze follow me across the room.
I went shopping the next day.
Told myself I was being ridiculous.
Put the lingerie in my drawer and tried to forget about it.
But I didn't forget.
And now...
Now I'm going to wear it for him.
I slip on the panties first—the lace barely covers anything, riding low on my hips.
Then the bra, which pushes my breasts up and together in a way that makes me feel feminine and powerful all at once.
I look at myself in the mirror and barely recognize the woman staring back.
She looks...confident. Sexy. Ready.
Over the lingerie, I pull on my favorite jeans—the ones that hug my curves—and a simple black tank top.
My boots. A denim jacket in case it gets cold.
I look normal on the outside.
But underneath…
