Please (Please #1) (11 page)

“You’d be in heaven if this was
Pretty Woman
.” Hunter smirked at me.

“Real life versus a movie. How strange that they should be different.” My tone dripped with sarcasm. I trudged toward the dressing room. “I didn’t know silk could chafe.”

“You’ll thank me when this is all over.” Hunter sounded downright tickled.

I sighed loud enough for him to hear. It was a passive-aggressive “Screw you!” I stepped into the dress and brought it up before flicking the curtain to let the saleslady know I needed a zip-up.

“Oh, now
this
one is fabulous!” She adjusted the way it clung to my body. “Yes, this is simply amazing. I almost didn’t grab it—it’s a size too big. We’ve barely been able to keep it on the shelves. But they run small, so I took a chance.”

“Great,” I said in a dry tone. “Do me a favor: don’t take any more chances.”

“There are always other stores, Olivia,” Hunter called.

Yes, he was definitely enjoying how much I hated this.

I walked out of the dressing room with unfocused eyes and gave him the usual robotic turn.

“Slow down, Olivia, let me see.” I heard porcelain clink as Hunter put his mug onto the saucer.

I slowed my twirl, careful not to hunch, lest he tell me to straighten up and turn again.

“No, Olivia, I want you to move naturally in it.” Something in his tone had changed. It was subtle—I couldn’t quite place the difference.

I followed his instructions, feeling a strange tingle as he stood. “Come here,” he said softly.

The hush of his voice made my hairs stand on end. Suddenly, as I walked to him, I felt silky and sexy and more feminine than I ever had in my life. I took his hand as I stopped right in front of him, only half a foot between our bodies.

“We’ll take this one,” he said to the saleslady. His eyes drifted to my lips. “And the others I put aside. Put them on my account. I’ll be up to sign in a moment.”

“Of course, sir.” She smiled at me and made herself scarce.

Hunter ran his hand over the swell of my hip and up. When he got to my bust, his hand dipped around my back and applied pressure, making me step closer still. His breath dusted my face as he looked down on me. His other hand slid under my palm and turned over, holding and then raising my hand. He clasped it to his chest as he stepped toward me, forcing me to step back.

A ghost of a smile brushed his lips. “I see you now, dressed like this, and I see nothing but pure elegance. I wouldn’t look twice at you if I were seeing you for the first time. I would assume you’d been around money all your life, and your pursuits were entirely material.” He stepped to the side, making me, once again, step with him. “Put your hand on my shoulder, Olivia.”

I did as he said, stepping forward as he stepped back, slowly dancing in a clothing store to no music. To Hunter, it didn’t seem to matter.

“But I met you when you were wearing old clothes and carrying nothing but hope, and your achievements on a piece of paper. You weren’t concerned with the natural beauty you radiate so effortlessly. You showed off your accolades and your intelligence. You gave me something to admire. To wonder about. I pair that woman with this woman, and know you will fit anywhere you choose. And at the end of this month, I want you to choose this job. I want you to choose me.”

B
renda left
at six that night, as usual. Before she said farewell, though, she led a short, balding man with two large briefcases into Hunter’s office. When she came back out, she gave me a salute. “Have fun getting dressed like a doll. And thank God it ain’t me.”

I watched her walk toward the elevators with a furrowed brow. Ten minutes later, Hunter pinged me.

H
unter Carlisle
: Come in here.

“
P
lease
,” I finished for him, dropping my pen and hopping up.

I walked through the door and found the two men at the round table on the other side of the room. The briefcases were open at the edge, their contents sparkling in the failing light from the windows. Hunter sat at one of the seats, looking at the table, and the man stood beside his briefcases, watching me walk closer.

As I neared, I saw what was laid out on squares of black velvet across the table. My step slowed and my mouth dropped open. “What is all that?”

Hunter glanced up. “The dinner is a formal affair and you are expected to represent this office. We have your dress, and now we need to accent it. Go put the dress on so we can see it on a live model. It’s in the restroom.”

My gaze hopped from one piece of velvet to the next. Sparkling diamonds, some paired with rubies or sapphires, or other gems. Tennis bracelets, rings, earrings, necklaces—there was even a brooch or two. If ever there was a time for sticky fingers and a life of crime, this was it.

“Don’t they usually have stores for this kind of thing?” I asked, drifting toward the bathroom.

“Mr. Porter is aware that he will make more money if he comes to me,” Hunter replied. “Now, hurry—I have some things that need my attention.”

“Please,” I muttered.

After I had the dress on, I took a seat next to Hunter, staring at all the sparkling gems in front of me. The sun was already disappearing behind the other tall buildings in the downtown area, showing the room in sharp lines from shadows. Mr. Porter, the balding man, set up some lights near the table so that we could better see the twinkling riches in front of us.

“What catches your eye?” Hunter looked at my chest in a concentrated squint before perusing the options on the table.

I looked from one necklace to the other. I pointed at one with a diamond at the point and three smaller diamonds to either side leading up into a V. Mr. Porter walked around the table immediately, picked up the necklace, and fitted it around my neck.

“Too small.” Hunter looked back at the table. “As it stands, the eye hopelessly dips to her cleavage. I’d rather give people another attraction to admire.”

“You picked out the dress,” I said under my breath, placing my hand on said cleavage.

“I agree completely,” Mr. Porter replied, putting back the necklace.

Of course he agreed. Bigger meant more money.

“Might I suggest a diamond and ruby choker?” Mr. Porter moved to his briefcase.

Hunter watched as the necklace was fastened to my neck. Mr. Porter pulled my hair away from my face and piled it atop my head.

I took a mirror from the table and held it in front of me. The large diamonds and rubies winked at me in the light, swirling around my neck in a light show. The dress, a deep crimson that closely matched the rubies, hugged my breasts just right. There was something missing, though.

I put my hand to my chest right below the middle of the choker. “It would be better with a little something dangling here, wouldn’t it?”

“Turn to me,” Hunter said.

I did so as Mr. Porter adjusted his arm so my hair was still on top of my head, but his body was closer to Hunter so he could see. He nodded slowly as Hunter analyzed.

Hunter said, “Yes, I agree. Mr. Porter?”

“Let me see what I have.” Mr. Porter dropped my hair and moved to his briefcase. “Would you prefer a ruby, diamond, or combination of the two?”

“What if it wasn’t a choker, but just a necklace that hugged the neck before dangling down toward the breasts?” I traced the path I meant, drawing Hunter’s gaze.

“That might look better,” Mr. Porter said.

“Let’s see both.” Hunter’s gaze drifted to the side of my neck again, snagging on his handiwork. I flushed, drawing his eyes to mine. A deep surge of hunger flared, intensifying his gaze. My body matched, falling into those entrancing eyes.

“Here we are.” Mr. Porter came around us again, ending the moment. He dangled a large oval ruby surrounded by diamonds from the choker.

“That particular style doesn’t work with that dress, but possibly something along those lines,” Hunter said.

Mr. Porter went back to his briefcase and pulled out something with a smile. “I think I have just the thing!”

He fitted the new specimen to my neck and draped my hair around my face. Immediately Hunter said, “Perfect.”

I held the mirror up and gasped. The design work was beautiful. Small and medium-sized diamonds looped and condensed, like bows, along the sides of my neck until the loops became bigger and more dynamic where the rubies were worked within the swirls of the diamonds. It fell down my chest in a stylish, intricate design, almost like lacework, the gems just off center in a way that made it unique and different. The size of the whole piece said “Power accessory,” but the lacy design said “Elegant.” It matched perfectly with the dress.

“A tennis bracelet for the wrist, I think,” Hunter said. “And simple diamond studs for the earrings. The necklace will be the centerpiece.”

“Refined, sir, as always. That piece is one of a kind. We are sampling the works from a new jewelry designer.” Mr. Porter busied himself finding what Hunter asked for. He fitted me with a couple of bracelet options and held up earrings, but I couldn’t stop looking at the necklace. I absolutely loved it. It was artistic and refined, as Mr. Porter said, but flashy as well. It made a subtle statement in a bold sort of way. If it were made out of silver and fake gems, I’d love it just as much as the real deal, because it was the style that made it exquisite.

“You like it?” Hunter asked in a quiet voice.

I smiled with supreme joy. It was the joy from
feeling
pretty. It didn’t matter how the world received me, I
felt
like a million bucks. I hadn’t felt this good in a long, long time.

“Yes, I really do,” I said, touching the necklace gently. “When I was a little girl, I would dress up in my mom’s clothes and jewelry for when my dad came to pick me up. I’d pretend he was the driver, and I was being taken to an awards ceremony, or a luncheon with famous people. He’d knock on the door in this old suit jacket and black hat, pretending with me. I just…felt so glamorous, you know? This necklace, and the dress and everything, gives me that illusion.”

I traced the necklace with a delicate finger, admiring it in the mirror. My eyes glimmered with unshed tears as I thought of my dad. Thinking of the fun we used to have.

“How long can you borrow it?” I asked.

Hunter turned to Mr. Porter, who was standing idle near his briefcases. “We’ll take them.”

“Of course, sir.” Mr. Porter began packing things away.

I stared at myself for a while longer before deciding I needed a bigger viewing area. I wanted to have the image stored away in my mental banks. I could bore grandkids with the memory in my golden years.

I went to the bathroom in the corner of Hunter’s office and stared at myself in the full-length mirror. The gems caught and threw the light, making me glitter and shine with each movement. I slid my hands down my waist to where the dress cinched, creating that hourglass figure I’d admired on other women. If I had white gloves, I’d expect Prince Charming to knock on the door at any moment, ready to load me into a coach.

I moved back into the room like I was entering a ball, grinning like a fool.

Hunter stood at the window, facing out. He turned when I glided back in and stared at me for a moment. I couldn’t see his expression with the shadows falling around his face, but his body language said he was in one of his closed-off moods. He’d probably be gruff and mean in an effort to fool the world into thinking he was a cold, heartless bastard.

I didn’t care. I was floating on air.

“I feel like a Disney princess,” I said as I walked over to Mr. Porter. “I definitely need some heels, but look at me!” I twirled with a giggle.

Mr. Porter smiled with me. “Yes, you do look a vision.”

I breathed out a smiling sigh as I held out my wrist. “De-throne me, good sir. Even Cinderella has to be wary of midnight.”

“It's not what you have on the outside that glitters in light, it's what you have on the inside that shines in the dark,” Hunter said from across the room, staring out the window.

“Well quoted, sir.” Mr. Porter tucked the bracelet into a pouch and left it in the middle of the table. He did the same with the other items, each getting their own bags. When he was finished, he straightened up and grabbed the handles of the briefcases. “How will we be treating this transaction, sir?”

“Purchase. You have the account.”

“Very good, sir. Would you like boxes, then?”

“Send them to the office. That’ll be all.”

“Yes, sir.”

I watched Mr. Porter walk from the room with his briefcases, feeling an uncomfortable clench in my rear. “Purchase?”

Hunter turned from the window and moved toward the table. “Yes. They suit you. I think you should have them.”

My heart beat wildly. A cold sweat broke out over my body. I started backing away from the table. “No. No, no. No way, Hunter. Those things are worth a fortune! I’ll wear them to the dinner, and I’ll let you buy me the clothes, but the jewelry is too much. And this isn’t like with the computer where I really do want them and hope you don’t make me return them—this is a hard no. Do you hear how high my voice has gotten? That’s panic high.”

“Your eyes shine brighter than the diamonds when you put that necklace on. That’s worth the price.” His voice was so soft as he came to stand in front of me. His eyes so deep and genuine.

“No. It sure isn’t,” I said as tears came to my eyes. No one had ever said anything that sweet to me. “Don’t be endearing right now, Hunter, please. That purchase is making me extremely uncomfortable.”

“Which is why I trust you will take good care of it.” His eyes trained on my lips as his hand came up. He traced the edge of my jaw.

An electric surge lit up my body. Goosebumps spread over my skin. Heat flared, consuming me. I remembered the feel of his body from last night. The look in his eyes. He was looking at me the exact same way now. Soft and deep.

I ran my palm along his chest, wanting his touch.

He shook his head minutely. That was it, though. His refusal was shallow at best.

Bad idea, good idea, I figured I’d just go with it.

I stepped closer, running my other hand up as well.

His smoldering eyes took me in. I could see the uncertainty warring with desire. I knew he wanted this just as badly as I did. I also knew he wasn’t used to someone else calling the shots. He was trying to learn his lesson from last night.

I’d tried that once. It ended a moment ago when I realized I needed him with a raw force I couldn’t hope to understand. Didn’t want to.

I let my hands slide down his torso and then over his hips. I stepped just a little closer until our chests were almost touching. I cupped his rock-hard bulge. He was ready for me. He could be as uncertain as he wanted to be, but this had to happen.

I rubbed with one hand, threw the other over his shoulder, and stood up on tiptoes so I could trace his stubble with my lips. He still hadn’t moved. Hadn’t given in to my advance.

I had to play dirty.

Continuing to rub, feeling his body flex against me in arousal, I gave him a small lick and kiss to the very corner of his mouth.

The dam broke. He grabbed me by the back of the neck and pulled me forward, tight against him. He bent to kiss my neck as his arms reached around. The
zzzz
announced my zipper being pulled down. A moment later, he had slowed long enough to delicately remove the dress and drape it across a chair before stepping back. His hands roamed down my body before slipping into my panties.

My breath hitched. I clutched his shoulders as one of his digits felt my wetness. It dipped into my body.

“Hmm,” I said as my fingers flew down his front, undoing buttons. I ripped his shirt open before spreading my hands up his torso.

His hand started to work faster as his mouth nibbled on my earlobe.

I undid his belt and yanked it out of the way. I worked at his trousers, hearing his breathing speed up to match mine. I undid his button and unzipped before reaching in quickly and capturing his smooth shaft. I slid my hand along the velvety skin as I angled my head up, wanting his mouth on mine. As I glanced his cheek, heading for gold, he bent. Two thumbs hooked on the straps of my panties and pulled them down.

When he stood back up, I dropped my arms around his shoulders and hooked a leg around his waist, giving him access. He didn’t even hesitate to take it. With a hand on the base of his shaft, and one around my back, he ran his tip along my wet slit. I felt him at my opening, nudging. He grabbed the back of my knee, hoisted my leg up a bit higher, and rocked his hips upward.

“Oh God.” My eyes fluttered. The world stood still for a moment.

He grabbed my butt and picked me up. I swung my other leg around his waist, squeezing him with my thighs. I gyrated, feeling the delicious friction as his manhood moved within me.

He groaned as he walked me to the table and set me down. My butt bumped off the cool surface before he leaned down on me, lowering me onto the wood. His lips found my neck as his hips pumped, coaxing a long moan from my throat.

I clutched his broad back as he thrust again, hard and passionate. I squeezed, gyrating up as he bore down, and took him deep. Unable and unwilling to focus on anything but his body inside mine.

“Hunter.” I panted. His skin slapped off mine, his cock inside me, rubbing just right. “Yes, Hunter!”