Page 58 of The Charmer's Gambit
“And what are you offering?”
His elbows went to his knees as he leaned toward me. “Whatever you want, clothing or otherwise. Your choice.”
“Anything I want?” I repeated. “Are you sure you want to play that game with me, Mershano?”
“Absolutely, because I’ll be the one selecting the lingerie you model.” My lips parted at his boldness. His gaze ran over me hungrily as he added, “Don’t worry, darlin’. I’ll pick out stockings for you too.”
When he said he wanted to forget what happened this morning, at least for the day, he wasn’t joking. I expected all sorts of awkwardness between us, but he treated me just as he usually did. Sexy as always. I considered his offer. There were some ridiculous outfits in the first store we went to. Seeing him in one of those would be more than worth a few poses in lingerie sets for him.
“You’re on,” I said decidedly. If anything, it would be a fun way to spend our afternoon, and I was determined to do just that.
After reflecting on this morning’s events, I concluded that Ryan was trying to manipulate me. He wanted to ruin this trip for me, and he knew the best way to do that was to scare me into submission through a creepy romantic gesture. Ignoring the flowers in my room and enjoying my day was the opposite of what he wanted. Leaving the hotel today with my head held high loosened a notch of Ryan’s control because, rather than wallow in fear, I decided to live. I suspected Will knew all of that already, which was why he suggested we venture out today.
He paid for the dresses and asked for a courier to deliver them to his room at the hotel. We hadn’t given up the one in my name, but we had no intention of using it.
Before we left this morning, Mershano Suites confirmed that the flowers were delivered to the reception and they carried them up to the room. Will gave the staff a photo of Ryan andasked them to notify him immediately if they spotted anyone resembling my ex wandering the grounds. I wasn’t there for the discussion, but I saw the reverence casted his way as we left. He might not be involved in the management chain for the hotel, but they knew who he was and respected him for it.
“How about here,” Will said as we walked by a boutique that catered to men. A peek in the windows showed an array of fun options for his future fashion show.
I opened the door while replying, “Oh, this will be fun.”
Thirty minutes later, Will headed off to the fitting area with a shake of his head while I made myself comfortable on the plush couch. A sharply dressed tailor stood nearby, ready to assist Will with any suits he intended to purchase. I picked a few, mainly because the man looked amazing in them, but I also threw in some random colorful outfits and scarves just to tease him. Then he walked out in one of the odd combinations, and my jaw dropped.
No. Fucking. Way.
“That’s not fair,” I whispered. The pink-and-orange combination had looked ridiculous on the mannequin, yet it somehow worked on him. He tucked his hands into the pockets of the tight jeans and did a slow twirl that drew my attention to his fine ass. “I’m going to need you to stand just like that for at least ten minutes.”
He met my gaze in the mirror. “Turnabout is fair play, darlin’.”
I scanned his backside. Admiring this view in exchange for modeling lingerie in a similar fashion? “Worth it.” If I had my phone, I would have snapped a photo, but I left it at the hotel with my purse. The last thing I wanted was a way for Ryan to track me down.
Will must have sensed the turn in my thoughts, because he did a little jig that would have made me laugh if those jeans weren’t so damn tight. Instead, my throat went dry.
“You need to buy those.”
He snorted. “They’re impractical.”
“I wasn’t going to recommend you wear them while working in the vineyard, Mershano.”
That eyebrow went up. “Yeah? Come here for a second.”
“Uh, why?”
“I want to show you something.”
I so did not trust that innocent look or tone. He was up to something. I unfolded myself from the plush couch and moved to stand before him. Will asked the tailor for a glass of champagne in French, which I translated to mean he wanted a moment of privacy. The elder gentleman gave a nod and disappeared, leaving us alone in the dressing area.
“Take them off.” His deep baritone hit me in all the right places.
“Your jeans?” A stupid question. That’s obviously what he meant, but he couldn’t be serious. I took in his dilated pupils and expression and swallowed. Okay, yeah, he wasn’t teasing. “Here?” It came out in a whisper.
“Yes.” Still no hint of jest, and if the bulge growing beneath his zipper was anything to go by, he really did want me to remove his pants.
Not the place I expected this to happen, but the forbidden nature of his command sent a shiver of delight down my spine. A naked Will? Yes, please. I ran my hands up his thighs, loving the feel of his muscles bunching along the way. Heat radiated from him, emboldening my attentions. His hardening cock pulsed beneath my finger as I traced the impressive length up to the gold button. It flicked open with ease, and I drew the zipper down to reveal his navy briefs.
A glance down had me licking my lips. “I approve.” Especially since it was the pair I picked out with his clothes.
“Keep going.” Lust laced through his tone and darkened his gaze. He didn’t have to tell me twice. Except when I tried to push them down, they barely moved. I put more power into it and felt a surge of frustration when they still failed to cooperate.
