Page 34 of Heathen

Ellis looks up from his spot on the sofa. I don't know him well enough to determine if the grin on his face is some form of retribution or if he's just a goofball and doesn't have a clue about what women wear on a daily basis.

"I figured you need something to sleep in," he explains with a quick shrug.

"So you thought an old Halloween costume was the perfect thing?"

"I didn't know it was a Halloween costume. At least I didn't grab the wedding dress that's hanging in there. Why do you even have a wedding dress?" He spins on the sofa, giving me all of his attention and watching me as if he's anxious for my explanation. "Are you supposed to marry someone else?"

"That dress is also a Halloween costume," I tell him, my face heating.

I don't have to explain to him that Morgan has an annual party that she won't let me say no to, and that event is happeningsoon. I had regrets of buying that dress before I even made it home with it from the thrift store.

"Isn't that bad luck? To wear a wedding dress when you aren't a bride?"

"How should I know?" I murmur as I continue to dig through the bag. It's not like I ever imagined getting married, so why would I worry about bad luck? "Ellis!"

His smile is wider when I look back at him, and I can see in his eyes that he's been waiting for this moment. His smile is almost enough to make me lose my train of thought, but handsome or not, the man has a lot to answer for right now. I can't get distracted by his boyish good looks.

"What, dear?"

"You went through my underwear drawer?"

"I found the ones I bought for you in the trash. I figured you'd want something of your own, so you'd be more comfortable."

"And this screams comfort to you?" I ask, holding up a piece of lingerie.

"I would be very comfortable in seeing you put that on," he says, licking his lips as his eyes drop lower on my body. The boyishness in his eyes has quickly faded into something a little more primal as his gaze runs the length of my body.

"That is never going to happen," I growl, but there's a little whisper in my brain askingwhat if.

"Because then we couldn't get the marriage annulled?" he challenges.

Without answering him, I shove the strappy lingerie back into the bag.

"I have to say, wife. I'm already super jealous of whatever man got to see you wearing that."

I open my mouth to explain the damn thing, a gag gift from Morgan because she's well aware that I'd never wear it, but Idecide he doesn't deserve to know the truth. Let him think what he wants.

"He loved it," I lie, because I never even tried it on.

The sight of it makes my face turn red. I don't know that I'll ever be close enough to a man to feel comfortable wearing such a thing.

"Couldn't keep his hands off of me when I had it on," I continue.

"He's one lucky bastard," Ellis mutters before turning back around to watch the television.

I stay in the too-small and outrageously colored clothes he got for me earlier because there's nothing in the bag he packed for me that I can wear and still hold my head up high.

After putting the bag in the bedroom, I rejoin him in the living room, once again taking a seat at the table rather than beside him on the sofa.

"I don't bite," he says, pointing the remote at the television and changing the channel.

"You're in the middle of the sofa," I complain.

"You want to sit here?" he asks, patting his lap like it's a chair.

The zing of awareness it causes in my body makes me want to get up and bolt back into the bedroom.

I'm not an innocent, virginal woman by any means, but I come from a very small town. One that doesn't so openly use suggestive language the way he has more than once today. Even in my time living in Vegas, I haven't gotten used to how openly sexual so many people can be. It's not exactly a space I feel comfortable in, and I doubt I ever will. It's just not in my nature.

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