Jack jumped backwards with a laugh as Erin spun around, nearly dropping her phone in surprise. “Holy cow, Jack, you nearly gave me a heart attack!”
Jack seized the phone out of her hands. “That’s a direct quote, Mary! So I’m gonna see you tomorrow night, right? Awesome. Yeah, it was great to see you too-say hi to your daughter for me. See ya then.” He hung up the call with a grin, and passed the phone back.
“Well, at least you look presentable, even if you’re still a cad,” Erin gave him an appreciative once over. The costume department had apparently been inspired, as he looked the absolute perfect picture of a dashing hero in his historic costume, the deep cobalt blue of the jacket setting off his eyes and the cut expertly displaying the masculine strength of his frame. “Geez, you look like you could be on the cover of some romance novel.”
“I think I’d need a few more buttons undone,” he studied himself in the full-length mirror, “Or just go shirtless all together.”
Erin was thankful he was too busy re-adjusting his jacket to see her evident blush. “Well, that’d probably sell more tickets,” she said, trying to cover up the sudden memory rush of just how well he looked without anything on.
“Speaking of, you picked out an outfit for tomorrow night yet?”
Erin groaned. “Like I have time for that! And like anybody’s going to looking at me anyway. I’ve got a nice black dress that’ll do.”
“Is it… this one?” He scrolled through his phone and pulled up a photo of the black cocktail-length dress she’d bought for a professional mixer back in college. She stared at his phone. “Where did you get that picture? Is… is that my closet?”
“Your roommate sent it to me. Sweet girl,” Jack replied lightly.
“Wait, why in the world do you have Amanda’s-”
Jack pretended not to hear her, “Not a bad dress, though you’d probably look amazing in anything-”
Erin hastily looked away, hoping he hadn’t seen the jolt of pleasure in her face at his compliment.
“-but don’t you think it’s missing the, you know, ‘wow’ factor?”
“Wow factor?” Erin said skeptically, “It’d have to be a pretty damn big ‘wow’ factor when I’m standing next to you.”
“Good point,” Jack nodded seriously, “So, with that in mind, I’ve made some arrangements.”
“No, Jack, come on…”
“No buts! This is big opening night, we’ve all got to look stunning. Don’t you want to look your best when meeting my folks?”
“Hadn’t really thought about it,” Erin lied. She’d actually been playing out the various scenarios in her head for nearly a week, and how best she could impress them-which was silly, really, she was a temporary assistant, so long as they saw her as competent, why did they need to like her?
“I’ve already made a spa appointment for you tomorrow at Aveda. It’s hair, makeup, nails, massage, the works, so you’ll probably need to take the day off.”
“The entire day?” Erin squeaked, “Jack, I have so much left to do!-”
“No, you have so much left to drive yourself crazy over. My folks are getting in tomorrow, you’ve already got their hotel ready, reservation for lunch for me and them, after-play dinner is all set, invitations are sent and rsvp’s received, tickets are set aside at the box office… seriously, what’s left?”
“Um…” Erin mumbled. There was one more thing she absolutely had to do, but he wouldn’t drag it out of her with even his most winning smile.
“Then it sounds like everything’s set. Erin, you’ve worked your butt off alongside me-take a break. As a -”
“As a favor for you?” She smiled softly.
“Exactly.”
“When do I get to make you do something as a favor for me?”
“Oh, I’m sure the opportunity will arise sometime,” he answered, his eyes lighting with mischief, and something deeper, something hotter, that made her stomach clench in delicious anticipation. The look disappeared as quickly as it had come, and he winked teasingly at her,” Hopefully your favor will involve a lot less eyeliner.”
* * *
Erin’s annoyance and anxiety at her boss’ high-handedness lasted about half an hour into her massage appointment, and then disappeared for the rest of the day. Spa days were a rare treat on her time and salary, and she forced herself to admit there was something kind of nice about being pampered by people who knew what they were doing.
Just to show off, Jack had also managed to squeeze in an appointment for Amanda in the chair right next to her; though Erin had a sneaking suspicion she was there to ensure that her new hairstyle contained that ‘wow factor’ Jack had been talking about.
“Amanda, would you sit still around?” Erin admonished her roommate with a laugh, as Amanda glanced between her watch on her phone and the door for the tenth time in fifteen minutes. “You’re going to make your stylish cut your hair crooked if you keep fidgeting.”
“Just wanting to keep us on time,” Amanda smiled sweetly, “You need to be at the theater in three hours, and you still need makeup.”
Erin rolled her eyes. “You’re worse than Jack. I thought this spa day was supposed to be relaxing.”
“It is relaxing,” Amanda insisted,” It’s also meant to make you look your best. Oh, good, it’s finally here!”
Erin glanced around at the door to see a delivery man carrying what looked suspiciously like a dress bag. She rounded on her roommate. “No.”
Amanda shrugged innocently,” Don’t look at me, it was all Jack’s idea.”
“Ugh, what is WITH him!” Erin tossed herself back into the stylist’s chair, crossing her arms defiantly, “It’s like he thinks I can’t dress myself.”
“Or maybe,” Amanda ventured with a significant look, “He thinks you undersell yourself when you do. Come on, just try it on. If you hate it, you always have that nun-like cocktail dress as a backup.”
Scowling, Erin signed for the package, and sullenly sat through the rest of her hair appointment, coming up with the thousand of cutting remarks she wished she could make to Mr. Jack Silver as soon as she got him alone.
Both the stylist and Amanda had insisted Erin not see either her finished hair or makeup until the full process was complete, so she slumped dutifully from the hair stylish chair to the makeup chair. She let the artist and Amanda debate color palettes and tickle her face with tiny brushes for a good hour before finally, blessedly, being left alone in a changing room with Jack’s latest favor.
Preparing herself for the worst, she unzipped the dress bag and pulled out the dress.
She wasn’t sure what she was expecting; a ballgown, a bizarre fashion piece that only made sense on New York runways, some obscene cut-away that worked better than lingerie. However, the dress was deceptively simple, with an elegantly cut bodice and long sleeves. There didn’t seem to be any label; Erin suspected it’d come from a vintage shop, tossed there without realizing how classic the style was.
Apprehensive but curious, she wiggled out of her jeans and hoodie, and slipped on the dress. It fit beautifully, hugging her body shape without bunching up in any embarrassing ways. Ruching across the stomach and bust managed to both camouflage and flaunt her ample bust and rounded hips. She slowly turned to face herself in the mirror, and sucked in her breath at the sight.
“Yeah,” she muttered, “I guess it’ll do.”
* * *
The streets around the theater were already packed with cars by the time Erin arrived, forty-five minutes before opening curtain. She carefully made her way through the packed lobby and into the backstage area, double checking every few minutes that her coat was closed and her gift sufficiently hidden before her back.
The hallways to the dressing rooms were just as crammed with passing bodies as the lobby above, everyone running everywhere, the air alive with excited energy. Erin spotted Jack in a corner near the vending machines doing vocal warm-ups with Tanya, and dodging around rushing actors, hurried
over to them.
“Sorry Tanya, mind if I steal him for a second?” Erin nodded at Jack, still in his civilian clothes.
“Of course!” Tanya exclaimed, flushed with opening night elation,” I should go get changed. Hope you enjoy the show!”
“Yeah, break a leg!” Erin called after her, making sure to avoid any mention of luck; Jack had given her a huge scolding over her lack of awareness around theater superstition. She turned back to him, who was eyeing her attentatively, “You nervous?”
“Never,” Jack grinned.
“Liar.”
“Speaking of clothes, though,” Jack changed the subject completely, “Let’s see yours. Can’t wait to see if the dress has that ‘wow’ factor, but can’t make it out under that nun’s habit you call a coat.”
Erin smiled impishly, “That’s the idea. You’ll just have to wait until after the show.”
“Seriously? You’re gonna throw me off my game like that? I’m going to spend the whole time trying to imagine how you look in that dress instead of concentrating on my lines,” Jack scowled playfully.
“It’s a risk I’m willing to take.”
“Well, if I mess up my big, dramatic death scene, on your head be it.”
“I also got you a little gift,” from behind her back, she produced a giant bouquet of roses and pink lilies, the biggest she could reasonably carry without falling over. Jack took them with such a delighted smile Erin couldn’t help blushing with pleasure.
“Lilies,” he said happily, burying his nose in the bouquet, “Your favorite flower.”
“It is?” Erin asked in surprise. They were in fact her favorite flower, but she was sure she’d never told him that.
“At least, that’s the smell of the perfume you always wear.”
“I don’t wear perfume,” Erin commented with a bemused smile.
Jack suddenly looked away, as if embarrassed. “I should probably get changed, too. Really… thank you for the flowers.” He smiled shyly, “It means a lot to me that you came tonight.”
“Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Erin beamed. Before she could lose her nerve, she leapt forward and threw her arms around his neck, pulling him into a quick embrace. She expected him to make a joke and break away immediately, but to her surprise, he returned the hug, circling her waist with one arm and holding her close against him.
She hadn’t been so near him since that first day; the smell of his skin instantly soothed her, as if she was caught in some comforting dream. Despite the chaos around them, it felt as if they were the only two people in the entire building.
They stood there for a moment, neither moving, neither seeming to dare even breathe, until Erin pulled away, just enough to look him in the eye.
“Break a leg,” she said softly.
His eyes lit with a heat that she felt all the way down through to her toes. Thought disappeared from her head. In that moment, all she felt was his body against hers, his eyes locked onto her face, and a magnetic pull that she couldn’t fight anymore.
She kissed him.
She felt his sharp intake of breath, and she quickly broke away, taking a few shaky steps back. His expression was caught between shock and exhilaration, but she couldn’t look fully at him; already she was begging the ground to swallow her up where she stood.
“Uh, anyway… good luck!” She cried, and made a hasty retreat to the safety of the exit.
* * *
The moment the lights went up for curtain call, the audience was on its feet. Jack’s death scene hadn’t left a single dry eye in the house. The cast took two, then three curtain calls, Jack receiving the loudest praise as he bowed humbly to the admiring crowd.
Erin could have sworn she saw his eyes searching through the seats-maybe for his parents? - but he was gracious and charmingly sheepish as he finally exited the stage.
Erin could scarcely sit still a second longer, anxiously bouncing on the balls of her toes as the audience slowly filled its way towards the exits at the back of the theater. She’d managed to make it through the entire show without thinking about what had transpired right before too much (only once every thirty seconds; an impressive record, she thought), but if she didn’t see Jack right now, she was sure she was going to explode into a thousand pieces of balled-up anxiety.
At long last, she was able to wriggle past the last stragglers and dart down into the voms that led backstage. The hallways were packed with people, hugging, crying, and shouting over their success.
Erin happily called congratulations to every single one of them as she pushed past, scanning the crowd for Jack, who was bound to be in the thick of it. After several minutes of searching, she finally turned and made her way towards his dressing room, unable to guess where else he might be.
The door was closed as she approached it, despite the swarms of fellow cast members flowing through the halls. She knocked eagerly, and heard Jack’s voice from the other side. “Come in.”
She quickly slipped inside and closed the door after her.
He stood with his back towards her, intent on washing the stage blood from his face. She saw that her bouquet of roses and lilies held a prominent place on his dressing room table, right beside the framed photo of his parents.
She opened her mouth, excitement and terror bubbling up inside her, but completely at a loss of what to say. Should she apologize? Beg his forgiveness for being too forward? Play it off as a joke?
With trembling fingers, she undid the buttons of her coat, and let the heavy fabric fall to the floor.
He turned to her, and his face lit immediately with reverent awe, as if he was seeing some great classical painting in a museum for the first time.
“You look…. Amazing,” he said softly.
She did. Instead of up in the usual bun in which she wore them, her curls floated down to her shoulders in silky waves, pinned up just enough to frame her face. The rich plum of the dress made her mahogany eyes seem to spark with light, faint pinks and purples echoing in the soft blush of her cheeks, the gentle tint of her lips and deep brown of her eyelashes.
The neckline plunged just enough to be flirtatious while proper, the sleeves sitting just on the curve of her shoulders, further emphasizing the beautiful arc from her bust over her hip and down her shapely legs. She had never felt like such a knock-out.
“Thanks,” she smiled shyly, spinning a little to show him the sloping open back. She usually stayed away from exposing so much, but the whole thing seemed to make her skin glow flawless and ethereal under the right light. “Does this have that wow factor?”
He nodded somberly. “Wow.”
“Jack… about, ya know, before…”
He crossed the room between them in two strides. Before she could think, before she could move, he pulled her to him, anchoring her between his body and the closed door.
Without a pause, as if he couldn’t help himself, as if some deeper force had claimed all reason from him, he caught her mouth with his, kissing her like she’d never been kissed before.
He broke the kiss, and cupping her chin with one hand, gently but firmly tilting her head so that he could press his lips to the base of her exposed throat. She gasped as liquid fire shot through her, aware of every inch of him that touched her, from his hands on the bare skin of her back to his hips holding her own body captive.
She clung helplessly to him as his mouth moved from her throat, trailing up her neck, his embrace growing tighter and more urgent. His embrace was wild and uncontrolled, one hand sliding down to cup her bottom through the dress, drawing her hips harder against his. She could feel his arousal already; the eager press of his erection making her knees go weak.
He found her mouth again, his tongue smoothly prodding hers. She threw her arms around his neck, standing on her toes so that she could readily answer his unspoken question. Yes, she wanted him.
She wanted him to fling her down on the floor and tear off the dress he’d bought for her, she wanted him out of that stunn
ing blue jacket, she wanted him just like she’d seen him on that very first day, naked in front of her with a smile that heated the blood in her veins.
He groaned in agony as her tongue met his, as if the sheer fact that he didn’t yet possess her left him in physical pain. He tangled his fingers in her curls, undoing all the orderly pins, as her hands moved to his chest, already eagerly undoing the buttons of his shirt.
She felt his hard heartbeat through the linen fabric, increasing with every movement of her body, throbbing in time with the acute ache within her. They broke the kiss with a gulping breath, Jack quickly yanking at Erin’s zipper as she worked at undoing his buttons.
“Need some help?” He asked with a teasing grin.
“Oh shut up and get your clothes off already,” she snorted.
“Yes, ma’am,” he gave a small salute, and deftly took over her work, undoing the buttons to reveal the smooth lines of his pec muscles. Erin ran her fingertips over his skin in the wake of his reveal, marveling at the feel of him. “Never go to the gym, hm?” She asked huskily.
“And yet… can still do this,” he suddenly seized her thighs, and hoisted her so that her legs straddled him, her back pressed against the doorframe, her dress riding nearly up to her hips. He buried his nose in the mass of curls that cascaded over her bare shoulder as the zipper of her dress slowly gave way under his fingers, “God, do I love how you smell.”
“If you tell me I smell like bananas, I will kill you.”
He laughed, the sound making his chest rumble beneath Erin’s fingertips, as he caught her earlobe between his teeth. “I tremble at your fury, madam.” She moaned low and soft as he nibbled at her ear, and he added, his voice dipped with hunger, “And it seems you tremble at mine.”
Romance: Claimed By The Ape: BBW Shapeshifter Romance Standalone (Spicy Shifters Book 4) Page 4