front of the mirror again and was pleased at the delight in her eyes.
“Oh, it’s gorgeous.” She ran her hands up and down the leather before doing a little twirl. Her pleasure in such a small thing made his heart hurt even as it made him smile.
She shook her head. “But I can’t. It’s really too much.” She shrugged out of it and handed it back to him. He tossed it over his shoulder.
“Do they have any boots or shoes?” She needed something more than thin canvas sneakers. If he had his way, he’d take her to the nearest department store and outfit her from head to toe. He could easily afford it. But he knew she’d never allow it. Whatever she’d been through in her life, she had pride and wouldn’t accept what she saw as a handout.
“Over there.” She motioned to the corner.
“What size do you wear?”
She shook her head. “Size nine.”
James left her and went over to check out the footwear. He found a pair of slightly battered, lace-up boots. They weren’t in the best of shape, but they were better than what she was wearing.
He went back to the dressing room and knocked on the door. “Shelley?”
The door opened a crack. She was dressed in the jeans and her bra. The sweater was back on a hanger. James swallowed hard as it became difficult to breath. The bra she was wearing was plain white cotton and it was barely large enough to contain the bounty of her breasts. He’d never seen anything sexier in his life.
“James?” His name was little more than a breathy whisper.
His heart pounded as he shifted closer. He had to have her. Now. He took a step closer.
“Find everything you were looking for?” The woman’s voice shocked him back to reality. He clamped down on the need swirling like a maelstrom inside him and slowly turned to face her.
“We’re good.” He glanced at Shelley and back at the woman. “Can she wear the jeans, sweater and boots instead of the clothes she came in?”
“Sure,” the sales clerk nodded. “We do that all the time. Just wait a second.” She hurried back toward the front counter.
“James,” Shelley whispered his name loudly. “I’m not sure what I’m buying yet.”
He shoved the boots toward her. “Try these on. They’re warmer and sturdier than your sneakers.”
She automatically took the boots, holding them against her bare stomach. God, her skin was so smooth. He wanted to go down on his knees and bury his face against it.
He shifted uncomfortably. He was sweating now and his pants were way too tight. Thankfully, the clerk came back before he could do something stupid.
“Here we go. I’ll just cut off the tags.” She quickly snipped the tag from the jeans, the pair of boots, and the turtleneck James pointed to.
Shelley said nothing as he gathered up the rest of the clothing hanging on the hook in the dressing room. “Get dressed, honey.” He closed the door before she could say anything. He knew he’d get an earful when they left the store, but he didn’t care.
He plunked the clothing and the jacket on the counter. Shelley was heading toward him, her own clothing in a bundle, as the clerk finished totaling everything. “That’s seventy-five dollars even.” James took four twenties from his pocket and laid them on the counter.
“I’m not buying all that, James,” she said as she reached his side and dumped her clothing on the counter. She was stiff with anger and, if he wasn’t mistaken, shame. That was the last thing he wanted her to feel.
“I know you’re not. I am.” He took the jacket, from which the clerk had already snipped the tags, and slipped it over her shoulders. “Please, Shelley.” He leaned down, his lips near her ear so the clerk couldn’t hear. “Let me do this for you. It’s the least I can do.”
“Here’s your change.”
James took the money the saleslady handed him and stuffed it in his pocket. Then he picked up the large bag she’d put all the clothing into.
“Ready?” He asked
“Oh, it’s gorgeous.” She ran her hands up and down the leather before doing a little twirl. Her pleasure in such a small thing made his heart hurt even as it made him smile.
She shook her head. “But I can’t. It’s really too much.” She shrugged out of it and handed it back to him. He tossed it over his shoulder.
“Do they have any boots or shoes?” She needed something more than thin canvas sneakers. If he had his way, he’d take her to the nearest department store and outfit her from head to toe. He could easily afford it. But he knew she’d never allow it. Whatever she’d been through in her life, she had pride and wouldn’t accept what she saw as a handout.
“Over there.” She motioned to the corner.
“What size do you wear?”
She shook her head. “Size nine.”
James left her and went over to check out the footwear. He found a pair of slightly battered, lace-up boots. They weren’t in the best of shape, but they were better than what she was wearing.
He went back to the dressing room and knocked on the door. “Shelley?”
The door opened a crack. She was dressed in the jeans and her bra. The sweater was back on a hanger. James swallowed hard as it became difficult to breath. The bra she was wearing was plain white cotton and it was barely large enough to contain the bounty of her breasts. He’d never seen anything sexier in his life.
“James?” His name was little more than a breathy whisper.
His heart pounded as he shifted closer. He had to have her. Now. He took a step closer.
“Find everything you were looking for?” The woman’s voice shocked him back to reality. He clamped down on the need swirling like a maelstrom inside him and slowly turned to face her.
“We’re good.” He glanced at Shelley and back at the woman. “Can she wear the jeans, sweater and boots instead of the clothes she came in?”
“Sure,” the sales clerk nodded. “We do that all the time. Just wait a second.” She hurried back toward the front counter.
“James,” Shelley whispered his name loudly. “I’m not sure what I’m buying yet.”
He shoved the boots toward her. “Try these on. They’re warmer and sturdier than your sneakers.”
She automatically took the boots, holding them against her bare stomach. God, her skin was so smooth. He wanted to go down on his knees and bury his face against it.
He shifted uncomfortably. He was sweating now and his pants were way too tight. Thankfully, the clerk came back before he could do something stupid.
“Here we go. I’ll just cut off the tags.” She quickly snipped the tag from the jeans, the pair of boots, and the turtleneck James pointed to.
Shelley said nothing as he gathered up the rest of the clothing hanging on the hook in the dressing room. “Get dressed, honey.” He closed the door before she could say anything. He knew he’d get an earful when they left the store, but he didn’t care.
He plunked the clothing and the jacket on the counter. Shelley was heading toward him, her own clothing in a bundle, as the clerk finished totaling everything. “That’s seventy-five dollars even.” James took four twenties from his pocket and laid them on the counter.
“I’m not buying all that, James,” she said as she reached his side and dumped her clothing on the counter. She was stiff with anger and, if he wasn’t mistaken, shame. That was the last thing he wanted her to feel.
“I know you’re not. I am.” He took the jacket, from which the clerk had already snipped the tags, and slipped it over her shoulders. “Please, Shelley.” He leaned down, his lips near her ear so the clerk couldn’t hear. “Let me do this for you. It’s the least I can do.”
“Here’s your change.”
James took the money the saleslady handed him and stuffed it in his pocket. Then he picked up the large bag she’d put all the clothing into.
“Ready?” He asked
Similar Books
