Barely There

by Dakota Trace

  Em paused. She turned around to look at Heidi. Then a smile lit up her face.

  "I plan on driving him crazy."

  "What! What did you do with my boss?" Heidi asked — shock evident in her voice.

  Em just smiled mischievously before turning back to her coffee. She had come to the realization that what was good for the goose was good for the gander. If Nicolai thought he could use his sex appeal to sway her into buying his design then she wasn't above using what little sex appeal she had to distract him from his goal.

  * * * *

  Em sighed with satisfaction as she hung the phone. She had managed to fulfill the slots for her test group. She picked up the business card that Nicolai had given her. She really needed to call and give him the correct sizes for each woman. She tapped the end of the card to her lips. She wasn't sure if she could handle talking to him just yet. After the long night that she had spent dreaming about him, she didn't know if her willpower was up to even do something as simple as talking to him on the phone.

  She was startled when the phone rang. She waited for Heidi to answer it up front, but after it had rung for the fourth time and the answering machine picked up, she realized that Heidi must have been busy with a customer.

  She nearly whimpered when Nicolai's masculine voice filled the office. And unlike most people he had no problem talking to the machine.

  " Ciao, mi bella, I was wondering if you were being a brav'ragazza and have the list of sizes for me. You know the sooner you get them for me ‑ the sooner I can see you in my design. And mi bella, I have been imagining you in it all day. So give me a call, so we can make my fantasy come true."

  Em moaned as her head dropped onto the desk. The sneaky bastard! She lifted her head and stared at the machine as if it were the most vile of things. She would show him his fantasy, she thought. She would give him a peak and then jerk it away. She was going to show Mr. Rambaudi who would come out on top, she vowed. She grabbed the paper with the appropriate sizes on it and stood up. Grabbing her car keys and her wallet along with his card, she headed out the door. She would show him a thing or two.

  * * * *

  Nicolai smiled as he hung the phone. He wondered how Em was going to react to his message. She was such an uptight little...well okay she wasn't little but she was definitely full of inhibitions. He would love to get her to come to his private beach and strip away all her inhibitions, along with those stuffy clothes that she wore.

  "I can't believe you just did that!" Sergio said with a laugh.

  "What?" he asked arching his eyebrow at his brother.

  "I thought you said that you don't mix business with pleasure!"

  "Aw, but I don't. The call is just carefully placed bait. If I don't challenge her, she will stall as long as possible before giving me the information. And the sooner I get the information..."

  "The sooner you finish the deal and get the girl?" Sergio finished for him.

  * * * *

  Em stood in front of her open closet, staring at its meager offerings. Sure, she had business suits galore and a few nice dresses, but not a lot in the way of what her mother called hooker clothes. And that was exactly what she wanted to wear for her meeting with Nicolai. She wanted to drive him absolutely crazy. She wanted to give him a peek at what she had but still hold it out of his reach. Her eyes lit on a tan leather skirt and top that Heidi had given her last Halloween - along with a joke about her being Zena, the warrior princess. She had worn it once at the Halloween party she had thrown at her shop. If the reactions of the men were any indication, then the two-piece outfit was sure to be right up Nicolai's alley. Pulling it from her closet, she fingered the soft supple leather. Why not? You only live once.

  * * * *

  Sergio stuck his head into Nicolai's design shop interrupting once again what little progress Nicolai had made.

  "Is there something you need, Brother?" Nicolai asked irritated at another interruption.

  "There is someone here to see you, little brother," he said as he stepped further into the room.

  "I'm busy!" Nicolai said coolly as he attempted to return to his work.

  "Do you really want me to tell Empress Chikowski that you don't have time for her, Nicolai?" Sergio asked softly.

  Nicolai's head flew up and surprise ‑ then pleasure filled his handsome face.

  "Hell no. Of course I have time for her," He laid his shears back down and took off the elegant eyeglass frames that he wore when working with delicate fabric.

  "I figured as much. Just don't swallow your tongue when you see her," Sergio warned before shutting the door behind him. Nicolai frowned at his brother's choice of words. Why would he swallow his tongue? He had plenty of ideas for his tongue and Empress and none of them had anything to do with swallowing. Well maybe...he mused as there was a soft knock on his door.

  "Come in," he called, still thinking about the way he could use his tongue on her.

  "Good afternoon, Nicolai. I got your message and I had some errands on this end of town so I decided to drop the list of sizes off instead of calling," Em said as she neared the work table.

  "Holy shit!" Nicolai growled as he got his first look at her. His cock hardened in a rush. No wonder his brother had told him not to swallow his tongue. Empress looked like every man's fantasy in soft leather. He had expected her to have a wonderful figure after he had held her against him earlier but he had never expected her to be a total bombshell in disguise.

  "Pardon?" Em asked softly, arching a dark eyebrow at him. If she was pleased by his lapse of manners, she didn't show it.

  "Damn, I am sorry, mi bella. I wasn't expecting to see you today and you look wonderful. It must have been quite the errand for you to dress up in such an...attractive outfit," he said as he slowly stood keeping the work table between them. Due to its high surface, he was able to hide his arousal.. He was never more grateful that he had 'special ordered' the cutting table with his height in mind.

  "I'm sorry to interrupt your work but it sounded like you were anxious to get started. In fact when you called I was in the process of the setting up your focus group," She walked closer to his work table, curious about what he was working on.

  "It's no problem. In fact I'm working on the design right now. Would you like to take a look at it?"

  "Could I?" she asked a bit distractedly as she drew in a deep breath filled with the spicy aftershave that he was wearing. If she had thought he looked yummy in the designer suit that he had been wearing the day before, he was mouth‑watering in the faded jeans and soft cotton shirt. When he moved around the desk, she immediately noticed that he was wearing slippers. It was obvious that he was comfortable in this room.

  "Of course," He took her hand and guided her to the other side of the room where a silk screen was set up. He moved the screen to one side so she could see the mannequin that it hid. She gazed at the beautiful dress it wore. It seemed to hug and flow with the mannequin's curves.

  "Wow. It's beautiful. It gives the illusion that there is nothing there but still doesn't reveal anything that would get you arrested. Whatever made you think of such an idea?" She extended her hand, wanting to feel the fabric. She forced her hand to drop before she actually made contact. What the hell was she doing?

  "Go ahead, Em. Touch it," he said huskily beside her.

  Slowly she reached forward and caressed soft buttery fabric with her fingertips. A soft gasp managed to escape her. Beside her she heard a growl. Startled, she looked over at him. She nearly whimpered when she saw the desire in his eloquent dark eyes.

  "It's a very sensuous fabric," she finally managed to say as she jerked her gaze back to the dress.

  "Yes, it is," he said as he quickly moved away from her side and back to his work table. "You said you had the sizes for me?" he said briskly, his tone at odds with the huskiness of his voice.

  "Ah, yes," Em said as she reached into her hand bag and pulled out a folded piece of stationery. She walked over and handed it to him. S
he was taken when he picked up a pair of glasses and placed them on his elegant nose, but smiled at his gesture.

  "I need them for the small work," he explained with a laugh. "I'm just a bit far‑sighted."

  She watched as he scanned the list.

  "I hope I got all the measurements that you needed," she said nervously.

  "There's only one thing that's missing," he said ,grabbing the soft measuring tape. She squeaked as he approached.

  "What did I miss?" she asked, backing up.

  "Going somewhere?" he taunted.

  "Yes. I have an errand..." she trailed off.

  "Hmm, I thought you ran your errand already but none the less, I'll make this quick."

  "What?" she said breathlessly as he slid the measuring tape behind her.

  "You forgot your measurements," his mouth was millimeters from hers. She could feel his breath against her parted lips.

  "My measurements?"

  "Yes. I need them for your dress. Relax," he said as she jumped in response. She gasped as she felt the tape wrap around her waist and cringed as he pulled it flat against her gently rounded stomach.

  "Thirty‑one and half," he murmured before sliding the tape down her stomach to her hips. She cringed again as it settled around them. He crouched and tightened the tape. She looked down as he soothed the tape into place and glanced up at her with a half smile.

  "Forty-three even," he said softly before rising up once more. She drew a deep breath as the tape slid back up caressing her sensitive body before it settled on her back.

  "Relax, mi bella," he whispered. She nearly moaned as he pulled the tape around her and it caressed her nipples. He looked down and whistled softly "Forty-five and three eighths. Impressive, mi bella. And very tempting," he added before slowly releasing the tape. She drew a jagged breath as the tape fell away and dragged across her hardened nipples.

  * * * *

  Nicolai stood at the window of his work room and watched as Em escaped in the yellow cab. He rubbed the back of his neck and nearly growled in frustration at her hasty retreat. He couldn't finish this soon enough! It had taken all of his willpower not to throw her across his work desk and have his way with her. And if her reaction was any thing to go on, she had been affected just as much as he had been.

  He stifled a groan when he heard the quick tap of two knocks, a pause and then three more. Only one person knocked like that. He turned and watched as his brother's wife walked in.

  "Hey Rachel," he said as he walked back over to his work table.

  “How's my favorite brother‑in‑law this afternoon?" she asked as she walked over and hopped up on his table.

  "Good. You know one of these days, Rach, you are going to end up with a pin stuck in your ass," he commented as he soothed the pattern back out and reached for his pins.

  "So how did it go?" she asked him innocently.

  "How did what go?" he asked as he deftly pinned the pattern onto the fabric.

  "Empress's visit. I know she was here. I saw her get into the elevator," Rachel said as she watched him cut the soft luscious fabric.

  "And what makes you think she was here to see me?" he asked casually as he turned the fabric and continued to cut with great precision.

  "Look at me, Nicki," she scolded.

  Nicolai's head shot up.

  "How many times do I have to ask you not to call me that?" he grumbled.

  "About as many as I've asked you not to call me Rach?" she said dryly. "Now quit avoiding my question. How did it go?"

  "Fine, Rach. She stopped by to give me the measurements for the focus group. I will be happy when we get through this. I think she would look stunning in this design," he admitted with a smile.

  "So YOU do find her attractive. I told Sergio that you wouldn't be able to resist her!" she exclaimed.

  "And you couldn't resist trying to play matchmaker?" he asked as he leaned back and folded his arms across his broad chest.

  "No. You haven't had a steady girl‑friend in years, Nicolai. And that's a shame. Em is a wonderful lady. I know she's not the type that you would normally date ‑ but she has a heart of gold."

  "How many times do I have to tell you and Sergio that I don't have a type!"

  "Really? Since I've known you, I've only seen you date petite blondes,"

  "Come on, Rach! We live in California. I've dated brunettes and redheads too."

  "And the fact that none of them have even come up to your shoulder?"

  "I'm a freak of nature! Hardly anyone comes up to my shoulder, shrimp," he said as he surged to his feet, lifted her off the table and carried her squirming body to the door. It wasn't much of a challenge. Rachel was five nothing and weighed about a hundred pounds soaking wet with rocks in her pockets. He lifted bolts of cloth that were heavier than Rachel. He stuck his head out the door and yelled for his brother.

  Sergio's head appeared out of the office two doors down the hall.

  "Come get this woman of yours, Sergio!"

  "Well just throw her!" Sergio called back. It was a running joke between the two brothers. If Nicolai was a freak at six seven, Sergio wasn't far behind at six five. They had been teasing Rachel about it for months.

  "Okay," he said good-naturedly as he prepared to toss Rachel.

  "Don't you dare!" she squealed, smacking him. He smiled devilishly.

  "Are you going to let my love life or my 'lack of it' alone?" he asked.

  "But..."

  "Okay that's it!" He launched his petite sister‑in‑law in an arch down the hall at his brother. Sergio rushed forward and caught his wife. Nicolai turned back to his workroom, and smiled as he heard the office door slam. Sergio would keep the little matchmaker occupied for the rest of the afternoon.

  * * * *

  Two weeks later

  Em looked around the room at the women gathered for the focus group. She smiled nervously at Heidi. Tonight was the first feedback session on Nicolai's design. She squirmed uncomfortably as her body reacted to the mere thought of him. She had made herself scarce after the encounter in his work room.

  She had come unbearably close to raping the man. Heidi came over and stood next to her.

  "So what do you think, Em? Are we going to be one of the first shops to carry Nicolai's new design or not?"

  "I don't know, Heidi," she said honestly as some of her most loyal customers chatted amongst themselves.

  "How are you two beautiful ladies tonight?" Nicolai asked as he joined them.

  "Fine," Em said as one of her customers waved at her. "Excuse me."

  * * * *

  Nicolai watched as Em scurried away. He turned to Heidi. With Em avoiding him, he had become very friendly with her assistant. She was a pleasant enough young lady but she didn't do a thing for him. He wanted Em and he had decided that he was going to have her.

  "Still avoiding me, I see," he said, sipping from the water bottle in his calloused hand.

  "I don't know what has gotten into her lately, Nicolai. She's been on pins and needles since this has started.”

  Nicolai thought about reassuring her that her boss would soon be in a much mellower mood. He had figured out that Empress was a very private woman and he didn't want to cause any gossip about her to her employees.

  "Oh, it's probably just nerves about this. I know she's been wanting to put me in my place," he replied as he screwed the cap back on his bottle.

  "She did say something about that," Heidi admitted as they watched Em go around the room and pass out the questionnaires.

  "It looks like we're ready to get started. Shall we join them?" Nicolai offered Heidi his arm.

  "Lets get this party started," she agreed.

  Em drew a deep breath when Nicolai stood next to her, only to gasp as his aftershave teased her nose. She had to get herself and this whole thing under control first!

  "Thank you, ladies, for taking the time to come out tonight." Nicolai's deep voice gained attention. "I know I would love to have all rave reviews
but that is not the sole purpose for this focus group. I want to hear what is good about my designs but I also want to know what I can do to make them better. Empress was nice enough to give me each of your measurements and the dresses were made specifically with your measurements in mind. So please feel free to be honest with me. I assure you that I have a thick skin.

  “So shall we begin?" he finished.

  * * * *

  Em drifted from group to group. After his opening statement, Nicolai had suggested that the ladies break up into groups of four to discuss the questionnaire. So far most of the feedback that she had heard was positive. They loved the style and quality of the design. Nicolai did excellent work. There were a few negatives...such as where the women would actually wear the dress. Much like Empress, the women were concerned about the way the dress displayed their ample bodies. They weren't sure that they would be able to wear it in public. And if they were going to spend their hard earned money on it — was it worth it for just a dress that they would wear only in the privacy of their own home.

  "Hey there, mi bella, " Nicolai said softly behind Em. She shivered. The man was lethal. He needed to wear bells as a warning to unsuspecting women, she thought.

  "Nicolai," she replied as she glanced over her shoulder at him.

  "So are you ready to model my design?" he asked, so only she could hear him.

  "Counting your chickens before they hatch, are we?" Her blunt reply was equally quiet.

  "Some of the things you say," he chuckled.

  * * * *

  Em shut the door, flipping the lock, and leaned against it. What a night. She gazed around the room, tempted to leave the mess till the morning. the morning, but her practical Midwest upbringing would not let her. She grabbed the trash bin and set to work.

  Nicolai watched from the shadows as Em picked up the discarded cups, plates and napkins. He had told Heidi that he would help clean up when she had mentioned she couldn't stay back herself. Walking out of the shadows, he walked over and gathered up a handful of garbage.

  "Here, let me help with that," he said. Em jumped in surprise.

  "Dear God, I swear I'm going to put a bell around your neck, Nicolai. You scared me." Em pressed her hand over her heart.