Page 18 of Wolf Fated
"Jacqueline, darling." She tsked, straightening the top material that looked like polished silver. "Now what do you want to get fitted for first? Hmmm... the evening gown or the cocktail dress?"
"How about lowering the hem on these pants?" I twisted my leg to show her my ankle.
“Just a hem?”
“Well, I have a closet stuffed with clothes.” I cleared my throat. “But a few are too short like these.”
“Oh no,” she pouted. “I’m not here merely as a fixer. You need custom-made dresses for fancy parties and such.”
Both Nathan and Drake hurried out the door like they didn't want to be anywhere near Jacqueline and her multitude of pins.
"Oh, no, no. We'll have one of my assistants fix those little inconveniences for you. But I am here to make you clothes from scratch, not the store-bought fancy department stores. You have no gowns, no proper ones to wear out for fancy dinners and such."
Wow, I hadn't even checked the labels on the clothes, I was more concerned with getting clothes on and not standing around naked. I marked that next on my list.
"So, which is it to be first, eh?" She placed a hand on her hip and removed her measuring tape from around her neck.
"I guess the evening dress?" Though why Axel and the others were going through all this trouble, I didn't understand. I was only going to be here for thirty days. Did they think fancy clothes and them throwing their wealth around was going to impress me?
"Excellent choice. Now strip down, please."
I took off the shirt and pants and she clicked her tongue at me.
"No, no, the brassier and panties too."
"Naked?" I stammered. "You want to take my measurements without any clothes on at all?" I could guess the bra because it didn't fit a hundred percent right but the underwear were fine.
"Of course." She pulled the silver-looking fabric off the top of the pile. "With this, you will wear nothing else against your skin."
I chewed on my lip as I undid my bra. The most daring I'd ever gone in public was in a thong and this woman was suggesting going full commando in an evening gown? No doubt she was only following Axel and the other's orders. I placed the bra on the dresser then took off my underwear. Feeling super self-conscious, I crossed one arm over my chest and the other over my sex.
"No, don't hide it, you flaunt your body and good-looks." Her dark eyes crinkled around the corners when she smiled. Carefully, like she was figuring out how to wrap a Christmas turkey as a gift, she pulled the tape measure this way and that over my body. So many angles and measurements that I was certain she was confused.
"Do you need to write the numbers down?" I offered.
"I have everything up here." She tapped the side of her temple. "Now, we measure for your cocktail dress, yes?"
"Sure."
For the next several hours, I was turned this way and that. Measured a dozen times at least and dropped in fabric after fabric until my feet were screaming for me to sit down. And that's saying something from a woman used to being on her feet all day waitressing.
"I will return in three days with the items."
"Thank you." Though I was sure I was thanking her more for this part being done than her making anything for me. And I was so eager to do something else, anything else, that I didn't even mention the ill-fitting pants she'd promised to have an assistant fix either. Figured there was no way to fix the shirt, but I could deal with too short of sleeves.
She left the bedroom for me to get dressed and when a knock sounded on the door a second later, I froze with my hands behind my back, trying to re-hook my bra.
"May we collect the material for Jacqueline?" asked a female voice.
"Just a minute." I finally got the bra on and hurried to get the other clothes. "Come in."
Four young women entered with matching measuring tapes around the back of their necks like Jacqueline. They gathered up the material like it was on fire and dashed out of the bedroom. Rubbing my hands down my pants, I slowly walked down the stairs.
Laughter drifted up from downstairs in the living room and I followed the sounds to find all three guys lounging on a huge U-shaped sofa. Axel stared at me, and his intense gaze made me feel like I wasn't wearing anything at all. The other two copied his lead, their laughter stopping almost immediately.
"Brook."
His masculine voice pulled something deep in my core that I didn't understand and my feet had a mind of their own, stepping closer.
