by Tia Wylder
Hayley bit her lip and seemed to shrink into herself. Large department stores weren’t her forte. She avoided buying clothes typically. It was so hard to find things that didn’t reveal more than she wanted to. “I have no idea.” Hayley realized she was closer to him than she intended to be. It was as if he were her safe place. A shelter for her in this towering jungle of plunging necklines and tiny skirts.
“Well, I know where I want to start.” He took her hand naturally and led her to an escalator.
Hayley clung to him. His thumb traced along the inside of her palm. Butterflies flitted in her stomach. She bit back a tiny moan that threatened to escape her mouth. Part of her wanted to pull her hand away, but a dark part of her wouldn’t let her. She didn’t want him to stop.
At the top of the escalator, he pulled her towards a section of red and black lacey frills. “How about this?” Deckland held up a black corset with see-through lacework. His eyes looked at her hungrily. Her heart leapt to her throat. Hayley pulled her hand away from his in embarrassment.
“I-I can’t wear that.” Her cheeks flared up almost as red as the lingerie on the racks next to him.
“What are you talking about? It would look amazing on you.” He took a step towards her and held the corset in front of her, imagining the fabric draped around her curves.
“No, really, I can’t.” Hayley turned away from him and walked away with her arms crossed in front of her. Her head drooped.
Deckland thought he saw her shoulders shaking. He hung up the lingerie and crossed over to her. “Hey, are you okay?” She nodded, but he could tell she was lying. “Hayley, come here. Tell me what is going on.” He led her to a chair and squatted down in front of her.
Tears slid shakily down her cheek. “It’s stupid. You’re going to think I’m stupid.”
“No, I won’t.” Deckland reached up to wipe her tears away. Seeing such a beautiful, innocent creature crying made his chest ache. He was used to the big crocodile tears as he was leaving women behind, but this was different. She was crying because of something else, something out of his control. He wanted to protect her. The only thing that should have that kind of power over her should be him.
“I’ve-I’ve never…”
“Never what?”
“You know…” Her eyes flitted to the skimpy outfits.
A virgin. She couldn’t even say it. Realization dawned on him. His innocent conquest was quite innocent indeed. Things started to fall in place. No wonder she was so guarded. She was an untouched territory. Even better. He would be the first and the last to scale her walls. She just didn’t know it yet. His desire increased, but she would need special handling now.
“Is it a religious thing?” He squinted at her. He needed to know what approach to take.
Hayley shook her head. “Not exactly. Um, my mom was a teenage mother. She had to work three jobs to make ends meet, and she wasn’t around very much because of it. I just want to make sure that when I do…do it…I’m in a stable place, you know? I want to make sure I’m married and able to provide for a child before I risk getting pregnant. I don’t want to put my baby through what I went through.”
“So that’s why she volunteered with those kids. Her mom wasn’t around much, so she identifies with them.” Deckland’s thoughts fell into place. “So, you’re waiting until marriage?” He groaned inwardly as he said it. “You’re in this for the long game.” He had to remind himself that she would be worth the wait.
“Yeah.” Hayley nodded and looked up at him sheepishly. “I hope that’s okay.”
He took her hand and smiled sweetly, “Why wouldn’t it be?” Hayley beamed back at him. Deckland could feel her warming up to him. “Why don’t we move to a different department, hmm?”
“That would be great.” Relief washed over her. Typically, when she spurned a guy’s advances, he just gave up for someone easier. Not this time. Her heart shined within her. Maybe he wasn’t as much of a playboy as he made people think. She swung her arm as they walked so that their hands swung playfully between them. Suddenly, the idea of shopping didn’t seem so bad. It was like a huge, hidden secret had been lifted off of her chest. It was out in the open now. He knew where she stood on the issue, and so far he hadn’t pushed it. Hope bubbled up inside of her.
“How about this? This looks safe, right?” He pulled a baby doll dress off of a nearby rack. “Do you want to try it on?”
It was red, and the neckline was a little lower than she would have liked, but it was a big step up from the lingerie. What the heck? Why not? “Sure.” She took it from him and was ushered into a dressing room by a smiling attendant. A few left-over items from a previous occupant gave her an idea. Hayley quickly shimmied out of her clothing and slipped into the dress he had picked out. “Are you ready?”
“Always.” Deckland called out playfully. He was struggling to ignore the flirtatious glances from the worker. He needed to focus.
“Taadaa!” She threw back the door. A large floppy hat and large, round sunglasses completed her outfit.
Deckland couldn’t help but laugh. “Perfect.” He took her hand and twirled her around.
“Well, I do declare. You are quite the dancer.” She faked a southern accent and touched the tip of his nose.
Her playful innocence made him want to pin her to the wall inside the dressing room, but he fought his urges. His fingers trailed along the clothing racks. “How about this one next?” It was a very slim fitting evening gown. Hayley rolled her eyes and took it from him. If she only knew the thoughts running through his head.
“I don’t know about this one.”
“Why? What’s wrong with it?”
“It’s very…tight.”
Deckland smiled mischievously. “I’m sure it’s not that bad.” Please let it be that bad.
She poked her head out. “I dunno…”
“Come on. I promise not to laugh.”
Hayley stepped out slowly. The fabric looked painted on. Deckland’s mouth dropped open, and a stunned chuckled came out. “You promised not to laugh!”
“No, see that was not a ha-ha-that’s-funny laugh. That was an I’m-speechless chuckle. There’s a difference.”
“Speechless, huh?” She looked down and blushed.
“Yeah.” He couldn’t take his eyes off her. Every curve that was hinted at in the white dress at the ball was revealed in full splendor.
“You’re sure talking a lot for a guy who’s speechless.” She looked up through her lashes playfully.
He tossed her another, looser dress. “Here, go get changed before I have to fend off any rivals.” He enjoyed the view, but he didn’t want someone else to see his future wife on display like that. Those curves were going to be his alone. Deckland’s lips pursed as she walked away. The sway of her hips lured him in.
Hayley came out in another dress and twirled around. “I feel like a salsa dancer in this one.” The skirt unfurled around her as she spun. She put her hands on her hips, “Hey, why aren’t you trying anything on?”
“This is your day. I wanted you to have fun. Feel free to get anything you want.”
“Anything?” She tilted her head to the side.
“Anything.”
A broad smile lit up her face. “Oh! I have an idea.” Hayley jumped back into the dressing room and came out in her normal clothes. “Come on!”
Deckland followed her, amused. “What are you up to?”
“You’ll see!” She skimmed the signs pointing to different areas of the store and led him to a rack of hats.
“Oh, no.” He laughed as she pulled a large cowboy hat from the rack.
“Oh, yes. Hold still.” She placed it on his head and stood back to admire her handiwork.
Deckland tilted the brim down and fixed her with a steely gaze. “How do I look?”
“Terrible.” Hayley erupted in a fit of giggles.
He rolled his eyes and pulled the hat off. “Guess I won’t be rounding up cattle any time soon.”
He fixed his hair in a small mirror.
Hayley spied an attendant a few rows over. “You look around some. I’ll be right back.”
“Don’t keep me waiting too long.” He smirked at her as she walked off. He made sure to keep one eye on her while he browsed. She was so naive that she might not recognize a threat even if it was staring her in the face. Being here with him was proof of that. She leaned down to whisper in the woman’s ear. He couldn’t tell what was being said, but the worker looked a little surprised by whatever was said. It seemed like Hayley was good at making people have that reaction.
“Okay! I’m back.” She practically skipped over to him.
“What was all that about?” He raised an eyebrow.
“Oh, I was just asking her to bag some stuff up for me.” Her cheeks turned a soft shade of pink. “I hope you don’t mind.”
“Not at all.” A satisfied look rested on his face. She had been easier to sway than he had anticipated. “That’s why we’re here. See, money isn’t always a bad thing.”
Hayley nodded with a secret smile hovering near the corners of her mouth. “I agree.”
If it was this easy to change her mind on something like spending a little frivolously, Deckland wondered how hard it would be to change her mind on more…pleasurable experiences. He watched as she flounced around the store trying on random things. It was different watching her shop than the other girls. Hayley didn’t exactly have a set style going off of what she kept pulling from the racks. She was more concerned about an outfit making them both laugh instead of trying to seduce him. Other girls grabbed the most expensive and revealing items they could find. Hayley leaned towards modest pieces. It made his imagination have to work overtime, undressing her in his mind.
“Miss?” The attendant found them amongst an aisle of clearance Christmas sweaters. Deckland didn’t even know they sold Christmas sweaters here.
“Did you get it?!” Hayley’s eyes lit up as they landed on the bags hanging off of the other woman’s arms.
“Yes. I got all of it.”
Hayley threw her arms around the woman. “Thank you so much!”
“Whoa, hey! What about me? I’m the one buying all of this stuff.” Deckland gestured to the array of bags.
“Thank you.” Hayley reached out and touched his hand gently.
Talk about a led down. Deckland smiled and placed his hand on top of hers. Blushing, she giggled and pulled it away. He was going to have to make some headway soon. All of those bags had earned him at least a little touching. For some reason, the attendant wasn’t flirting with him anymore either. What had happened in the last half hour to make her change her mind?
“Would you like me to load these up for you?” The worker glanced from Hayley to Deckland.
“I can take them.” He offered his hands to her, making a point to casually brush against her skin. Nothing. Puzzled, he took the bags with a slightly agitated demeanor and headed towards the car.
Hayley waved goodbye to the girl and followed him to the exit. That secret smile tugged at her lips again. Deckland started to load up the car as a slight look of panic flashed across her face. “Shoot! I need to go back inside.”
“Everything okay?” His eyebrows knitted together in concern.
“Oh, yeah. No, everything is fine. I just left my phone inside. I’ll be right back.”
“I’ll be here waiting.” Deckland’s crooked smile made her giggle. He let out a frustrated sigh as soon as she was gone. He loaded up the backseat of his car with her bags. What had she ended up with anyway? Deckland peeked inside one of the bags and fished out the first garment he could find. The fabric was silky to the touch. A smirk crossed his face. “Well, well, well, Miss Reams, what do we have here?” Maybe she was naughtier than she wanted him to believe. Deckland pulled out the fabric and held it up in front of him. “Basketball shorts?!” His mouth opened in confusion. They were much too small for her.
“I see you found out my little secret. I hope you don’t mind.” Hayley was back with her phone in hand.
“Is your secret that you like to dress up as a tiny basketball player?”
“No!” She smacked his arm playfully. “You said I could get anything I wanted, and what I really wanted was to get some new clothes for the kids at Saint Catherine’s. Did you know some of them only have two outfits? I had a lot of fun today, but I have plenty of my own clothes at home. I thought this might be a better use of your generosity. Is that okay?” She shuffled her feet nervously.
“Yeah, yeah. Why wouldn’t it be?” Maybe she hadn’t been swayed so easily after all. He stuffed the shorts back into the bag. No wonder the attendant had stopped flirting with him. She knew how good of a person Hayley was and didn’t want to screw her over—or more importantly, she didn’t want to screw him anymore. Women were fickle like that.
“I was thinking, why don’t we take the clothes over to them?”
“What, like right now?”
Hayley nodded enthusiastically. “I’m really bad at keeping secrets. Please?”
“It’s your day.” Deckland lifted her chin up slowly. He started to lean in to kiss her, but she pulled away from him.
“Sorry. I like you, I do. It’s just a little too fast for me.”
He could tell she felt bad about it as if she had disappointed him. “That’s okay. We can go at your pace.” He struggled to reassure her without revealing his own frustrations. “We have plenty of time to get there. No need to rush.” There was every reason to rush. He needed to nail her down before his father made his decision, but he had to handle this delicately. Too much pressure would make her bolt and ruin the trust he was working so hard to cultivate.
“You really are amazing. You’re way different than I imagined.” Hayley slipped her hand into his.
“What did you imagine?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. Some playboy who only cares about himself.” Her voice softened. “But you’re not like that.”
Deckland wasn’t used to someone thinking he was better than he was. It almost made him want to live up to her ideal of him. Almost. He cleared his throat. “We, uh, we should get going.”
Hayley jumped up and down with enthusiasm. “Aren’t you so excited?! The kids are going to love this.”
“Yep. So excited.” Her chest bounced underneath her dress distracting him. Sometimes there were silver linings.
Deckland wove through traffic. He kept stealing glances at Hayley from the corner of his eye. Sunlight streamed in through the windshield, illuminating her blonde hair. She looked angelic as she watched the buildings passing by. An unfamiliar pang in his chest was tugging at him. She really was beautiful. Inside and out. How had someone gone through life and not ended up jaded like him? What kind of life had she led? What kind of bubble had kept her safe?
“Penny for your thoughts.” Hayley’s voice pulled him out of his reverie.
“Hmm? Oh, I was just thinking how beautiful you are.”
She laughed and punched him playfully on the arm. “Hush.”
“I mean it. You’re different than the other girls I’ve been with.”
“Is that good or bad?” She bit her lip as if expecting bad news.
“Good. Definitely good.” Deckland slid his hand on top of hers in her lap. His thumb grazed against her thigh, and he heard her gasp softly. That small noise made his heart jump. Soon he would have the pleasure of making her do much more than just suppress a little gasp. It took all of his self-control to keep his hand from sliding under the hem of her dress.
Hayley’s eyes were fixed on his hand. The warmth of his large palm radiated through her dress. His thumb skimmed across the surface of her knee. Squeezing her legs together, she struggled to keep her breathing calm. Each pass of his thumb sent electric waves across her skin. She had never wanted a man to touch her so badly. Hayley slipped her fingers between his. She had to stop him stroking her or she couldn’t be sure that she would be able to resist any advances later.
It was easier to abstain when she was calm, and right now she was anything but calm.
“Here we are!” She leapt from the car as soon as he parked the car. She needed a little distance to regain her composure.
“I’ll let you take it in.” Deckland leaned back in the driver’s seat.
“What?! Don’t be silly. Come on. You need to see their faces when they get the clothes. It’s the best feeling in the world.” Her smile lured him reluctantly out of the car. He just had to remind himself he was doing this for her.
The sun beat down on him as he gathered the bags from the car. This was the second time she had him doing charity work on a date. Hayley was currently winning 2-0. The strings from the bags cut into his arms, but he didn’t complain. She skipped ahead and held the door open for him.
“Hayley, I thought I told you to put your guests on the list next time.” Theresa frowned past Hayley to where Deckland was struggling through the door.
“But we have presents.” Hayley’s eyes seemed to get even bigger if that was possible.
“Presents?!” A little boy bounded down the hall. “What kind of presents?” He tried to stand on his tiptoes to see in the bags.
Theresa sighed and cleaned her glasses on the hem of her shirt. “Just take them to the cafeteria since you’re already here.”
“Thank you!” Hayley squealed in excitement and hugged the woman tightly. Theresa couldn’t help but smile. Hayley’s mood was contagious. She stepped around Theresa and took the little boy’s hand. The two of them walked to the cafeteria with Deckland following behind.
A murmur of excitement and anticipation made its way through the orphanage. Deckland set the bags down in the center of the room. When he looked up, the little boy was sitting in Hayley’s lap. He had been putting in the man-hours, and this kid was getting more action than he was. Deckland glared at the boy as the kids crowded around them. When Hayley turned her head, the little boy stuck his tongue out at Deckland. Had he seriously just been outplayed by five-year-old?!
“Okay, guys. This is Deckland. He brought you all some presents today.” Hayley looked at the children with happiness sparkling in her eyes. She looked happier here surrounded by a group of kids than most of the people in Deckland’s life looked on vacation in the Bahamas. “Miss Theresa will help you sort it out. We just wanted to come say hi.”