When she opened the door she saw wisps of black lace and silk garments laid out on the bed. There were stockings, four inch high fuck me pumps and a corset with what she could only assume was a skirt. It was so short she couldn’t be sure. She fingered the delicate lace, marveling at the intricate work that went into making the beautiful garments. When she glanced over her shoulder at Luke, she found him watching her, his gaze dark and hungry.
“I’m going to step outside so you can get dressed,” he said. “Because if I stay in this room with you, I’m going to fuck you until tomorrow and I don’t want to be late tonight. You have half an hour.” He closed the door, leaving Claire standing beside the bed with her heart trying to beat its way out of her chest.
She opened her mouth to ask for what but he was gone, and she didn’t think poking her head out the door would get her the response she was looking for. At least she could get out of her work clothes and into something more appropriate. But when she looked around, she didn’t find anything except what was laid out on the bed. Surely he didn’t expect her to go out wearing just that. It wasn’t much more than lingerie.
Pushing the thought aside she stripped off her boots, T-shirt and jeans. She needed a shower before they went anywhere, and she was running out of time. She found a small bag of makeup and toiletries on the vanity in the pristine white marble bathroom. Not the trial hotel size, but actual body gel, moisturizer and hair spray in the brands she used. How could he possibly know what kind of moisturizer she used? He must have house elves. No one could pay attention to all of that.
She didn’t have time to wash her hair so she piled it on top of her head and stepped under the hot spray, quickly washing away the day’s grime and touching up with the razor she found in the shower. By the time she wrapped herself in one of the huge white terry cloth towels she’d managed to leave the jobsite and police station behind her. She ruthlessly shoved thoughts of work from her mind. The lingerie on the bed proved a good distraction.
The stockings and garters were self-explanatory. They were whisper soft with a back seam and small satin bows that sat at the top of the back of her thigh where the garter fastened. She slid them up her legs, careful not to snag them and clipped the lacy tops to the garter belt. Slipping on the tiny lace panties, she was left facing the corset and the impossibly short skirt. She pulled the skirt up over her hips, but by the time she zipped and fastened it at her waist there wasn’t enough fabric to completely cover her ass. The tiny thong didn’t offer any coverage and there was no way she could sit down, let alone bend over.
Stepping into the heels so she wouldn’t risk ruining the stockings, she wrapped the corset around her and held it in front of her breasts. She had no idea how she’d fasten the thing by herself. She couldn’t go out wearing nothing more than a few ruffles and lace. With someone as possessive as Luke was she couldn’t imagine he’d want her to. Her mind drifted back to the last time she’d gotten dressed up for him and he made her watch in the mirror as he took her from behind, marking her as his. Her skin flushed at the memory.
Standing in front of the mirror this time, she had to admit she looked beautiful. The clothes were delicate and feminine. The ruffles on the corset complimented the flounce of the skirt and the bows on the back of her thighs. She looked like a precious decorative object. Pretty and fragile and so unlike the woman she was used to being. She didn’t want to pretend to be helpless; she couldn’t imagine it, but there was something intoxicating about slipping into another persona for a while. She could still be the woman who ran her own business, who had both her electrician’s license and her contractor’s license, who wore steel toe boots most days, and then sometimes she could be Luke’s sex kitten. It was a side of herself she hadn’t really explored until him and one she had no intention of giving up. There was a place for both parts of who she was.
Which still didn’t solve the problem of how she was going to fasten the corset on her own.
She twisted, wriggling to work her hands behind her but all she succeeded in doing was cramping her back. She was about to say uncle and call Luke when she heard a soft rap on the door.
“Ms. English,” said a woman’s voice. “Mr. Masters said you might need a hand.”
“Oh, please,” said Claire. “Come in.”
The door opened revealing a pretty young woman wearing a pencil skirt and a smock engraved with the hotel’s logo. Claire caught a glimpse of Luke frozen in place on the other side of the room. Yes, she could definitely do sex kitten. If it had that kind of effect on a man like Luke, it was worth a bare ass and uncomfortable shoes.
The woman slipped into the room closing the door behind her and blocking Luke from Claire’s view. She came to stand behind Claire at the mirror, picking up the laces on the back of the corset.
“My name’s Julie,” she said, smiling at their reflection. “And you look stunning.
“Thank you, Julie. I feel naked. And stuck.”
“I’ve got it,” she said, starting to tighten the laces. “Let me know if it’s too tight.”
Claire adjusted her breasts before they were squashed and sucked in her breath as Julie cinched and tightened the corset. By the time she reached the top, Claire’s breasts were pushed up and out like an erotic offering and she knew she wouldn’t have to worry about the skirt when she sat down. She couldn’t bend enough to sit without the corset pushing her breasts up to her ears.
“Thank you. I think,” she said, and Julie laughed.
“My pleasure. I can help with your hair and makeup if you like.”
“That’s okay,” said Claire. “I think I can manage. Thanks anyway.”
“No problem. You look amazing. He’s going to wear a hole in the floor out there with his pacing,” she said with a laugh. “And when he sees you, he’ll forget how to breathe.”
Yep, that would make it worth not being able to bend. Seeing Luke frozen in place because of how she looked – not Gretchen or any of the other dozens of woman he’d had on his arm – would make it all worth it. She shoved the thought aside. He said nothing happened and she believed him. Luke might break her heart but he wouldn’t lie to her.
“Thanks again, Julie.”
She nodded and slipped out the door without opening it enough for Luke to see inside. Claire hurried to the bathroom as fast as her shoes would let her and fixed her makeup, applying an extra smudge of smoky shadow around her eyes the way Andre had taught her. She smoothed on some red lipstick and brushed out her hair, spraying it with hairspray and scrunching it with her hands to bring out the waves. When she had an auburn mane spilling over her shoulders, she sucked in as much breath as the corset would allow and went out the door to meet Luke.
He’d changed, replacing his white shirt with a black one which looked dangerous with his charcoal gray suit. He hadn’t bothered to shave and the start of a beard only added to his allure. The top buttons of his shirt were open revealing a tanned triangle of skin that made her mouth practically water. But it was the expression on his face which had her knees going weak. His jaw was clenched with the obvious strain of holding himself back and his eyes were dark with hunger. He looked fierce, the perfect alpha male, all hard edges and long lines to her soft curves, and she wanted him so much she stumbled with the force of it.
“Fuck,” he said, the single word carrying the weight of both their desires. “You look amazing.”
“Thanks,” she said swallowing hard. “Thanks for sending Julie. I’d never have gotten into this without her.”
“I thought you might need help.” The mighty Luke Masters looked sheepish and it was the best thing to happen all day.
“And you couldn’t do it because you were afraid to be alone with me,” she said, grinning.
“Fuck yes. Have you seen yourself?”
Claire couldn’t contain the smile which lit her face. She took a step toward Luke but he turned from her, hurrying to a closet by the door. “Don’t,” he said, reaching inside for what looked like a long black velvet cloak with a black satin lining. “I’m hanging on by a thread here. If I touch you before we get out the door, I’m going to have to fuck you. You said you needed a distraction and I know the perfect one. I can’t wait to take you there.”
“Luke, I can’t go out like this.” She glanced over her shoulder trying to judge how much of her ass was hanging out of the skirt. “I’m practically naked.”
“Trust me, sweetheart,” he said, folding her in the floor length cloak. “Where we’re going, you’ll be overdressed.”
