by Ashley Shay
Carly glanced up. “No?”
“No, she held perfection because of the person she was in here.” Lisa held her hand over her heart.
“I was still right. She was so perfect, and I am so…”
“You are so…what? Beautiful, enchanting, mesmerizing, enthralling?”
Carly glanced up with a shy smile. “I was thinking big.”
“Big! Nonsense. You, my dear, are what every man fantasizes about when his too-skinny wife leaves the room. You are the woman men yearn to paint. You are the woman men and other women have worshipped for thousands of years. Oh, Carly, if you could only see yourself as others see you—radiant, glorious, alive, open yet mysterious, shy yet bold, alluring yet untouchable at times. You have sumptuous curves and wondrous skin, and your hair is vital and so touchably soft.” To prove her point, she gathered some strands in her hand and wrapped them between her fingers. “What I wouldn’t give to have even one tenth of your sex appeal, and what you seem to have in here.” She touched her hand to her chest again.. “Believe me, the Lucas brothers have liked what they’ve seen in you, or you wouldn’t be here.”
“I was hired as their nanny.”
“Yes, I know, but you’ve moved far beyond that, now haven’t you, chérie?”
“I suppose so,” Carly said with a smile.
“So enough self-doubt. We will prepare you for the new life you’ve been given.” She gave Carly a wink. “And we will try to prepare those men of yours for the lives you’re about to change.” Lisa walked around Carly in a slow circle, looking her up and down with a practiced eye. “As you are aware, Cougar likes leather. For all his control and stuffiness at times, Tyler likes surprises, such as crotchless panties and peekaboo bras. Shane loves classy, sexy, understated, and silky.” She smiled at something that crossed her mind, but she didn’t elaborate. “Dusty likes playful ruffles, bows, and boas.”
“And Gabe?” Carly asked with a little shiver of anticipation.
“Gabe is the mysterious one. He’s bought everything from studded leather to chaste white gowns. I think he’s a man of varied appetites and enjoys role-playing.”
“Interesting,” Carly acknowledged. She sat in a comfortable chair and sipped her wine while Lisa picked out a variety of outfits for her. If this was the life of the alpha’s woman, Carly thought she could get used to it very quickly.
When Lisa returned, it looked as if she had half the store hanging on the portable rack she pushed in front of her. She gestured to another saleswoman then took Carly’s empty wine glass. A young dark-haired woman hurried over and smiled. Carly wondered what kind of shifter she might be. In her new life, that seemed to be the first question on her mind every time she met someone. With her short pixie cut, bright brown eyes, and wide cheeks, the girl might have been some sort of squirrel or chipmunk. Carly nearly laughed at the very idea.
“Serena, take Miss Barnes and her possible choices to Room 6. Carly, you get started, and I’ll—”
Before she could say more, a muted chime announced another customer. Carly glanced up to see a large woman staring self-consciously around the room with small, beady eyes and wiping dots of sweat from her neck.
Definitely warthog, Carly thought with amusement.
“Excuse me,” Lisa said. “That’s the mayor’s wife. Serena will take excellent care of you while I help Mrs. Stanford for a moment. She’s probably shopping for the charity event coming up later this month, and Dorothy always needs a bit of TLC.”
Carly followed Serena down a hallway to enter a large circular chamber ringed with closed doors. Between the doors, mirrors hung floor to ceiling, and in the center of the chamber, chairs, sofas, chaises, and even a bed decorated the space like a lady’s boudoir. As Carly stared about her in confusion, Serena stopped at Room 6 and swung open the door to reveal a rather large private dressing room holding a tall mirror, a luxurious bench and chaise, and a dressing table filled with cosmetics, brushes, and hair accessories.
When Serena saw Carly inspecting the furniture, both in the circular chamber and private dressing room, she swept her hand out. “Our customers love to experiment when they’re wearing their lingerie. They want to see how each piece feels as they sit, lounge on a chaise, lie on the bed…”
“That makes sense,” Carly said, amazed that she’d never been aware of how posh shopping could actually be.
“Now, Miss Barnes, feel free to take your time. Some women spend all day here making one single purchase. Use the room at your leisure. Should you need the powder room, it is over there.” She indicated a pale-pink door near the entrance then directed Carly’s attention to a panel holding a row of labeled buttons. “If you need anything else, please just touch my name there, and I’ll be right here.”
With that, Serena vanished through the exit. Carly browsed through the rack of silky, barely there exotic fabric and clothing. She couldn’t wait to try all of them on. The variety astounded her, and she smiled to herself, imagining each brother’s reaction to her choices. Suddenly she couldn’t wait to get home, but first she had to buy presents for the men in her life.
An hour later, Serena had checked on her twice, and Lisa had checked on her once, bringing another rack filled with even more choices. A large stack of future purchases lay spread over the chaise in her dressing room, and Carly was still debating over an innocent-looking white silk bustier she thought Shane might like. She opened the dressing room door and was headed toward the bed to pose on the satin sheets when she felt a bit sick.
After that, everything happened fast. She doubled over, the bile rushing up her throat. She managed to keep it down, but her stomach continued to convulse and heave in painful spasms. Cold sweat poured from her face and neck, and she stumbled toward the intercom system. As she forced one foot in front of the other, another wave of nauseating sickness and fear nearly forced her to the floor. She looked up as someone rushed past her, nearly knocking her off her feet as they headed for the exit.
“Please, help me. I…”
The words died in her throat as the figure paused at the door and glanced over her shoulder, her brown hair swinging wildly across her back. A cold brown gaze from a pair of deep-set eyes, nearly hidden beneath of fringe of hair, swept across Carly’s body, and she reeled backward, her back hitting the wall and knocking her even more off-balance.
Carly’s knees buckled, and she hit the carpeted floor with a thud. “Oh, no…It can’t be.”
Blindly, she reached behind her, reaching upward as high as she could, fumbling for the buttons, any button…
“Nice outfit,” the woman said. “Shane will love that.” Then she laughed and disappeared through the door.
Carly choked as another spasm ripped through her body. “Help me…please…” She tried again, this time a bit louder. “Help me…” But then another shudder racked her, and she slid to the ground, her cheek hitting the carpet as her eyes closed.
* * * *
The barricades into town had been removed in preparation for his vehicle, and Cougar drove as carefully as he could under the circumstances, knowing that most of the citizens wouldn’t be looking for motorized vehicles. When he reached Main Street and parked, he leaped from his SUV and knocked four people out of his way trying to reach the entrance of Purrrfectly Fine Lingerie. When the call had come in that Carly’d become sick and fallen in the shop, he’d been on his way to town to meet Clandestine’s accounting manager. He’d nearly run off the road three times before he made the town border.
He found the assigned security officer, Robb Jackson, and gripped the man’s arm. “Where is she?”
“She’s in the dressing area. Lisa’s with her. She refused an ambulance.”
“Damn woman. Get a doc here to take a look at her.”
“You got it, boss,” Jackson said. He touched his earpiece. “Cathouse, this is Tomcat 6 requesting…”
Cougar missed the rest because he’d already stomped halfway across the shop. He passed Serena Duncan on t
his way. The poor girl was breathing into a paper bag. He paused for a split second to touch her lightly on the shoulder. She nodded gratefully, staring at him blankly, her normally bright eyes sunken with stress and guilt. Apparently Carly had been her assigned customer.
With years of memory, he pushed through the door to the left, strode down the hallway, and pushed open the door to the dressing rooms. He’d been back there countless times with Jillian as she modeled privately for him. For the hundredth time since Carly had entered his life, he pushed Jillian back into his memories where she belonged, reminding himself he couldn’t go forward if he kept going backward. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw a very pale and shaking Carly slumped on the chaise lounge in the center of the room. She had a cotton robe wrapped around her shoulders, and when she glanced up and saw him, she lurched to her feet. The robe fell to the ground, and right before she hurled herself into his open arms, he got a glimpse of the unholy temptation she wore displaying every bit of creamy flesh and enticing curve she possessed.
He cradled her against his body, cupping the back of her head with his hand and pulling her close. “Thank God you’re okay.”
She squeezed closer, her arms sliding around his waist and holding tight. He felt a few tears dampen his shirt.
“Are you feeling okay?” he asked quietly. “I have a doc on the way, and she—”
She lifted her tearful face. “I’m fine. Really. Everything is fine now. I’m fine.”
So grateful to find her steady on her feet, her eyes focused and clear despite the tears, and her body whole, he struggled hard not to simply crush his lips to hers. He wanted to push her onto the chaise and take advantage of the glorious bundle of temptation he held in his arms.
He brushed sweaty strands of hair back from her face, wondering at the dampness when it was so cool and comfortable in the dressing area. She’d been in the throes of some mighty debilitating sickness for a few moments, but it seemed to have passed. “Was it something you ate for breakfast?”
She shook her head, her silky hair drifting across his hand on her damp neck. He held her back by her shoulders so he could see her eyes. “No, I was fine until…” She bit her lip as though trying to keep damning words locked inside.
“Until what?” he prodded gently, though he felt his hands squeeze tighter on her shoulders. Something didn’t feel right about this whole thing. He let his glance roam quickly over the room. Everything looked…fine, normal, but something about this whole incident didn’t feel normal at all. He noticed the small red lights blinking very discreetly in the ceiling. Lisa destroyed the tapes every night to protect her clients’ privacy, but he already knew he’d be reviewing them. “Come on, Carly…tell me.”
“It was her,” Carly whispered.
“Her? Who? Serena? Lisa?”
“No, the salesgirl from San Antonio.”
Holding to his patience and temper by a thread, Cougar shook his head. “I don’t understand, Carly.”
“I’ve seen her before…I felt sick both times. She was here, and she…she knew who I was, knew what I was doing here.” Her voice caught in her throat as she choked back a sob. “Talk to Gabe. He’ll know.”
He had no idea what she might be talking about, but he felt her shivering increase under his hand. He tugged her closer then touched his earpiece. “Tomcat 6, get my brothers on the horn and put in a call to Gabe Laughton. Emergency status.”
“Yes, sir,” Robb Jackson said.
“And tell Lisa I’m going to need that security tape.”
He caught Carly just as her legs buckled.
* * * *
Dusty heaved a sigh of relief when he caught sight of Carly wrapped up in his brother’s arms, wearing a pink terry cloth robe. Dusty couldn’t see Carly’s face because it was buried in his twin’s chest, but Cougar looked like a thundercloud about to explode. “She okay?” Dusty asked his twin, involuntarily reaching out.
Cougar smoothed a hand over Carly’s head before gently handing her over. Dusty wrapped her in his arms, and she leaned against his body, soft, warm, and safe. She still trembled a bit, and he’d seen the evidence of tears on her face. He’d have used all his nine lives if something would have happened to her. Over her head, he asked his twin a silent question.
“She’s going to be fine,” Cougar said. “Doc just left, and she couldn’t find anything wrong.”
Carly twisted her head away from Dusty’s chest, and her lips formed a pout. “I’m right here, you guys. You’re talking around me and treating me like a baby.”
“Because you’re our baby,” Dusty said. “Just enjoy it.”
Dusty was more than happy when she settled back against him and laid her head on his chest.
Cougar’s gaze slid over Dusty’s shoulder. “Did you see Rosa and Suzie on your way in?”
“Yeah, they’re outside with security.”
“No trouble?”
“They’re fine, though a bit upset they haven’t seen Carly,” Dusty said. “Tomcat 8 saw no sign of any trouble. The girls were having ice cream and flipping through magazines when 6 radioed in.”
Cougar’s face lost a little tension. “Good, why don’t you take everyone home for me, Dusty? I’m waiting on a call from Gabe, and I want to go over the digital security feed for the store. Then I’ll be back at the ranch.”
Carly twisted around in Dusty’s arms and looked longingly at the mound of clothes she’d left in the dressing room. Cougar caught her look and gave a half smile. “Serena!”
The girl came running. Her face still held the blotchiness of tears. “Yes, sir. I’m so sorry. I—”
“Shhh,” Cougar hushed in a surprisingly gentle voice. “You didn’t do anything wrong, but I’d like for you to gather up all the outfits Carly left in the dressing room and ship them out the ranch.”
Serena’s eyes widened. “All of them?”
“Yes,” Dusty and Cougar said simultaneously.
Carly drew in a deep breath as if she were about to protest, but her words died when Lisa stuck her head into the room. “I’ve got that digital feed ready, Cougar.”
Cougar held up his finger toward her in a “one moment” gesture and turned to Dusty. “I’ve got extra security on the perimeter and a guard in the house. Carly shouldn’t be alone at any time.” He locked eyes with Dusty in silent twin speak, and Dusty nodded his understanding.
Wrapping his arm around Carly’s shoulders, Dusty led her toward the door. He said over his shoulder, “I’ll see you back at the ranch.”
Chapter Thirteen
Rosa whisked Suzie away the minute they got back to Cattail, leaving Carly alone with the men. Tyler gathered her up into his arms for a long hug, and Carly let herself melt into his embrace before she pulled away to look up at him. “I’m fine.” She tiptoed up to plant a kiss on his stubbled chin. “Really.”
Tyler studied her for a long moment before releasing her. “Okay, sweetheart. You gave us all quite a scare.” Pulling her back into his arms, he placed a kiss on her lips that seemed to go on forever. Carly forgot everything but the taste of his mouth and the feeling of absolute protection and love in his embrace. He reluctantly broke the kiss and stepped back as if he didn’t trust himself to stand any closer to her. “I’ve got to take care of some business with Cougar and Gabe. You go on upstairs and get some rest. I’ll be up to check on you later.”
“I’ll walk you up,” Dusty said, taking hold of her arm. Shane fell in behind them as they started up the stairway.
“You don’t have to do this,” Carly protested. “I really am okay. I just got a little scare.”
“It sounds like a bit more than a scare,” Shane said.
“But I don’t want to keep you boys from doing whatever you need to be working on.”
“Our job is to keep you safe and happy,” Shane explained, opening her bedroom door. “I can’t think of anything else I’d rather be doing, Carly.”
“You can’t?” She cast an obvious glance at he
r bed.
“That falls under the ‘keeping you happy’ category.” Shane gave her a wicked smile.
“First, you’d have to be doing it to make me happy.”
Shane looked at Dusty. “Carly Barnes, are you trying to entice Dusty and me into a little afternoon delight?”
“As usual, Shane’s a bit dense,” Dusty said, peeling off his shirt. “You don’t have to ask me twice.”
* * * *
Shane caught a glimpse of his brother hurriedly undressing and stifled a smile. Patience was not one of Dusty’s virtues. Shane caught Carly’s attention and locked eyes with her as he began to unbutton his shirt. Behind her, Dusty was hopping around like a grasshopper trying to get out of his boots in a rush. Ignoring the antics going on behind Carly, Shane began a slow tease of seduction while she watched him undress.
Her blue eyes widened with each button he opened, and her lips parted as if in anticipation of tasting him. Shane pulled his shirt out of the snug jeans he wore and left it dangling open while he unbuttoned the top of his jeans and unzipped them halfway before toeing out of his boots.
Through a gap in the pink robe she wore, he saw the creamy, white swell of her breasts rise and fall with each breath. Shane noticed her breathing had become quicker now and a little uneven, always a pleasure to see in his beautiful woman.
Dusty had finally relieved himself of his clothes and came up behind Carly, wrapping his arms around her and dropping kisses on her neck, ear, and temple while Shane continued his striptease. She leaned back into Dusty’s arms and smiled at Shane, giving him a look of innocent seduction. Damn, he should have taken a cue from Dusty so he’d already be naked and in her arms.
Carly licked her lips as Shane finished unzipping his jeans and pushed them over his legs. His cock rose, throbbing and painfully hard, as he stepped out of his pants with practiced ease. “Your turn, Carly.”
Dusty ran his hands up her stomach and over her breasts before slipping his fingers into the gap in her robe. With one fluid motion, he pulled the robe apart and off her shoulders, letting it pool around her waist.
