by Lynn LaFleur
“Just the bra and panties. I’m not brave enough to try the thong.”
Ashlyn smiled. “No problem. Would you like to try these on now or would you prefer to look around more?”
She might as well keep shopping since Sherry would be in the dressing room for a while. “I’ll look around.”
“Fine. I’ll put these in a dressing room and help my other customers.”
Once Ashlyn left, Twyla slowly strolled through the store, her fingertips grazing the different items as she passed them. She often wore sexy nightgowns for she loved the way they felt against her skin. Maybe she should add one or two to her underwear purchase. She hadn’t spoiled herself in a long time.
She turned a corner, and gasped. Directly in front of her, a mannequin wore the sexiest black nightgown she’d ever seen. Tiny spaghetti straps held up the low-cut lace and satin confection. A slit ran up the left side, almost to the waist. Lace made up the bodice and sides of the gown. A swirl of satin covered the pubic area and ran across the front. A woman couldn’t help but feel sexy when she wore it.
Twyla had to have it.
She waited until Ashlyn’s other customers headed to the dressing rooms before she approached the owner. “The black nightgown on the mannequin. Do you have it in my size?”
“Of course. Would you like to try it on?”
“Yes, please.”
Ashlyn smiled. “I’ll get it for you.”
She had taken two steps away when Twyla had a sudden thought. “Ashlyn?”
The owner turned back to face her. “Yes?”
“You have other sexy bras in my size?”
“Several.”
“I want one of each in black and white. And the panties to match.”
Ashlyn smiled again. “I’ll be right back.”
Twyla could hear her Visa groaning in her wallet. It had been a long time since she’d splurged on herself and decided she deserved it. She wanted the lingerie for her, not to impress a guy.
She thought about her upcoming “date” at Sherry’s house with Mr. Wonderful. He would be the fifth man Sherry had introduced her to in the last two months. All of them had been perfect for her, according to her friend. Of the first four she’d dated, one never looked in her eyes, but stared at her breasts all evening. One had been so conceited, he’d talked the entire time about himself. One hadn’t talked at all, leaving Twyla to come up with different topics to keep the conversation flowing. The last one decided since he’d bought her dinner, she owed him sex. It was the closest she’d ever come to punching a guy in the nose. Or kneeing him in the balls.
There might be some Prince Charmings left in the world, but she hadn’t found any in Seattle.
Twyla wandered up to the counter to wait for Ashlyn. The owner appeared from the back with several pieces of lingerie in her hand.
“I have this bra in ice blue that will look gorgeous on you. It also comes in a deep forest green and cranberry.”
Twyla fingered the wisp of silk and lace. “It doesn’t look like it has any support.”
“It does, I promise. See these panels on the sides? They pull your breasts in and push them up.”
“My breasts are large enough without being pulled in and pushed up.”
Ashlyn tilted her head. “You aren’t ashamed of them, are you?”
“No, of course not.”
“Then flaunt them. You have a lovely body. You should do everything you can to show it off.”
Twyla’s self-confidence had taken a nosedive when her husband walked out on her. He’d said it was her fault that he’d looked for other lovers since she was so cold in bed. She knew that wasn’t true. She loved sex and had always responded to her ex-husband. He threw the blame for their failed marriage on her to justify his affairs. Still, she’d wondered if she could’ve done something different in the bedroom, something that would’ve kept Scott in her bed instead of visiting half the women in western Washington.
She continued to caress the silky bra. She bit her bottom lip as her Visa groaned louder.
What the hell. This is my special treat. I can make payments if I have to.
“You have panties to match the bras?”
“Of course.”
“I’ll try on all of them.”
Twyla followed Ashlyn to the back of the store. The dressing room was large and softly lit, with a three-pane mirror in the corner. A woman couldn’t ignore any of her body’s flaws with all those images surrounding her.
Ashlyn added the new pieces of lingerie to the items already on the low shelf. She sorted them into two piles—one for bras and one for panties. Twyla noticed the nightgown hanging on a hook on the opposite wall.
Digging through the pile of panties, Ashlyn drew out a red thong. “I know you said you don’t wear thongs, but try this one on. It matches the red bra perfectly. You will feel incredibly sexy and alluring wearing this lingerie beneath a clingy black dress.”
A vision of Twyla’s favorite dress popped into her head. A straight shift with cap sleeves and a low rounded neck, the silky material flowed over her curves to her knees. She always felt feminine in that dress, even if she happened to be taller than her date.
“Okay, I’ll try it on.”
“I’m going to see to my other customers. Let me know if you need anything else.”
After Ashlyn left, Twyla removed all her clothes. She tried on the red bra first. It fit perfectly, pushing her breasts together to form a deep cleavage. She did a little shimmy and smiled when the bra didn’t shift or dig into her skin. If all the bras fit as well and were as comfortable as this one, she would definitely be making payments on her Visa account for several months.
It would be worth it.
Twyla hesitated before picking up the red thong. She couldn’t imagine wearing something like this would be comfortable, much less make her feel sexy. Taking a breath, she stepped into the thong and pulled it up her legs.
The tiny triangle covered her mound, the elastic band rode low on her hips. Twyla turned one way, then the other, examining her body in the mirror. Her buttocks were round and full and gravity hadn’t affected them yet. The red band disappeared in the cleft, naturally drawing her gaze between her legs. She understood why a man would love to see a thong on a woman.
She felt sexy and alluring, and she liked the feeling.
“How are you doing?” Ashlyn asked through the louvered door.
“Great. In fact…” She turned again to look at the front of her body. “I think I’d like to try on some other thongs.”
Chapter Two
A move and job change wasn’t always a good thing. Daniel LaFevers figured that out during his second week at his new job. He appreciated the generous salary that he earned in his new position as Vice President of Finance at Ellison-Miller Insurance. He didn’t appreciate the mess he’d inherited with the title.
The company was still showing a profit, but barely. His job was to cut expenses without cutting jobs or service to their customers.
Easier said than done.
Daniel had set up several spreadsheets to help him track expenses versus income. He’d spent the last three days entering figures from the piles of papers on his desk. The fax machine came on behind him, an indication that even more figures would soon be added to his pile.
Nothing like job security.
A rap of knuckles on his open door drew his attention away from the computer screen. George Trahan entered. Daniel had met him at the board members meeting his first day on the job. He’d barely caught his breath after arriving at Ellison-Miller before he was called into the meeting and introduced to the other officers of the company. With his brain still on overload from his move to Seattle, Daniel had trouble putting names to faces. He remembered George, the VP of Human Resources. George had been friendly and helpful right away as he helped Daniel wade through the ocean of paperwork a new employee had to complete.
George walked over and flopped down in one of the two chairs befo
re Daniel’s desk. “How’s it going?”
“Shitty.”
George laughed. “I like your honesty.”
“Did the last VP of Finance ever do any work? The files are a mess, both in the filing cabinets and the computer.” Blowing out a heavy breath, Daniel sat back in his chair. “It’ll take me weeks to straighten out everything before I can actually do any work on a budget.”
“Don’t let it stress you out, man. It’ll all fall into place.”
“God, I hope so. Right now, I’m not sure.”
“You need to relax. You got here and were thrown in with the sharks. It’ll be better soon.”
Daniel appreciated George’s positive attitude, even though he wasn’t as sure of everything falling into place so easily.
Leaning forward, George clasped his hands together between his knees. “My wife wants to invite you to dinner at our house Saturday.”
Surprised at the sudden invitation, Daniel didn’t respond at first. He liked George, and his wife had seemed very nice when he’d met her last week. An evening with them would be a welcome break from being alone.
George cleared his throat. “I think I should warn you that she’s invited a friend of hers too. A female friend. A single female friend.”
A matchmaker. Great. Daniel quickly changed his mind about having dinner with the Trahans. He’d suffered through matchmakers and blind dates in the past. He didn’t want to go through that agony again. “Look, George, I appreciate the invitation, but I just got to Seattle. My life is insane now. I can’t get involved with anyone.”
“Just dinner, that’s all.”
Daniel could tell by the way George refused to look him straight in the eyes that it wasn’t “just dinner”.
George cleared his throat, obviously uncomfortable. “Sherry and I have a great marriage. She can’t stand to see anyone single. Her heart is in the right place.”
“I’m sure it is, but I’m not interested.”
“You don’t have to stay long. Come have dinner. You can leave as soon as we have dessert.” He flashed a coaxing smile. “Sherry’s a great cook. You won’t be disappointed in the food.”
A home-cooked meal would certainly beat whatever he might eat. Daniel hated his own cooking and eating out got old in a hurry. George was right. He could leave as soon as they finished dessert. “What time?”
The look of relief that flashed across George’s face almost made Daniel laugh. “Seven. Give me a piece of paper and I’ll write down our address. Do you need directions?”
“No.” He dug through the mess on his desk until he found a notepad for George. “I have GPS in my car.”
“Great. Perfect.”
Daniel couldn’t stop his laughter this time. “What’s wrong? Did your wife threaten to kill you if I didn’t say yes?”
“Close.” George tore off the sheet and handed it to Daniel. “She mentioned vacationing with my in-laws. That’s a penalty worse than death.”
Still chuckling, Daniel folded the piece of paper and stuck it in his shirt pocket. “I won’t let you suffer, George.”
“Thanks, man.”
Once George left, Daniel turned back to his computer. All the numbers ran together. He’d worked long hours since he’d been here, trying to get the files organized. Those long hours were catching up to him. If he didn’t slow down, he’d make a mistake he couldn’t afford to make.
George was right. Everything didn’t have to be done immediately. William Miller, one of the owners of the company, had hired him permanently. This wasn’t a job that he’d lose in a month or two if he didn’t come up with a million dollars in savings in his first month.
Daniel swiveled his chair toward the window. He noticed George hadn’t described this single female friend. He hadn’t even used the old “she has a great personality” description, which usually meant she broke a mirror when she looked into it. That didn’t matter to Daniel. As a man, he naturally admired a lovely woman, but he’d never let looks impress him. He’d dated pretty women who were vain and inconsiderate, and he’d dated women who were plain but projected an inner beauty. He’d take beautiful on the inside over the outside any day.
While the idea of another blind date didn’t thrill him, it would be nice to meet an interesting woman. He hadn’t been in Seattle long enough to find out the best places to meet people. Bars were out. He’d done the bar scene in his twenties. Now thirty-eight, he wanted more from a woman than just a fast fuck.
He’d dated a lot of women, even asked one to marry him. Luckily she’d figured out they’d never be able to live together about the same time he had. They’d continued as fuck buddies after she broke the engagement until she met another man. Daniel had wished her well and gone back to his solitary life.
Daniel hadn’t been with a women in almost three months. His cock reminded him of that every day. He wasn’t ready to commit to one woman, at least not until he was more settled into his new job and life in Seattle. In the meantime, he wanted to date and have a good time.
For now, that was enough.
*
Ashlyn rolled her neck to the right, then the left, to try to loosen the stiff muscles. A massage would be so good right now. She’d wanted her store to be a success, but the last six weeks had been insane.
She loved it.
So many women who loved to wear pretty lingerie had come into her store. The sales had been staggering, much better than she’d expected. Once she got a “feel” for the customer, it was easy to pick out the perfect lingerie for a woman. Whether the woman wanted a new bra or designer hosiery or that special nightgown to wear for her lover, Ashlyn knew exactly what to recommend. She’d had over five hundred years of experience in helping women feel better about themselves.
Ashlyn did one more walk-through of the store to be sure everything was in place before she closed. Satisfied that all her displays were perfect, she made her way to the back of the store, where she turned off the bright overhead lights and turned on the muted lights in her front windows. The soothing effect never failed to make her smile.
The store officially closed at six, but it had taken her over two hours to restock her displays. She desperately needed to hire more sales clerks.
She wouldn’t need to hire anyone else if Llyr were still here.
He’d left her ten days ago. She’d known from the moment he’d arrived that he wouldn’t be able to stay long. He’d been with her five weeks—his longest visit ever—before he was called to return to his duties as a god of the sea.
She missed him so much.
She passed through the doorway into the back storage area. She turned the corner, heading for the back door. The sight in front of her made her stop in her tracks. Llyr lay on a pile of blankets, resting on one elbow. One knee was raised, his wrist draped over his knee. He wore only a tiny black bikini brief that did little to hide the bulge of his cock and balls.
Her heart soared at the sight of him.
He smiled. “Good evenin’, lass.”
“Good evening.” Her gaze fell to the blankets, where he’d spread out a feast. A silver ice bucket held a bottle of white wine. Dishes held bite-sized pieces of chicken, beef and shrimp. A platter of raw vegetables sat next to a bowl of creamy dip. Cheese cubes and crusty buttered bread completed the meal. “When did you get here?”
“A short while ago. Do ye like me surprise?”
“It’s wonderful.” Candles outlined the blankets, creating a romantic area for two. “How did you do all this without my knowing?”
He gave her a look that said she should already know the answer to that question. Ashlyn spent most of her time around humans, so rarely used the powers she received at birth. She forgot that Llyr possessed even more powers than she. “Sorry. Dumb question.”
“Not dumb, just unnecessary.” He held out one hand to her. “Come here, lass.”
In the few seconds it took Ashlyn to drop to her knees next to Llyr on the blankets, her clothes disappeared.
She glanced down at her body to see she wore only her ivory bra and panties. She looked back at Llyr. He flashed her a devilish grin.
“’Tis only fair, darlin’, since I’m wearin’ nothin’ but this skimpy thing.”
“Do you ever undress the mortal way?”
He shook his head. “Takes too long, I told ye that.” He ran the tip of one finger over the top of her breasts. “When I want somethin’, I want it now.”
Llyr had always been impatient, except when it came to lovemaking. The first time they’d made love when he arrived seven weeks ago had been fast because they were both so hungry for each other. For the following five weeks, he’d raised her desire slowly with his kisses and caresses, loving her every day that he’d been with her.
She glanced at the front of his briefs. His hard cock stretched the fabric until it was in danger of tearing. She caressed the full length of him. “Does this mean you want me now?”
“Aye. But I know ye’ve worked long and hard today. Ye need yer nourishment first.” He propped up his body on one hand. “Food will build up yer strength.”
“Will I need strength?”
“Oh aye. That ye will.” He picked up a plump shrimp and held it to her mouth. “I plan to have me way with ye many times tonight.”
Ashlyn closed her teeth around his fingers and pulled the shrimp into her mouth. She liked the way his eyes flared with heat. “How many is ‘many’?” she asked after swallowing.
“As many as I can manage.”
That meant she might not be able to walk in the morning. Luckily for her, a goddess recuperated quickly. “I’ll drink to that if you’ll open the wine.”
“Be glad to, darlin’.”
Ashlyn ate another piece of shrimp while Llyr poured the cold liquid into two glasses. He was so handsome, sometimes it hurt to breathe when she looked at him. Out of all the gods she knew, Llyr was definitely the most handsome.
Any woman—mortal or goddess—would be attracted to Llyr. Ashlyn appreciated his good looks, but she also knew what a wonderful man he was inside. He rarely showed his tender side to the gods and goddesses who were under his rule. He had to lead them, be strong at all times. Yet with her, he was kind and loving and considerate.