11
IT’S A LOVELY COUCH
‘Looks like your villain saved the day.’
The words ghosted against my ear, entirely too close, sending a shiver through me. One that had nothing to do with the now loosened corset and everything to do with the man standing behind me. For a moment, I didn’t move. As I didn’t trust myself to, because the problem was no longer the dress. That had been dealt with. The problem was the way his hands still rested against me. No longer tugging at laces but not leaving either. As though he had simply decided that was where they belonged.
“You’re enjoying this far too much,” I managed at last, though the words came out softer than intended, lacking the bite I had been aiming for.
“I find I enjoy many things,” he replied smoothly, his voice still seductively low and close enough that I could feel the warmth of it against my skin.
“Touching you simply happens to be my favorite,”he hummed in my ear, and I had to resist the urge to moan.
Instead, I drew in a slow breath, steadying myself before shifting forward just enough to create the smallest sliver of spacebetween us. Even if the absence of his warmth was immediately noticeable, and in a way, I refused to dwell on it.
“Thanks for your help…” I managed, though it came out quieter than intended, my breath faltering just enough to betray me.
“You can… erm… let go now.” There was a brief pause, just long enough to feel intentional, before his hands finally withdrew. The loss of contact left behind a faint chill that only seemed to highlight how warm I had been moments before. I exhaled slowly, telling myself that this was good, that distance meant control, and control was exactly what I needed right now.
“Very well, but remember, I’ll be out here waiting…should you require any further assistance,” he said, his voice no longer at my ear but still close enough to carry easily. The humor was easy to hear in his tone, as if he was having the time of his life teasing me.
A small, involuntary huff of laughter escaped me as I heard him move away. The soft sound of his footsteps retreating out of the dressing room and back into the bedroom beyond.
“Unbelievable,” I muttered under my breath, though the faint smile tugging at my lips betrayed me entirely. Shaking my head, I turned my attention back to the far more immediate issue of what I was actually going to wear. I went to my bag, pulling it open with far more purpose than necessary. If he thought I was about to make this easy for him, then he was very much mistaken.
My fingers sifted through the contents quickly before pausing as I pulled out two very different options. One a soft, comfy, far more conventional set that, under normal circumstances, I might have actually enjoyed wearing. And the other…
Well…The other made me pause.
A pair of shorts that were, quite frankly, far shorter than they had any right to be. They were patterned with little lily pads and flowers that only added to their overall ridiculous charm. Paired with it was a thin-strapped cami top that was as skimpy as it was soft. It had a cute cartoon little frog and a slogan that said, ‘Chillin on my pad’ written underneath.
I looked between them both and then back again.
Because if I was going to be forced into sharing a room with him, then I was at least going to do it on my terms. And if that meant leaning into something the complete opposite of seductive, something that was equal parts cute and defiant, then so be it.
“Perfect,” I murmured, far more satisfied than I should have been as I slipped into them. Even if the shorts rode a little higher than expected, and the thin straps of the cami left far more bare than I was used to.
Still. It was fine. Completely fine… maybe. Probably.
“Get a grip, Eliza,”I scolded myself, but then, as I was tugging down the hem of the cami, a thought invaded. Wye had been standing behind me, and not once had I looked at him. Which now had me questioning, had he been shirtless or…
Naked?
My curiosity lingered. Which, apparently, was reason enough for me to finally move, drawing in a steadying breath before stepping back into the bedroom.
I barely made it two steps inside before I saw him. He stood with his back to me once more, broad shoulders framed by the low light of the room. His hands were at his waist, fingers working at the fastening of his trousers as though he had only just reached that point.
Which meant… Oh.So, he had been a gentleman in the dressing room.
Well. That was… something, I guess. Although honestly, I didn’t know whether I was disappointed or not.
But as for now, well, it was clear he was past that point, and realization hit me just as quickly as my instincts did. Because the moment he began to turn, I moved, slipping to the door on my left and into the bathroom before he had the chance to fully face me.
For a moment after the door clicked shut behind me, I simply stood there, staring at my own reflection. As though it might somehow offer me a solution to the situation I had so spectacularly found myself in.
It didn’t. Of course it didn’t.
Instead, all it gave me was a flushed face, slightly mussed hair, and a girl who looked far more affected than she had any right to be over a man who was, quite literally,the problem.
