A Flame To Bear (Fire Bear Shifters 4) by Sloane Meyers Page B

stuff here,” Bailey said, reaching out to stroke the soft fabric of a blush pink halter dress.
    “Try these on, dear. If you don’t like them, don’t worry. I have plenty more. What size shoe do you wear?”
    “Nine,” Bailey said, still admiring the dresses the woman had brought to her.
    The woman nodded. “We’ll get you some shoes and jewelry, too. Just start by trying those on and telling me what you think.”
    Bailey did as she was told, grabbing the pile of soft, delicate dresses and stepping behind one of the elegant curtains that cordoned off each fitting room. For the next hour, she felt like a princess as she tried on dresses, blouses, skirts, pants, and shoes. Bailey knew the saleswoman was likely motivated in part by a sales commission, but she did feel genuinely cared for as well.
    In the end, Bailey had to use some self control to keep herself from buying the whole store. She loved everything she saw. For everyday outfits she bought a pair of jeans that fit her better than any other jeans she had ever tried, two ultra-soft sweaters, one smooth long-sleeved button down shirt, and a pair of beige ballet flats in rich, supple leather.
    For her date, she decided on a long-sleeved dress with a fitted bodice at the top that gave way to a flowy skirt ending just above her knee. The dress had a scalloped neckline and sleeves that were a bit off the shoulder. Bailey had never seen a dress quite like it, and she knew the minute she put it on that she wanted this dress to be the one she wore for her date with Trevor that night. The best part about it was the color—oh, the color. It was a deep, dark purple that almost seemed to bring out specks of violet in Bailey’s eyes.
    The saleswoman found Bailey a pair of simple, nude heels to keep the attention on the dress, and a simple necklace with a delicate chain that held one shimmering, crystal stone. Bailey tried the entire outfit on and honestly had never felt so beautiful. She could hardly wait to see Trevor’s face when he saw her wearing this. She swiped Trevor’s credit card, wincing at the total, but telling herself not to worry about it. She would pay him back, and she had a little bit of savings. She would find another job soon enough. No need to worry about money right now.
    Bailey went next door to the beauty store and picked up some basic makeup and one of her favorite perfumes. She also got some decent hair products, so she could wash and style her hair better. After a quick glance at the clock on the wall, she realized she needed to get going if she wanted to have time to properly get ready before her big date.
    She paid for her purchases and went across the street to find Trevor, who was buried in a paperback book that looked like some sort of science fiction time travel story.
    “Looks like you’re really into that story,” Bailey said.
    Trevor glanced up in surprise. “Oh, hey. Yeah. My buddy Luke’s girl, River, is a librarian. She got him into these science fiction books, and he kind of dragged me into the series along with him. I was never much of a reader before, but they’re really good. I always keep one in the SUV in case I’m stuck waiting somewhere for a while. Like when I’m waiting on a woman to find a dress for a special dinner,” he said with a wink.
    “Sorry, I know it took a while. That place had so many cute things. How did you know about the store, anyway? It doesn’t seem like your type of clothing,” Bailey said with a laugh.
    “Actually, River recommended that store to me. I asked her if she knew any good places to buy clothes around Red Valley. Apparently, she gets almost all of her stuff from there.”
    “Well, I can see why. River has good taste. Wait until you see the outfit I found for dinner tonight.”
    “I’m looking forward to it. Let’s get going,” Trevor said, and let out a throaty growl. Bailey had never a sound quite like it, but she thought it sounded pretty sexy.

Chapter Seven
    A few hours