Page 26 of The High Price Of Loneliness

She turned and did her runway model walk back to her dressing room door, where she turned partially to look over her shoulder to see him watching her like a big cat hunting its prey, to say, “Hold that thought, sir. I will be right back,” and then she was gone.

Edward groaned to himself, “What have I gotten myself into?” and then laughed out loud just a little.Another glass of wine while she is changing might be just the right distraction to get his still-aroused manhood back to normal somewhat, he thought as he headed to the wine bar.

Angelica was racing to get ready for her return. She didn’t want her “audience” to cool off, so she hurriedly changed like you see the models do on television in a live fashion show. Shoes came flying off, but with care, and this time she stripped completely, including no bra or panties. The black sequin dress was backless, and it plunged almost to the top of her butt cleavage, so it was really designed to be worn “commando” style.Sharon Stone would have liked wearing this in her movie Basic Instinct, she thought as she slithered into the tight but somewhat stretchy material. It fit her like a glove but was actually super comfortable. The black Louboutin shoes with their signature red bottoms were accented with just a hint of red on the open toe—a nice touch. She just loved them the minute she first saw them. And this was the dress to match if ever there was one.

She leaned in to check her makeup and hair as she added the sparkly black earrings. Now, where was the bright red lipstick that matched? It was hiding somewhere in one of the little bags she searched for and rummaged through. She smiled with just a touch of devilish delight as she added the bright red lips to the next show for Mr. Gray.He was in trouble, she thought to herself.

“My turn to lead the conversation a bit,” she whispered with newfound confidence looking in the full-length mirror at what was an infinitely sexier outfit than the elegant champagne gown in the first runway show.

She opened the door and posed like Jessica Rabbit with her hip arched to one side. Edward was not in his chair. He had moved to one of the two large white leather couches leaning back with both arms opened wide, laying across the back of the couch on either side. This gave Gray’s full commanding wingspan, six-foot two, an impressive dominant look sitting dead center of the couch.

Angelica turned her sexy on as she walked, hips swaying confidently towards Gray. His eyes undressed her, looking down from the skin-tight black sequined dress to her hips. The skirt split on one side, showing her leg almost to her hip, making her legs look longer, and Gray looked longingly at them. But mid-room, she stopped dead center and put her hands on her hips with elbows wide, showing a pose of confidence and power. She looked at him in the eyes for one heartbeat before turning slowly to reveal the back of the dress, which plunged all the way down to the top of her canyon.

Gray’s heart skipped a beat as Angelica bent over slowly. Her back arched as she reached almost 90 degrees with her torso flat level to the floor. She looked backward to wink at Edward to say, “Oh, I thought I dropped my keys.” Rising slowly, she walked just past Edward, almost within reach, and circled behind the white leather couch to find the spot directly behind him. Bending forward, her long, baby-soft blonde hair flowed across Edward’s neck as she leaned to whisper in his ear. “Maybe you can help me find them, sir?” she whispered in her best imitation of the very innocent Jessica Rabbit cartoon character.

She heard his deep voice respond with, “I’ll help you search as long as it takes,” encircling his arms around her to pull her closer to him from behind the couch. “Here, come sit next to me for a bit,” he invited her.

Still, in her supermodel runway walk, Angelica slinked around the couch to take her place at his side and asked, “So, which did you like better for your big event in Tampa?” She slid closer to Gray, who was still enraptured with her private modeling show.

“You look amazing in both of them,” Gray offered, “but they are very different looks.”

“The lady at Saks said we can return one of them if you would like after you see them on,” Angelica offered her genuine thought of cutting the cost of the shopping spree down by a good bit.

“No,” Gray replied promptly. “Definitely keep them both. It is black-tie fundraiser season, and there will be lots of other opportunities. You’ll need more than just these first two dresses for the season. Most women prefer not to wear the same dress twice in the same season, unless we are at an event out of town in New York, Miami, or Washington, D.C., for example, where no one will have seen you wearing it before.”

“You’re kidding!” she said, astonished. “Dresses this expensive and to wear them only just once. That seems crazy to me.”

“Well, you did an amazing job of picking two great evening gowns to start with,” he complimented her. “People will remember you in either dress, but for very different reasons,” Gray said and chuckled as he looked longingly into her fire-engine-red lips.

“I’m so relieved that you like me in them and that you’re happy, Edward.” She confessed, “I was so worried about it the whole time I was shopping and especially on my way here.”

“You did great. I am very pleased so far,” Edward said, building a bit of suspense. “But it seems to me that there was a second part to the shopping homework assignment,” Gray said, looking expectantly into Angelica’s smiling eyes.

CHAPTER NINE

Hard Limits

As they concluded the fashion show of the black-tie evening gowns, Gray, of course, was enquiring if she had bought some sexy outfits to model for his private viewing.

Angelica beamed, excited to see Edward’s response to what she had in store for him. “Yes, sir. Of course! When would you like to see me in them?” she asked, toying with him just a bit.

“I think you know the answer to that, Angelica,” Gray said, looking steely as he instructed her, “Please bring the rest for private modeling to the Red Playroom. I will see you there in just a few minutes. I’m going to change clothes myself.”

“I will be right there, sir,” she said softly with a hint of excitement in her voice as she went off to slip out of her evening gown. She chose an exquisite black lace body suit from Dolce & Gabbana. After slipping into the very slinky and flattering lingerie, she covered it with a robe hanging in the bathroom and went to the Red Playroom door to wait.

She arrived ahead of Edward and felt uncomfortable going in without him, or at least without him giving her permission to enter his private domain. So, she waited just in the hallway outside the Playroom door.

Gray did not keep her waiting long, thankfully. He arrived in all-black yoga pants, a workout shirt, and padded workout gloves. The kind of gloves you might use to lift weights. She couldn’t help admiring the shapes of his muscular arms and shoulders as he said, “Thank you for waiting for me. Let’s go inside,” as he unlocked the heavy door to the red room.

“Come stand in front of the dresser mirror, please,” he asked Angelica, who complied. Gray settled in close behind her, looking over her shoulder in the mirror. He leaned into her ear, and she heard his deep, sexy voice say slowly, “Now it’s time for you to show me what you brought for me to see in private, Kitten.”

Angelica didn’t know why her voice suddenly trembled a bit as she said, “Yes, sir.” He had that effect on her when he leaned in close, and she could feel his masculine power. Her hands shook as she pulled the belt of the black satin robe open slowly, about to reveal the sexy black lace beneath. Only a few minutes ago, she had been so confident modeling the black sequin backless dress and feeling her feminine power. But there was something about being alone with Mr. Gray in his Red Playroom. His darker energy was palpable when he transitioned automatically as they entered his lair.

“Now, don’t keep being a tease. Be a good girl and show me what I have to look forward to.” The way he spoke to her could weaken her as the black satin robe fell off her shoulders and to the floor. His eyes were ablaze, looking at her shape. The outline of her naked body was shown through the black lace—the points of her breasts, the curves of her hips, and the look of those still fiery red lips. “Open the round box on the dresser, as you did last time, Angelica.”

Still a bit shaky, her hands reached for the round antique box lid and lifted it open. Inside, awaiting discovery, was a collar with a series of small stainless-steel spikes every inch or so, plus a thin round loop in the center. His deep voice inquired, “Have you ever worn a collar and a leash before?”

“No, sir. Never,” she whispered, still shaking.

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