Garden of May - Chapter 70
Chapter 70
“The gentleman will be a while longer.” Perhaps because she had purchased the expensive brooch, the proprietress’s demeanor had softened considerably. “It would look stunning on you… Come out and show me once you’ve tried it on. And give me that shirt with the missing button and your skirt.”
“But…”
“Just for you, as my first customer today, I’ll mend them for free.”
Vanessa, caught off guard, accepted the dress and was ushered into the changing room. Having her button and skirt repaired was too good an offer to refuse, though she wondered about the sudden shift in the proprietress’s attitude.
She quickly removed her blouse and skirt and handed them to the proprietress waiting outside the curtain. She had just pulled the dress up to her waist when she heard footsteps descending the stairs. River Ross’s voice, faint at first, grew closer.
“Vanessa? Are you in there?”
The familiar voice came from just beyond the curtain.
“River? Are you finished already?”
Checking her wristwatch, Vanessa frantically grabbed her discarded clothes.
“Just a moment. I’ll be right out.”
“You’re trying on a dress, aren’t you? Take your time.”
“Just wait a second. Oh…”
In her haste, she accidentally tugged on the corset’s ribbon. She had loosely tied it herself after… that, and the slight loosening was enough to undo the lacing that held her from bust to hips.
Fumbling to fix it, her elbow hit the wall with a thud. Vanessa stifled a groan and leaned against the wall.
“Vanessa? What was that?”
“…Nothing. I bumped into something. Just give me… a moment…”
“Are you undressed?”
“A little… Not completely…”
“I’m coming in.”
What? Before she could react, the curtain was pulled open. The shop’s light flooded the changing room, and River Ross stood silhouetted against it, a faint shadow across his face.
“….”
As her eyes adjusted, she could finally see his expression. His gaze, dark and intense, slowly traveled down her body.
The chemise that revealed her bre3sts, the corset that had slipped halfway down her waist, her exposed thighs. Her body, flushed with lingering marks, must have looked wanton and unrestrained.
“Where did you bump yourself?”
“It’s… fine.”
His slow perusal sent heat rushing to her ears. Even after they had been intimate… Vanessa touched her burning cheeks with the back of her hand and glanced behind him.
The proprietress and the attendants had vanished. They must have discreetly retreated, or perhaps he had dismissed them. He could be more imperious than a nobleman at times…
“My corset… came undone…”
“This lacing?”
“Yes.”
“Hold on.”
He gestured to the support post with his chin. Vanessa, gathering her clothes, turned her back to him and faced the mirror. Everything was reflected: her trembling hands gripping the post, River Ross standing close behind her.
The rustle of the fabric as he moved seemed unusually loud. He looped the loose ends of the corset around her hands, one in each. She took a sharp breath, and he slowly began to tighten the laces.
She expected the familiar, constricting pressure, but he stopped short.
“…You can pull it tighter.”
“I’m afraid your waist might snap before I get it all the way.”
“It’s fine. I can take it tighter than this. I always have…”
He arched an eyebrow, as if incredulous that women could function while so tightly bound. Again, he didn’t pull very hard. Vanessa turned around impatiently.
“Come on, River. Just a little more…”
He chuckled and leaned closer, his breath warm against her ear, her bare neck. His eyes were languid as he tilted his head.
“I’d like to hear you say that in bed.”
Vanessa gasped silently, then closed her mouth, seeing her reflection in the mirror. She looked more indecent than if she were completely n4ked. This pose… it was something she’d only do before being taken from behind, like an animal…
Her warm breath fogged the mirror, then cleared, over and over. Vanessa squeezed her eyes shut. Again. Now those thoughts, at any time, anywhere…
“Vanessa.”
At the sound of her name, she instinctively looked up. Her eyes met River Ross’s blue gaze in the mirror. His innocent expression, like a young man untouched by desire, made her thoughts even more shameful.
He tugged the laces a bit tighter with his left hand and cupped her chin, pulling her head back until her back arched into a graceful curve.
“What indecent thoughts are you having, my lady?”
