Duke entered the living room and retrieved Claudia from the couch. To Emily, he said, “Thanks for having us. It was great. We are ready for game night when you are.”
Emily started to stand but stopped when Claudia waved her back. Claudia leaned down and pressed a kiss to Emily’s lips, sweeping her tongue over Emily’s with a contented purr. After pulling away, Claudia said, “You don’t have to see us out. I know you have to be tired after everything. Thanks. It was fun.” She kissed Emily’s lips again, a lighter kiss this time, and then walked away with her hand in Duke’s.
Richard said, “You can count on Bree and me showing up next time too. It was fun, Em.”
Emily said, “You all drive safe. Thanks for coming.” She stayed on the couch and let Lucas see them to the door. When he returned, she said, “I’m exhausted. How about you?”
“Not so much, but you did more than me. I’m going to catch a shower to get the grill smell off.” He smiled. “Snip-snip out. Did you want to join me?”
“Mhm. Let me catch my breath first. Claudia is a wild woman. All you have to do is touch me and I’ll probably come.” She gave him a knowing look. “But touching me isn’t the point of joining you in the shower, is it?”
Lucas gripped the erection straining against the front of his pants but didn’t say anything.
“I didn’t think so.” She waved him away. “Go shower. I’ll be there in a minute to thank you properly for this little gathering.”
“See you then. Sew-sew in.” Lucas headed for the master bedroom.
Emily stared at the blank TV screen as she listened to the running water. A few minutes passed, enough time for Lucas to get the bathing part of the shower out of the way, before Emily pushed off the couch with a tired groan.
She hoped Lucas would be happy with a half-assed blowjob and a nap because she didn’t have the strength for much else. They would need to get him one of those masturbator toys if he insisted on bringing friends over to wear her out and then having sex. The thought of telling him that kept her grinning all the way to the bathroom.
Chapter Three
Emily didn’t know if she should be upset at Lucas for pulling in front of an adult toy store or if she should laugh at the cleverness of the store name—Devotion, Infatuation & Yearning. The byline read The DIY Adult Superstore. With a name like that, the store was guaranteed to have a wide variety of dildos, vibrators and other solo toys meant to spice up an evening alone.
She asked, “Why are we here again?”
Lucas shut off the car and opened his door. “This place has dresses.”
“For strippers.” Emily didn’t unhook her seat belt or give any other indication she planned to get out of the car.
She wanted to. The store had piqued her curiosity long ago. She passed by it when running errands, which meant it was too close to the house. Emily drove fifty miles out of the way for her toy shopping to guarantee a situation like this one wouldn’t happen—she and Lucas visiting a store together. The last thing she needed was a clerk recognizing her as a repeat customer, frequently repeating. Emily didn’t always buy but she liked to browse.
She’d had to pass up more than one toy that had caught her interest because the cost would have prompted Lucas to ask what she’d bought. Visiting this store might give her an opportunity to suggest one of those toys as a possible purchase for use together, except she and Lucas didn’t do anything. What if asking to buy the toy made Lucas think he wasn’t enough for her? Emily didn’t want to imagine that argument.
Worse yet, what if Lucas offered to buy a toy she already had? Her conscience wouldn’t allow her to waste money on a duplicate but she wouldn’t be able to tell Lucas she already had it. Or maybe trying to talk her way out of the purchase would make her slip and give herself away.
Emily saw nothing good coming out of this store. Best to avoid it.
Lucas said, “Yes, it has some clothes strippers might like but they have normal dresses too. I saw one I knew would be perfect on you.”
“Really now? I thought you said you just happened to see this shop and wanted to stop by.”
“I lied. Let’s go.”
“Lucas—”
“Em, if you don’t like the dress, we’ll leave but at least give it a chance.”
She was losing this debate and had to let it happen or else she might cause tension that would ruin the happy atmosphere surrounding them lately. With a resigned sigh, Emily undid her seat belt and got out of the car.
“That’s my girl. Come on.” Lucas urged her forward as he walked toward the door.
Emily entered the shop when he held the door open for her. The inside was air-conditioned, well lit and smelled like roses. Very nice.
The man behind the counter said, “We’re closing. I was just about to lock up.”
“Oh. Sorry.” Emily turned to leave but Lucas blocked her way, keeping her in the store. “Lucas, he says they’re closed.”
To the clerk, Lucas said, “I know exactly what I want. It won’t take long, I promise. Help me out. I won’t be able to talk her into coming back.”
Sure. Make this her fault.
The clerk glanced at Emily. She gave him a small smile and wasn’t surprised that he didn’t return it. The man was the black leather and chains type. It would probably ruin his image to smile. Then again, a smile from this man might be devastating to her libido. He was tall, brooding and handsome, but he could easily become tall, charismatic and handsome with a simple curve of his lips.
The clerk asked, “Cash or credit?”
“Definitely credit. I don’t carry enough cash to pay for the dress I saw.”
Lucas wasn’t one to carry much cash to begin with but Emily didn’t like the way he said that. How much did the dress cost?
“Fine. But be quick.”
“Thanks, man. I owe you one.” Lucas ushered Emily deeper into the store to the clothing section.
Behind them, the clerk rounded the counter, locked the door and flipped the sign to Closed. If Emily had played it stubborn a little longer, she could have avoided this. For today at least. Lucas appeared determined to get her to this dress. He would have insisted on returning to the store at opening if they had missed it today.
He stopped in front of a high rack of evening gowns. Emily stared in disbelief. They were actual evening gowns, like the kind she would find at a formal clothing shop. What were they doing in an adult toy store?
Lucas pulled a blue one off the rack and showed it to her. “What do you think?”
“I think it’s missing the front.” The dress had a plunging V front. It couldn’t be called a V-neck because it appeared to end at waist level. The point of the V ended a few inches above where the part of the dress began.
Now she knew why the dresses were in this store. There was no way Lucas was getting her into that. She didn’t have the figure for it or the nerve.
Lucas said, “It’s not. I know it looks risqué—”
“Especially for a wedding.”
“But it’s not. Try it on and you’ll see. Real quick. We don’t have time to go back and forth over this. The guy behind the counter wants to go home.”
Emily glanced at the clerk, who was busy counting his register. She guessed he felt comfortable doing that with them halfway across the store. As soon as she and Lucas left, the clerk would probably follow right behind them.
She must have kept her gaze on the clerk a little too long, because Lucas asked with a sly smile, “Your type?”
Emily startled and pulled her gaze away. “Type of what?”
“The clerk. He looks like your type. He’s got that bad-boy-biker vibe going.”
“Be serious.” She turned her attention to the dress. “I just don’t want to impose. Why don’t we let him close up and come some other time?”
Lucas snorted. “Like I would ever get you back here again. No dice, lady.” He held the dress out to her.
Emily took it with a roll of her eyes. “Fine
. But if I don’t like it, I’m not coming out.”
“Come out whether you like it or not. I want to see it.”
She opened her mouth to protest, closed it and then nodded. “Be right back.”
Why she was giving in to his whim, she had no clue. She didn’t want to try on this dress. She already knew it wouldn’t look right on her, but she took it from him and headed to the changing room regardless.
The fact that she had to take off her bra made her dislike the dress. Her breasts needed support. Backless dresses were the enemy. Dresses with V fronts that showed the inner curve of her boobs and the front of her body down to her navel were the friends of her enemy. This dress was both. It had an open back that started at the neck clasp and ended above the crack of her ass.
There was no way she could wear this dress out of the fitting room, let alone in public. The split in the front was worse than she’d thought. If the hem ended where the split started, she would be wearing a micro-miniskirt. One wrong move and she would flash her panties.
Emily turned one way and then the other, looking at the dress from different angles. Besides the front, the back and the split, the dress was flattering. It was fitted down to the tops of her thighs where it met in gathers that accentuated her hips without making them look big. She didn’t think she would need shapewear with this dress.
Clothing made of stretchy material wasn’t her favorite, but it worked in this instance. The skirt flowed to the ground and dragged for a few inches. She was sure she would trip on it if the split weren’t there.
“Em?”
She swallowed. After picking up the skirt so she didn’t get it dirty, she exited the fitting room.
Lucas stood in front of the three-way mirror with the clerk next to him. “See, Joseph? I told you this was worth it.”
Joseph nodded as he swept his gaze up and down Emily. “Looks good.”
Emily said, “I feel naked.”
Lucas said, “That dress certainly makes it easier to get that way.” He laughed when Emily turned toward to the fitting room but grabbed her arm so she didn’t get far. “Come on, Em. Be a sport.”
“Fine,” she grumbled, stomping over to the mirrors.
Now she had several angles to look at and each one showed her the same thing the fitting room mirror had showed her. Her husband had better taste in clothing than he let on. She wouldn’t tell him that, but he did. Emily might have chosen this dress for herself if she’d had the nerve.
Lucas asked, “Well?”
“I can’t wear this to a wedding.”
“Who says you can’t?”
“People will think I’m trying to steal attention from the bride.”
“Let them. Who cares what people think? You look hot, Em. I never imagined that dress would look this good.”
Emily blushed and mumbled a thank you. She stared at her reflection and tried to see herself attending a wedding wearing it. “Nope. A party maybe but not a wedding.”
“A wedding is a party.”
“For the bride and groom.”
Lucas gave a derisive laugh. “Seriously? Think back to our wedding and reception. Did any of that strike you as being for us? I felt like a performing monkey doing tricks for treats. Cut the cake. Now do the first dance. Throw the garter. Dance with your mother. Greet the guests. I was dying for someone else to be the center of attention for five seconds and give me a break.”
He did have a point. Emily remembered the wedding being a series of orders to perform various tasks with intermittent reminders to smile and not to slouch. Emily wasn’t going to win this. Lucas seemed determined to get this dress.
She decided to go for a different tactic. Tracing the line of the plunging V, she said, “I feel like I’m going to fall out.”
Joseph said over Lucas’s reply, “Bend over. For peace of mind and to speed this along. The store has dress tape but you don’t need it for that outfit. The gathers in front keep the neckline tight against your skin so you won’t fall out. To prove it, bend over.”
Emily was still skeptical but she leaned forward. No matter how far she went, her breasts remained covered. She leaned to the right and wiggled. Nothing. To the left and wiggled. Nothing. Her breasts stayed put. She wanted to curse at the dress for betraying her in her time of need.
Joseph asked, “See?”
She straightened and smiled at Joseph’s reflection. “Okay, so I didn’t fall out. I’ll probably get the dress tape just to be on the safe side.” She turned her attention to her reflection. “This slit is still problematic. It’s way too high. I might flash someone by mistake.”
Lucas said, “Keep your legs shut and that shouldn’t be a worry.”
“Gee thanks.” She knew he was right but it wasn’t as simple as that. “I just want to be sure.” She met Joseph’s gaze. “I’m sorry we’re taking so long. I know you want to go home.”
“I didn’t have anything going after this. I would rather calm your fears now than have you return the dress later if you change your mind.” He smiled, upping the tempo of Emily’s heartbeat at the way it added to his dark charm. “You shouldn’t worry. You look fantastic.”
“That’s what I told her but I’m only the husband. What do I know?”
Emily rolled her eyes at Lucas. “You say I look good no matter what I’m wearing.”
“Because you do.”
“Which means your opinion is biased.”
Lucas shook his head with an exasperated sigh. “I can’t win.”
Joseph patted his shoulder. “You already did, bro. You got her to say yes.”
“True. All I had to do was nearly unhinge my jaw. That was a great night.”
“Lucas! Don’t tell him—”
“Snip-snip out.” Lucas grinned. “Like I was saying… You should have heard her. She was screaming loud enough for the neighbors to start banging on the walls. She lived in an apartment complex back then. Em has always been a screamer. Haven’t you, Em?”
She said, “I can’t help it.” She also couldn’t help what she was saying. Why was she letting Lucas talk about their sex life with a complete stranger when she’d wanted to stop him moments ago?
“Especially when I start eating you out, right? Licking your clit and fingering your pussy until you’re riding my face and begging me not to stop. That’s the point when you’ll agree to anything.”
“Exactly right.” What the hell was she saying? And why were his words turning her on so much? They were out shopping, not at home.
Despite the locale, Emily had the overwhelming urge to demonstrate. The sudden need rose to show Joseph how wild she could be under Lucas’ mouth. The soft fabric of the dress rubbed her nipples as they grew taut with her arousal.
Emily stared at her reflection. She appeared as turned on as she felt. Her lips parted and she rubbed her tongue over them but she felt apart from the action, as if she weren’t the one doing it. She recognized the woman in the mirror but it wasn’t really her.
Joseph said, “Kind of TMI but I’m not complaining. So you proposed while going down on her?”
Lucas said, “Yes and no. I went down on one knee and got distracted. She was wearing a miniskirt with no panties. You can see how I got a little sidetracked.” He glanced at Emily. “By the time I came up for air, she was ready to say yes to just about anything.”
“Too bad that trick doesn’t work every time.”
“You’d be surprised. In fact…” Lucas glanced over his shoulder. “I’ll be right back. I think I saw the perfect accessories for that dress. It should help Em make up her mind and get us out of your hair.” He walked off toward the racks.
Joseph met Emily’s gaze via the mirror. “Interesting guy you’ve got there. Does he normally over-share like that?”
She said, “Lucas likes flaunting me.”
“Do you like it?”
“Yes.” The word came out as a purr and Emily licked her lips again.
Her heart was thundering and her
temperature was hot enough that the air-conditioning no longer registered. Why was she so turned on when she hadn’t been earlier? Was she mistaking being sick for arousal?
Lucas returned, carrying a store basket. “I found a few things. Shoes first.” He pulled out the large box that sat on the pile of merchandise. “I found two pairs that I thought you might like. To speed things along, I’ll give you one of each. We’ll do the stork thing.”
He gave her one platform heel that had to be six inches high and one regular, open-toed heel. Emily bent over and put on both. When she straightened, she was a little upset the dress still held her breasts at bay.
Again she wondered what was up with her libido. She shouldn’t want to fall out of her dress. It was good it was staying put, especially while Joseph was there and watching her. Watching her every move. She wanted to give him a show.
What? Where had that thought come from?
Lucas said, “Come on, Em.”
She balanced on her right foot with her left behind her. “This one?” She switched feet. “Or this one?”
Lucas said, “They both look good.”
Joseph said, “I agree.”
“You two are no help.” She switched feet again and looked at her reflection. She agreed with the men though. Both shoes looked great with the dress but she could only get one pair. Without thinking too hard, she said, “Platforms.”
Lucas gave her the other one and took the open-toe shoe once she’d removed it. He pulled a slim package out of the basket. “Next choice. I figure, on the off chance you do slip out, you might as well give everyone something to see, right?”
“Sure.”
“So…” He held up the package that contained a necklace.
Joseph said, “I guess I’ll head up front and leave you to it.”
“No, stay. You said you would help us choose.” Lucas opened the package and pulled out a necklace with two long dangling chains that had loops at their ends. “We won’t take much longer, I promise.”
“Okay.”
Emily held her hair out of the way so Lucas could fasten the necklace around her neck. “What’s the choice? Or am I trying on two different necklaces?”
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