She sat back in her chair and crossed her legs, just enjoying the sound of his voice. Low and slightly rough, it sent shivers down her spine. “I didn’t really mean to make you wait quite this long.” She figured she owed him that much honesty. “I got tied up with work.”
“Doesn’t matter. You’re calling now.” He paused. “Well?”
She didn’t make him wait any longer. “I’d love to have dinner with you.”
“Tomorrow night?”
Candy sucked in a deep breath and took the plunge. “Tomorrow night.”
“About seven?”
“That would be good.”
“I’ll pick you up then.” His voice lowered to almost a whisper. “And Candy, don’t worry. Nothing will happen that you don’t want to happen.”
That’s what she was afraid of, but she was no coward. She wanted this. “Okay.”
He continued on, briskly now. “I’ll see you at seven.”
The line went dead before she could respond and she hung up her own phone. A man of few words was Lucas. Dialing her phone once again, she waited until Missy picked up on the other end. “Want to go shopping tonight?”
Chapter Eight
Candy stared at herself in the mirror, not quite able to believe the transformation that she and Missy had wrought in just under twenty-four hours. She’d never realized just how ruthless her friend could be.
Her lips curved up in a smile as she relived last night’s shopping trip. Missy had poked, prodded and threatened her until finally she’d shoved Candy in a dressing room and brought her outfit after outfit with orders to try them on. Like a general commanding a battle, she’d gone on the offensive, not giving Candy the opportunity to object or to run.
It had been so much fun to shop for something sexy rather than something work-appropriate. She hadn’t done anything like this in far too long. They’d practically closed the stores last night, they were out shopping so late, but it had definitely been worth it.
Turning sideways, she viewed her image in the mirror. This dress was nothing short of spectacular. Falling to just above her knees, it was a deep burgundy in color, and its crushed velvet fabric felt luxurious and sensual. The sleeves were long, coming all the way to her wrists, and the neckline was high. There was a spectacular cutout in the front that showed off her cleavage to advantage. But that wasn’t the best part of the dress.
Spinning around until her back was to the mirror, she glanced over her shoulder. The dress hooked at the neckline with five small fasteners. Other than that, her entire back was exposed. She’d never worn something quite so revealing before. It was cut so low in the back that several inches of flesh below her waistline was showing. She’d had to buy new underwear to wear under the dress.
The trip to the lingerie shop had been almost arousing. She’d felt decadent and scandalous trying on the skimpy garments, imagining Lucas’ reaction when he saw them. And there was no doubt in her mind that he would definitely be seeing them. After much deliberation, she’d settled on a thong in a rich, creamy beige. It was part of a set and came with a pushup bra, and even though she couldn’t wear a bra with this dress, she’d bought it anyway. In fact, she’d liked the set so much, she bought another one in black. She hoped she’d have another opportunity to wear them.
She’d never worn a thong before, but she’d wanted to be daring. The thin string had settled between the cheeks of her behind and the small patch of fabric on the front barely covered her pubic hair. She felt half naked in the underwear, but she felt sexy too. Laughing, she spun around and faced the mirror once again.
Thigh-high stockings and a new pair of black velvet four-inch heels completed the ensemble. She’d spent a small fortune on the entire outfit, even though they’d bought the dress and shoes at discount warehouses. But the results were worth it.
She hadn’t been sure about the dress at first, but Missy’s enthusiastic response to it had finally won her over. The fabric of the dress hugged her body, emphasizing her large breasts and hips, making her slightly uncomfortable, but her friend had assured her that she looked spectacular in it.
In the end, she hadn’t been able to leave the dress behind for something more sensible and less showy. This was about having an adventure and she was determined to embrace every moment of it. She’d even run out on her lunch hour and had her hair trimmed and her nails done to match her dress. She had toyed with several hairstyles, but had ended up piling the curly mass on top of her head and anchoring it with a black rhinestone-studded hair clip. Rhinestone studs adorned her ears and were the only jewelry she wore. Now she was ready and getting more and more nervous by the moment.
Placing a hand over her stomach to quiet the butterflies dancing there, she took a deep breath. She was as ready as she’d ever be. Grabbing her purse off the bed— another purchase from the night before that Missy had convinced her she just had to have— she made her way into the living room to wait. Opening her bag, she checked the contents and closed it again. She had her keys, wallet, cell phone, tissues, lipstick and condoms— another purchase from last night. She assumed Lucas would have some, but she wasn’t taking any chances. A smart woman took care of herself.
Glancing at the clock on the stereo, she went to the closet and pulled out her coat, slipping it on. She didn’t want Lucas to see the dress until they arrived at the restaurant. She wanted to surprise him and, she admitted to herself, she wanted to make a dramatic entrance and gauge his reaction.
Truthfully, she wanted to knock his socks off.
She heard one hard, sharp knock on her front door and she jumped even though she’d been expecting it. Even though she knew it was Lucas, she checked the peephole. Unlocking the door, she opened it and promptly lost her breath. In jeans and a T-shirt, the man was gorgeous. In a suit and tie, he was devastating.
A black wool overcoat was open to reveal his suit. A tailored black jacket molded his upper body to perfection. She knew it had been made especially for him because there was no way with his muscular build he could buy something off the rack that would fit him so well. Underneath it, he wore a white shirt with a dark burgundy tie.
Candy knew she should say something, but she was honestly at a loss for words. The silence thickened the longer they stood there staring at each other. Finally, it was Lucas who broke it. “You look amazing.”
Swallowing past the lump of nerves in her throat, she managed to croak out a “thank you”. His eyes were glued to the cutout in the front of her dress as he spoke. Some of her nerves abated and confidence filled her as she realized that he was as enthralled with her as she was with him. She bit her lip to keep from laughing, wondering how he would react to her little surprise when she slipped off her coat. Suddenly, she was in a hurry to find out.
“I’m ready if you are.” Remembering her manners, she quickly added, “Unless you’d like to come in for a moment.”
Lucas shook his head and offered her his arm. “No, we’ve got reservations and I don’t want us to be late.”
Candy stepped out of her apartment, locking her door behind her before taking Lucas’ arm. She could feel the muscles flex and ripple beneath her fingers. It was arousing to have all that leashed power just beneath her hand. As they walked to the elevator, Candy knew for sure that this night would change her forever. The next time she returned to her home, she would not be the same woman she was now. Ready to embrace the experience, she boldly stepped into the elevator with him and ignored the shiver that ran down her spine as the door closed.