Page 36 of Twice as Tempting

All three of the women looked startled when he used the word “strip,” and then Kelly noticed that the woman with the glasses was trying to suppress a smile.

“I’m sorry for the misunderstanding, sir. If your wife wants to try on the dress, then by all means, we will take it off the mannequin.”

Kelly’s eyes widened, and she opened her mouth to correct the woman when Damian interrupted again.

“I’m sure my wife will be very grateful,” he said and shot Kelly a searing grin.

When the two saleswomen left to “strip” the mannequin, Kelly turned to Damian and hissed, “Thanks a lot! That was soooo embarrassing!”

Damian chuckled. “You want to try on the dress, don’t you?”

“Yes, but…”

“Then stop complaining and be a grateful wife!”

Kelly didn’t have a chance to retort, because the woman with the glasses was heading toward them with the dress draped over her arm. “Let me show you to a fitting room,” she said pleasantly. “Sir, if you’d like to come too, there’s a chair right outside the fitting room so your wife can model the dress for you.”

“That won’t be necessary,” Kelly said, purposely avoiding eye contact with her husband.

Damian peered at the woman’s name tag and said, “Thanks, Donna. We appreciate your help.”

When Donna had left and Kelly was safely behind the fitting room door, she hurriedly changed into the dress. The sooner this debacle was over with, the better.

“How’s it going in there, dear?” Damian teased.

“Oh, shut up,” she replied. Good thing he couldn’t see her trying to stifle a giggle.

“Shit,” she said a minute later.

“What?”

“Damn it!”

“Anyone ever tell you that you swear a lot?”

“Yes! Emma tells me all the time. I’m trying to cut back, but right now, I can’t reach this damn…zipper!”

“Open the door,” Damian demanded.

“No. I’ll get it.”

“Open the damn door,” he said, his voice louder that time.

Since they had already created enough of a scene, Kelly quickly yanked open the door. The look on Damian’s face froze her to the spot. He raked his eyes over her like she was a vintage Corvette and he couldn’t wait to pop the hood!

Kelly had to admit that she looked good in the dress even without it zipped up! The royal blue color complimented her skin, which was now flushed from Damian’s gaze. She had flipped her long, wavy hair over one shoulder while she had tried to work the zipper, and her lower lip was swollen from where she had bitten it in frustration. She was holding the dress tightly across her breasts because it was strapless, and she had removed her bra. The only thing she had on underneath was the tiny thong that she had worn under her sundress.

Apparently, Damian lost his voice, because he motioned with his hand for her to turn around. Once she had her back to him, she let out a breath, relieved to get out from under his intense scrutiny. But then she felt him step in behind her, and his thumb grazed her lower back as he reached for the zipper. She heard his sharp intake of breath when he realized what she was wearing underneath—a whole lot of nothing!

Kelly felt like she was in a tanning booth, her back seared from the heat rolling off him, and she resisted the urge to lean against him. She shook herself, and then she realized that he hadn’t moved and the dress was still unzipped.

“Uh, Damian?”

“Yeah?”

The word came out on a whisper that blew against her bare skin and made her weak. “The zipper,” she said, hardly recognizing her own breathy voice.

“How’s it going back here?” Donna’s curt inquiry broke the spell, and Damian quickly yanked up the zipper.