His Terms

“You want to dress me like your doll, make me look like I have just as much money as you do.” She stated it without question. She saw the way he clenched his jaw, but Sorcha wasn’t about to bite her tongue with him, or take back what she had just said. It was the truth.

He was silent for a moment, and she knew she’d struck a nerve with him. “You don’t have a choice, Sorcha. I’m already getting tired of you not realizing or understanding that.”

“Oh, I remember just fine. I signed the contract, right? But then again you like my mouthy little attitude.”

He turned from her, and she felt that euphoric feeling she had inside of her leave. “I’ll be ready to go in thirty minutes.” He looked at her again over her shoulder. “You can watch television upstairs and wait for me.”

And just like that he dismissed her.

The asshole.

19

Sorcha looked at herself in the mirror of the department store and cringed. Rian had taken her to this little bakery and coffee shop on the outskirts of town, one that was quaint and not a place she’d think he would frequent.

And she meant that in the best way, because it resembled a mom and pop establishment, and one that she would have gone to alone. The Dutch style pastries had been fresh and homemade and the coffee bursting with flavor.

They’d sat at this little wooden table with an uneven leg, and it had wobbled anytime they had leaned on it. It had been nice though, and she had liked watching Rian interact with Ingrid and her elderly husband, Petre. He had even greeted them in Dutch, and she wondered if he spoke the language fluently, or if he had picked up the language from coming here a lot.

She hadn’t asked though, because the silence that had been between them had been comfortable, and … nice.

But now she was at the small boutique that had closed up for Rian’s appearance strictly. It was weird being in this ritzy part of the city, going into a shop and seeing clothing that cost more than her bi-weekly paycheck, and weirder yet that she was trying it on.

The dress she had on in specific was this deep green one that was cut low, showed off her breasts, which looked huge by the way, and was short enough that she knew if she bent over she’d give everyone a crotch shot.

The knock on the dressing room door had her heart racing and her hands sweating. “Yeah?” She cleared her throat when her voice cracked on the end. She was nervous and felt fat and ugly in this skin-tight dress. It was a no-go for her, but then again Rian had the last say.

“Let me see, Sorcha.” His voice was deep and filled with authority, and she found herself closing her eyes and saying a little prayer.

“Hold on,” she said and opened her eyes to look at herself in the mirror. Her tits looked good, but she had too many bumps and dips that were being amplified by the silky material for her to feel comfortable at all. She turned around and opened the door, and used all of her reserved strength not to cover herself up. Rian stood on the other side, his hands in the front pockets of his dress slacks, and his gaze raking over her body.

“Well, what do you think of it?” he said and lifted his blue gaze to her face again. The front of his slacks started to tent his pants, and she felt her face heat. The man was insatiable.

“Does it matter what I think of it?”

He was silent for a moment. “Yes, it does. Stop being dramatic, Sorcha, and tell me what you think of the dress.”

“I hate it,” she said without hesitance. “It makes me look even fatter, and I so don’t need that. I honestly didn’t even think they made a size sixteen in this place, and besides, it fits like a ten.”

He scowled and took a step forward. “You’re not fat.”

She was the one to scowl now. “Seriously? Okay, take your pick then: voluptuous, curvy, thick, chunky, chubby.” She lifted an eyebrow, an act that she had seen him do so many times before. “I hate the damn thing, Rian.” Sorcha knew she was a “bigger” girl, knew that in this society a size sixteen was flat out obese.

But she had never been so self-conscious of her looks until this moment when she was trying on these clothes. Heck, she hadn’t even thought twice about being naked in front of him when they had had sex.

“Okay.” He turned and faced the sales associate. Sorcha didn’t miss the way the young, very thin and svelte woman eyed Rian like he was a fine wine she wanted to get drunk on. He took the dress the blonde handed him and then faced Sorcha again. “I think this one will make you feel more comfortable. I picked it out.” He handed her the dress, but before she could close the door he stopped her by placing his hand on it. “And just for the record, I happen to like your body.” He leaned his face in close to hers. “In fact, I like that you’re thick, curvy, voluptuous, whatever name you wish to associate yourself with.”