Like a freakin’ bulletproof vest.
“I bought the vest as a just-in-case item,” Rhys said mildly. “Now that you mention it, we should take it for a test spin next time you’re in public.”
Take out the chip, and I’ll do what you say, when you say it, as long as it’s security-related. I promise.
I gritted my teeth. Rhys had taken the chip out, and I didn’t break my promises.
“Fine.” A lightbulb flashed in my head, and a slow smile spread across my face. “I’ll put it on now.”
He finally raised his head, his face dark with suspicion at how easily I’d capitulated. “Where are we going?”
“Shopping.”
If there was one thing Rhys hated, it was accompanying me shopping. It was such a stereotypical male weakness, and I fully intended to exploit it.
My smile widened when his face darkened further.
This is going to be fun.
An hour later, we arrived at the Hazelburg Mall, a four-story mecca of stores I could torture Rhys with. Luckily, it was winter, which meant I could hide most of the vest’s bulk beneath a chunky sweater and coat.
According to Rhys, he’d bought a lighter version for me, but the vest was still hot, heavy, and awkward. I almost regretted my shopping revenge plan, but Rhys’s ferocious scowl made it all worth it…until catastrophe struck.
I was trying on clothes in our dozenth boutique of the day when I got stuck in a dress. I’d accidentally grabbed the wrong size, and the unforgiving material dug into my ribcage while trapping my arms above my head. I couldn’t see, and I could barely move.
“Shit.” I rarely cursed, but the situation called for it. One of my lifelong irrational fears was getting stuck in clothing in a store.
“What’s wrong?” Rhys demanded from outside the dressing room. “Is everything okay?”
“Yes.” I pinched the sides of the dress and tried pulling it up again, to no avail. “I’m fine.”
Ten minutes later, I was sweating and panting from exertion and the lack of fresh air, and my arms ached from being held up so long.
Shit, shit, shit.
“What the hell is going on in there?” Rhys’s annoyance came through the door, loud and clear. “You’re taking too long.”
I had no choice. I had to ask for help. “Can you call a sales assistant over? I need their help with a, uh, clothing issue.”
There was a long pause. “You’re stuck.”
Flames of embarrassment licked my skin. “Just call someone over. Please.”
“Can’t. One employee left for lunch, and the other is six people deep at the register.” Figured Rhys would be tracking everyone’s movements while he waited for me. “I’ll help.”
If I could see my reflection, I was sure I’d see a mask of horror staring back at me. “No. You can’t come in here!”
“Why not?”
“Because I’m…” Half-naked. Exposed. “Indecent.”
“I’ve seen half-naked women before, princess. Either let me in so I can get you out of whatever jam you’re in, or sit tight for the next hour because that’s how long it’s gonna take the cashier to get through the weekend crowd. They’re moving slower than a turtle on morphine.”
The universe hated me. I was sure of it.
“Fine.” I forced the word out, the flames of embarrassment burning hotter. “Come in.”
The dressing room doors didn’t have locks, and a second later, Rhys’s presence filled the tiny space. Even if I hadn’t heard him enter, I would’ve felt him. He exuded an intense energy that charged every molecule of air until it vibrated with him.
Raw. Masculine. Powerful.
I held my breath as he approached, his boots soft on the linoleum floor. For someone so large, he moved with the grace of a panther.
The dress covered my chest, but my lace panties were on full display, and I tried not to think about how much skin I was showing as Rhys stopped in front of me. He was close enough I could feel the heat radiating from his body and smell his clean, soapy scent.
Tension and silence hummed in equal measure when he gripped the hem of the dress above my head and pulled. It slid up half a centimeter before it stopped again, and I winced when the fabric dug into a fresh section of flesh.
“I’m going to try from the bottom up,” Rhys said, his voice detached and controlled.
Bottom up. Meaning he had to put his hands on my bare skin.
“Okay.” It came out squeakier than I would’ve liked.
Every muscle tensed when he rested his palms on the top of my ribcage. He smoothed his thumbs briefly over the chafed area where the dress had dug into my skin before he hooked his fingers beneath the material as much as he could and inched it up.
I couldn’t hold my breath anymore.
I finally exhaled, my chest heaving like it was trying to push itself deeper into Rhys’s rough, warm touch. The breaths sounded embarrassingly loud in the silence.
Rhys paused. The dress was halfway up my shoulders now, enough to bare my bra-clad chest.
“Calm your breathing, princess, or this ain’t gonna work,” he said, sounding a touch more strained than he had a minute ago.
Heat scorched my skin, but I wrestled my breathing under control, and he resumed his work.
Another inch…another…and I was free.
Fresh air assaulted my nostrils, and I blinked to adjust to the light after being trapped in the dress for the past twenty minutes.
I clutched the material in front of me, my face hot with embarrassment and relief.
“Thank you.” I didn’t know what else to say.
Rhys stepped back, his jaw like granite. Instead of responding, he picked up the bulletproof vest and T-shirt I’d worn beneath it and crooked his finger. “Come here.”
“I can put it on myself.”
Again, no response.
I sighed and walked to where he stood. I was too tired to fight, and I didn’t resist when he slipped the T-shirt over my head, followed by the vest. I watched him in the mirror while he worked, adjusting the vest and straps until it sat comfortably on my torso. I still held my dress in front of me, angling it so it covered my underwear.
I didn’t know why I bothered. Rhys showed as much interest in my half-naked form as he would in a foam mannequin.
A strange needle of irritation pricked at me.
Rhys finished fixing the vest, but before I could step away, his hands closed around my biceps in an iron grip. They were so large they easily encircled my arms.
He locked eyes with me in the mirror and lowered his head until his mouth hovered next to my ear.
My heart skipped a frantic beat, and I clutched the dress tighter in front of me.
“Don’t think I don’t know what you’ve been doing all day.” Rhys’s breath whispered across my skin in a dark warning. “I indulged you this time, princess, but I don’t like games. Lucky for you, you passed the test.” He slid his hands up my arms until they rested on my vest-clad shoulders, leaving a trail of fire in their wake. “You need to learn how to follow instructions without arguing. I don’t care if you think I’m being ridiculous. A second’s delay can mean the difference between life and death. I say duck, you duck. I say wear a bulletproof vest to the fucking beach, you wear the vest. Understand?”