Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 89781 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 449(@200wpm)___ 359(@250wpm)___ 299(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89781 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 449(@200wpm)___ 359(@250wpm)___ 299(@300wpm)
Sighing, I headed back into the dressing room and took off the white dress, and somehow managed to get into the tights. A knock on the door had me jumping, and I put a hand over my heart.
“Okay, here, put these on.” The door cracked open, and Brighton handed me a white long-sleeve shirt and a small black vest.
I held the shirt up and opened the door some. “Is this a shirt or a dress?”
She shot me a warning look. “Put it on.”
“Yes, ma’am,” I teased back.
Once I got the white shirt on, I turned and looked at the back. At least it covered my butt, though just barely. It was tapered at the sides, and I was surprised by how cute it looked. I slipped the little black vest on and grinned.
“What size shoe do you wear?” Brighton asked.
“Seven,” I called out.
“Thought so. Damn, I’m getting better with shoe sizes. Are you dressed?”
I opened the door and Brighton gasped. “YAAAAASSS! Holy crap. This is it. This. Is. It. Here, put these on.”
She handed me a pair of black-heeled ankle boots and black ankle socks, and then called out over her shoulder, “Annie, come look!”
As I slipped the socks on, Annie appeared and handed Brighton something.
“I thought this might look cute draped around her neck, but left untied,” Annie said. “I bought it for Ray a few days ago and never did bring it home.”
Brighton pulled Annie in for a hug as I slipped on the black boots. “Annie, you’re brilliant!”
“Wait, I’m so confused,” I said with a frown. “That’s a bowtie.”
Turning to face me, Brighton put it around my neck, tucked it under the collar, then spun me around to look into the mirror.
My eyes went wide while I took in how I looked. “Wow,” I whispered.
Annie started to roll up one of the sleeves just below my elbow. Brighton placed her chin on my shoulder and smiled. “You look sexy as fuck, yet innocent as all get out. Hunter’s gonna shit his pants when he sees you. You’re welcome.”
I laughed.
The bell above the front door rang and Annie sighed. “As fun as this is, I need to leave you two to finish up. Let me know if you need anything else.”
“Will do,” Brighton and I said at the same time. Her eyes met mine in the mirror. “How do you feel in this dress, Arabella?”
I looked at myself again. “Do you mean this long shirt?”
She winked.
“I feel…I feel like a slightly sexier version of Cinderella dressed in Prince Charming’s shirt.”
She chuckled. “It makes you happy, then?”
Nodding, I replied, “Yes.”
“It’s a sexy look, but at the same time it’s not revealing too much.”
“Unless I bend over, then my ass will be on display.”
Bree wiggled her brows. “But what’s nice is Hunter knows what’s underneath, and it will drive him insane.”
“Like the cheerleader outfit from Greer’s party last fall you made me wear?”
An evil smile spread over her face. “Pretty sure that boy went home and took a cold shower.”
“Do you really think Hunter will like it?”
Her smile widened into a full-blown grin. “I think Hunter would like you in a potato sack. But to answer your question, yes. I think he’s going to lose his mind and not be able to keep his hands off of you.”
Turning, I glanced around to make sure we were alone before looking back at Brighton. “Things with me and Hunter are complicated, kind of. Um…”
She took my hands in hers and squeezed. “You don’t have to say a word. And even though you think we’re alone, trust me, this store has ears, so don’t say anything else.” Brighton put her finger to her mouth. “I know what happened, Arabella.”
My eyes went wide. “How?”
She drew in a deep breath before letting it out and then lowered her voice. “I’ve done a lot of pro bono stuff for a women’s shelter in Boston. It wasn’t hard for me to recognize the signs. I’ve seen that look in a woman’s eyes one too many times, trust me.”
I slowly shook my head. “You know I was…”
Brighton nodded, this time bringing her finger to my lips. “I know. And I also know that Hunter loves you with everything in his soul. We’ve already talked about this, how he talked about you so much with me. Confessed he was still in love with you. Nothing could taint you in his eyes, sweetie. Nothing.”
Tears pricked at the back of my eyes. “Thank you, Bree.”
“Sometimes it takes the touch of a man who truly loves you to wipe away the bad memories; trust me, I know from experience.”
I was sure my face turned to one of surprise.
“No, nothing like that ever happened to me. But I once had a boyfriend who got angry one too many times and took it out on me.”