“I don’t know,” she stammered, not sounding convinced of her own answer.“I guess I’m just too old.”She shrugged, and an adorable blush covered her cheeks.“That’s what Jared used to say.”She mumbled the last sentence under her breath, but I still heard it.My blood boiled at the stupid shit this asshole had filled her head with.There was no doubt in my mind that he was insecure and didn’t want to allow her to wear anything that might have made her feel sexy because God forbid she realize how she could do so much better than him.
“How old are you?”I asked, ignoring the thoughts about what I wanted to do to Jared.
“Twenty-seven.”
“And twenty-seven is too old to wear a shirt?”
“No, not per se.But that one is short, see-through, and lacey.It’s much more suited for a younger girl.Not me.”
“Bullshit,” I said, loving the way she responded to my tone and words.“As a thirty-two-year-old man, I’m calling bullshit.There’s no way in hell that you’re too old to wear something sexy like that.”
Her blush deepened, flushing her cheeks as red as the matching crop top sitting next to the black one she had picked up.
“That’s the point—Ishouldn’t be wearingthat kind of stuff,” she whispered, leaning in so I could hear her as she looked around to make sure no one else did.
“Why not?”
She shrugged and let out an exasperated sigh.
“I don’t know, I guess maybe because that stuff should only be worn in private.You know, when you’re celebrating an anniversary or something.”She nervously fidgeted with her hair again, and I found myself liking these nervous tics of hers a little too much.It also made me curious about why she felt she was only allowed to wear something sexy on special occasions.If she were mine, I would make sure she felt sexyeveryfucking day.
“I disagree.I think a woman has every right to wear what she wants, when she wants, however she wants, and wherever she wants.Saying that youshouldn’tsounds more like you dated an asshole who didn’t want you to know just how fucking sexy you already are.”
That was a long fucking sentence, but I meant every word of it.
“Easy for you to say.You’re not the one wearing it,” she teased, and I was relieved to see her smile appear again.
“Do you want me to wear it?”I raised an eyebrow and grinned when her blush deepened.This was going to be way too much fun, and I needed to learn to control myself around her before I accidentally scared her off.I picked it up and pressed it against my chest, as her eyes widened and she reached forward, trying to grab it from me.
“No,” she hissed, somehow even more embarrassed than she was a few seconds ago.“That’s not what I meant.”She laughed and shook her head, still checking to see if anyone was watching as I put it back in the pile.While I could do this all day, I didn’t want to make her any more uncomfortable than she already was.
“I’m getting you the shirts.If anything, you can wear them around the house in your bedroom.It doesn’t matter to me.Women deserve to feel sexy, and I won’t stand by and watch you refuse to get something because you feel society—or an idiot ex-boyfriend— says you shouldn’t wear it.”
I grabbed the black one she picked up, noting its size, then grabbed the red one as well.
“I wasn’t going to get—” she started, but then stopped when I leaned in, invading her space as she let out a soft gasp.
“Red ismyfavorite color, and I would love nothing more than to see you wear it,” I said, knowing exactly how seductive my words and voice sounded.No matter how hard I tried, I didn’t care.“That is, ifyoudecide I’m worthy of seeing you in it.Make no mistake—you don’t have to hide who you are or what you like while you’re staying with us.If anything, we’ll only encourage you.”
She pulled her lower lip between her teeth but didn’t look away from me as my gaze grew hotter.If she could see herself the way I saw her, she would be unstoppable, knowing just how gorgeous and sexy she was.There was just something about her that had me wanting to do whatever I could to see more of it, even though I knew how much trouble that could bring.
