Page 17 of Forbidden Desires

Jasmine gave a soft laugh. It was a beautiful, tinkling thing. Like chimes, with a little bit of depth to the timbre. “Well, as long as she’s not asking for blood or my first-born child or anything like that—”

“Oh, heavens no, dear,” Meri exclaimed from behind us. “I’d ask for the second one. Always less trouble than the first.”

Meriwether came back, a cart rolling with her. There were several dresses on it, about ten in total, all in different colors, cuts, and level of detail in beading and fringe, but all of them were signature 1920s flapper dresses and gowns. A perfect selection to choose from—and if none of these were up to par for Jasmine’s tastes, I knew that Meriwether would have at least ten more to come back with just to prove that she wasn’t a half-stepper when it came to her business.

It was part of what made working with her so easy and pleasant.

Meriwether scooted the cart in front of Jasmine and me, a self-satisfied smile on her face as she gestured grandly to the spread of fabrics. “Alright missy. Let’s get you started.”

I sat once more as Meriwether ushered her to the changing room. I felt—and stamped down—the compulsion to follow. That I even had the feeling was surprising to me, but I decided I could blame it on the fact that I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about our first night together. The softness of her skin still lingered on my fingertips. Her taste, the sweet sound of her moans. I hadn’t had an experience that had stayed with me so bone deep in such a long time; maybe that was why I was hyper-fixating on her so deeply.

Then again, it had also been a while since I’d had decent sex in general, and Jasmine had proven to be a perfect match for my voracious appetite.

Those thoughts made me anticipate her emergence from the dressing room even more than I already was. Made me want to drink in her appearance, see the reaction on her face to the way she looked in the first gown that Meriwether put her in. When I heard the door open and the first dull footsteps coming my way, I looked up, taken aback by how stunning she looked.

The first was an emerald green dress with black beading. Even given the design of the dress, not particularly intendedto highlight curves and body shape, there was no missing Jasmine’s figure beneath the glittering, beautiful fabric. It fell over her body like a waterfall, and I couldn’t hold back the smile at the flush on her face as she came out, doing a little twirl for me, as if seeking my approval.

“I’ve never worn a dress like this,” she admitted, almost a bit shy. “It’s very different.”

“Do you like it?” I asked, standing.

I came up behind her, putting my hands on her shoulders. A soft, near imperceptible gasp came from her at my touch. It pleased me far more than it should have as I turned her toward the multitude of mirrors that she had yet to allow herself to look in. Her lips fell apart as she took in the sight before her—her own reflection staring back at her like she had stepped out of a photograph from the 1920s, but instead of muted sepia, in full vibrant color.

“Do you like it?” I asked again.

She regarded herself for a moment, before meeting my gaze in the mirror. She bit her lip uncertainly. “I do like it, but…I don’t know if green is my color.”

I chuckled. “Fair enough,” I said, and looked over to Meriwether.

“Good thing we’ve got a selection of colors, eh?” Meriwether smirked, ushering Jasmine back into the dressing room.

What followed were no more green dresses, but a selection of other colors. Blue, violet, a champagne number with iridescent beading and sequins. Meriwether would bring Jasmine out from the dressing room, she would see herself in the mirror and be amazed by the captivating way she looked, yet there wasn’t one that caused a specific spark in her eyes to form just yet.

What I wanted was for her to find something that would elicit excitement. It was one thing for a man to doll a woman up in one’s own idea of beauty, or for one’s own pleasure. Itwas another thing to simply see what she did when choosing for herself what she wanted, whatsheliked.

Which is why, when she came out in the last dress, I paused, almost holding my breath for her reaction.

This one was midnight black, with ruby red beading. If the first accented her curves and the soft, round turns of her body, this one only served to do the same, and add a seductive, classy hit to the mix.

But it was the way that Jasmine walked out, her back straighter than the other times, her shoulders more squared, her chin up. She walked with the confidence and sexual empowerment of a woman who knew that she was gorgeous and felt it deep in her bones.

This was the dress. I could tell as she stood in front of the mirror, taking herself in—not with wide, undecided eyes this time at her appearance, but with a bright smirk and the corner of her mouth pulled between her teeth, as if she were pleased with herself.

“I do believe we’ve found the one, dear,” Meriwether said, clearly witnessing what I did, too. “Now, go on and get up on that pedestal there and I can figure out the adjustments I’ll need to make before—”

Before Jasmine could step up onto the pedestal, from the front of the store, the phone rang. Meriwether rolled her eyes at the intrusion. “One moment.”

She skittered off, and Jasmine and I were left alone.

Jasmine stood on the pedestal Meriwether put all her sizing clients on, staying there as Meri’s voice drifted from the front of the boutique. Her irritation faded into the background as Jasmine and I stared at each other, a magnetism in our gazes—me sitting on the settee and her before me. As if, if we were alone, perhaps in my office, I would be sitting here, observing her, waiting for her to approach me.

What would happen if she did? I could picture a few illicit things I’d want to do to her. Every single one more tempting than the one that came before.

“My God, I swear some people are just incompetent,” Meriwether said, breaking the silence, and heated awareness, building between myself and Jasmine.

The shop owner came back into the fitting room, an annoyed look on her face that told me someone was going to get the wrong side of her otherwise fluffy personality.

“Trouble?” I asked, taking my eyes off Jasmine to give attention to Meriwether.

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