Know Me Well (Wishful 3)
“Playing up your God-given assets isn’t manipulation. Never forget, with a positive attitude and a great pair of ta-tas, you can do anything. And you, darling, have a fabulous rack.”
Riley snorted.
“There.” Autumn laid down the eyeliner and surveyed her handiwork. “One of my better efforts, if I do say so myself.”
Riley started to get up
“No. No, you have to see the entire package. C’mon, get dressed. I raided your underwear drawer and pulled out some sexy lingerie to go with the dress.”
“Why? I’m not sleeping with him.”
“Well, of course not. Although there’d be nothing wrong with it if you did. But sexy lingerie is a confidence booster. You’ll know you’re wearing it, and it’ll impact how you carry yourself. Plus he’s going to wonder what’s under that dress, and it makes it all the better if it really is something awesome. And in the event you change your mind and go for the hot monkey sex, you’re set.”
The idea of Liam peeling her out of the dress to find thigh highs and a garter belt almost had her hitting the shower again for a cold one, but the clock was ticking and she didn’t have time. Not to mention Autumn would murder her for ruin
ing all her hard work.
Only when she was dressed and zipped and had stepped into the sky high heels did Autumn let her near the mirror on the back of the closet door.
“Holy crap.” Riley stared at the reflection and barely recognized herself. “You’re like my own personal fairy godmother. I owe you.”
Autumn grinned. “You can pay me in details when you get back.”
The doorbell rang. Riley rode out the quick clutch in her belly. She let out a long, slow breath. “Pray for me.”
“Oh, I will.”
Riley gave her a quick hug before picking up her purse.
“Promise me something,” Autumn said, suddenly serious.
“What?”
“Don’t waste this opportunity. If you do, you’ll always wonder.” Without giving Riley a chance to actually answer, Autumn shoved her toward the stairs. “I’ll lock up after you’re gone. No reason for him to know I was involved.”
“Thank you!”
“And Riley?”
She paused at the bottom of the stairs. “What?”
“Condoms in your purse, just in case!”
Oh God.
Bracing herself, she went to answer the door. One way or another, tonight was bound to change things. For better or worse.
~*~
The M16/M4 Carbine rifle is a 5.56mm, magazine-fed, gas-operated, air-cooled, shoulder-fired weapon that can be fired either in automatic three-round bursts or semiautomatic single shots…
Liam continued his mental recitation of the characteristics and components of Marine weaponry. It was the only thing keeping him from embarrassing them both with his reaction to Riley’s appearance. But he couldn’t stop himself from giving her another appreciative once over as she passed by him into the air-conditioned restaurant.
Her toenails were scarlet, peeking out through the toes of strappy black shoes with sky high heels. His gaze skimmed up shapely legs to the hem of her little black dress. But it wasn’t just any little black dress. It was the empress of little black dresses, elegant and form-fitting. And, oh God, what a form. A perfect hourglass, crowned with the most magnificent breasts, framed by a plunging neckline. But it was her face that had glued his tongue to the roof of his mouth since she walked out. Her full lips matched her toes, and her eyes looked almost electric with the smoky shadow and impossibly long lashes. If she’d stepped directly out of one of his erotic dreams, she couldn’t have looked more perfect
But in the ensuing forty-five minutes, while he’d been busy reminding himself of every single reason why he shouldn’t just blow dinner and find the nearest hotel to show her exactly what kind of fantasies that dress inspired, the confidence and vivacity she’d greeted him with had evaporated, leaving her obviously ill-at-ease. He was pretty sure it had something to do with a text she’d gotten on the drive. At least, he hoped it was the text and not him and his less-than-brotherly reaction. Surely she didn’t think of him as a brother if she’d worn that.
Her hands were clamped around her purse as if she expected it to get snatched. If she’d been any other woman, he’d have put an arm around her, flirted until she relaxed. But Riley wasn’t any other woman, and Liam wasn’t sure exactly what tonight was about. The last thing he wanted to do was misread the situation and screw things up.