CHAPTER 24: SHOPPING
CHAPTER 24: SHOPPING
Leonard POV
Candice had been in the family for too long. She was my grandmother's friend and, even more so, exceedingly skilled with her hands. An elder in her own right, her talents were unmatched. Of course, that was the next thing—she treated me like a child, not like the Alpha. Her sly smile as she looked back and forth between me and Florence was more than enough to cause heat to bloom in my cheeks.
I cleared my throat, raised a hand to my lips, and turned away from Florence. "Go wild," I said to Candice. "Do everything you want to. I trust you with this."
My words done, I went and found an empty seat to rest my suddenly aching feet on.
"Oh no, Alpha," she said. "I can hardly expect you to sit wherever everyone else does. There’s a private dressing room, but I’ll have to ask you to go. Please," she said. "Both of you."
A few minutes later, I began to regret the sultry smile she had given me and the subtle wink. I should have known this would happen, I thought to myself. Candice was a matchmaker at best.
Florence.
It wasn’t hard to see why she was shy. The dress, after all, that Candice had put her in was both flattering and needlessly attractive. It was a dress that exposed most of Florence’s arms, hanging only off her shoulders, snugging her breasts closer to her body, and flaring out slightly at the waist only to fall in a soft flow around her hips, landing just a few inches below.
Yes, it was a short dress, but the color was so luscious, and it did much for Florence—pink, nearly similar to the blush rising in her cheeks.
"A little loose," Candice suddenly said, leaning over Florence's back and showing, indeed, that it was quite loose.
"Of course, she's not wearing any underwear on top. I had her get rid of that."
Candice suddenly reached around, cupping Florence's breasts, earning a small and adorable gasp of surprise from her.
"What are you doing?" Florence asked, startled.
"Drafting. I need to understand your body," Candice said. "I need to fix this," she said again. "I could make another one, but I do really think we have quite enough for this one." Candice mused to herself.
I, on the other hand, found Florence’s responses to be the most adorable things ever—until a rather delicious scent flowed into my nose.
It was Florence’s arousal.
Not just sweet, but also mesmerizing.
I sucked in as much of the scent as I could, closing my eyes and relishing it, allowing it to fill my lungs.
By the time I opened my eyes, Florence was panting heavily, just as Candice muttered something about forgetting her pins and left the both of us in the room alone.
I stood from where I was and began slowly walking towards Florence, feeling every bit like the predator I was, with her like the little cowering rabbit.
"What are you doing?" she asked, her voice low, slow, and deliberate, as though in an attempt to mask her vulnerability.
"Don't do that," I said, just as she reached up toward her breasts, holding the bodice of the dress closer as though trying to hide from my gaze.
"Don't do that," I repeated. "Never hide from me," I said slowly. "Those are mine as much as they are yours. You are my wife, after all."
"But…" she started, only to falter.
I let out a long sigh, closing the distance between us in moments. "Yes," I murmured, just as I reached her, wrapped my arms around her waist, and pulled her until her breasts, which she held protectively, were flush against my chest.
In that moment, I was quite grateful for the raised platform she stood on. Even with it, I could see over her head to the mirror behind her. Unable to help myself, I gathered her hair and pulled it over one shoulder, then placed my lips on her exposed neck.
"No," she whispered in a small, trembling voice, even as her body betrayed her, molding her hips against mine.
"Don't do that," I said, a jolt of pleasure coursing through me at the soft feel of her body against mine. "If you do that, I’m going to ravish you right here," I murmured into her ear.
"But… what are you going to do now?" she started to say, her voice trailing off just as my tongue brushed her skin.
"Just a little taste," I said, letting my teeth graze her neck.
She let out a small squeak then, her tiny hands moving from the bodice of her dress to grab a fistful of my shirt, pulling me closer and pushing me away all at once. I didn’t complain. It was a sweet contradiction.
Even through the fabric of her dress, I could feel her nipples, the slight ridge they formed, poking against me almost like an offering. It took every ounce of control not to rip the dress off her and take her right there.
I wanted to ensure she saw herself as I did—utterly desirable.
Instead, I settled on giving her a playful bite on her pale skin, intent on leaving a mark the world could see. I suckled on her sweet flesh for a brief moment, my restraint barely holding as my body demanded more.
Once I was satisfied with the mark left behind, I forced myself to step away, turning and sitting back down just as Candice returned.
Candice walked in with a small pout on her face. "I’m not the only one who thinks you should’ve continued, Alpha," she said. "Just so you know, the walls are soundproof, but the door… not so much," she added with a cheeky grin.
I chuckled softly, diverting my gaze from her.
After a few more minutes of pinning and adjusting, Candice finally finished.
"All right, let’s try on the rest," she declared with a small clap.
"There’s more?" Florence asked, a little too loudly, her eyes wide with surprise.
"Oh, yes," Candice said with a sly grin. "I can think of at least twenty dresses I’d like to see you in. Luckily, he’s here to watch you try every one of those, and frankly, not all of them have as much support as this one."
Florence’s blush deepened, and Candice laughed. "You’d best guard yourself, young lady. We have a long day ahead."
Several hours and countless dresses later, I was exhausted. My eyes burned from trying to find faults in Candice’s creations—there were none, aside from minor fit issues that she promptly fixed.
When we were finally done, we spent a few more hours milling around the mall, searching for more things for Florence. By the time we returned home, I’d effectively bought out half the place.
"Wait," Florence said, suddenly grabbing the back of my shirt.
I turned slightly, glancing at her through the open door behind her.
"It’s not that," she said, shifting her hips slightly.
"I wanted to talk to you about some things," she said softly, clutching the front of her dress. "It’s important."