Playing With Pleasure (8 page)

“Well, they’re definitely pretty.” Ashley flipped one of the photos and came to the voluptuous model wearing the form-fitting lingerie and cringed in disgust. “I hope you don’t plan on including this shot in any kind of promotional material or ads. Nobody is going to buy your corsets if they see a picture like this. This woman looks like a walrus in a tutu.”

Paige’s temper flared at her stepsister’s insulting comment, and it took effort for her not to snap at Ashley. Nor would she dignify that rude statement with a response, because her opinion had stopped mattering to her a long time ago. She’d been the brunt of Ashley’s criticism for years, and Paige refused to listen to her stepsister’s derogatory remarks about her designs or her models.

Before Ashley could look at any more of the photos, Paige swept the pictures back into the folder and picked it up. “You need to go. I have a few appointments I need to get ready for, so I’ll see you next week at the dress fitting.” As a dismissal, it was irrefutable.

“I need to get going, too,” Ashley said as she adjusted the strap of her Gucci bag on her shoulder. “I’ll see you then.”

Ashley left the back room, and Paige waited until she heard the front door chime before sinking onto a nearby stool, feeling mentally exhausted. Undoubtedly, between the dress-fitting appointment and dinner with Sawyer next Saturday, it was going to be a very stressful day.

*     *     *

Paige parked her
car in front of the upscale bridal shop in La Jolla at 3:10 Saturday afternoon. She hated that she was running late, which only added to the anxious feeling she’d been dealing with all day. Yeah, she was nervous about tonight’s dinner with Sawyer, and it didn’t help matters that she hadn’t spoken to him all week long. But that hadn’t stopped her from constantly thinking about him and their time together at The Players Club—and she’d laid in bed every single night since, aching for more of the erotic pleasure he’d introduced her to.

She just needed to get through this dress fitting, then tonight with Sawyer was all about
closure
, she reminded herself. It was about putting the past behind her, moving forward with her life, and opening herself up to the possibility of love again.

Yet her traitorous thoughts kept looping back around to the one question she hadn’t been able to answer…how could any man compare after the effortless way Sawyer had commanded her body at The Players Club? She’d loved the feel of those ropes wrapped around her wrists and lightly chafing her skin, and even now, just thinking about being tied up and restrained for Sawyer’s gratification made her nipples peak hard and tight and the muscles down below clench with desire.

“You’ve turned into a certified hussy,” she said and deliberately banged her head against the steering wheel to knock some sense into her brain, just as her phone alerted her to a text message.

“Shit,” she muttered as she dug through her purse for her phone. She fully expected to find a text from Ashley asking where she was. Instead, she saw Sawyer’s name, and her heart skipped a beat.

I’ll be at your place at six.

His message was short and succinct, but a dozen butterflies hatched in her stomach at the thought of seeing him again.

Damn, damn,
damn him
, she silently cursed, frustrated by her inability to truly hate him for shattering her heart. It would be so much easier if she could be cold and indifferent to him, but she wasn’t one of those women who could treat anyone with contempt or disdain, regardless of their transgressions. Her father had always told her that she was tenderhearted just like her mother, and sometimes Paige believed being so forgiving and accepting was more of a curse than a blessing. Especially when a bit of scorn would come in handy for tonight’s dinner with Sawyer, to help her keep her emotional distance.

She exhaled a deep sigh. If she hadn’t been able to shore up a wall of outrage and resentment against Sawyer at The Players Club, then there was little hope for tonight. She’d do her best to keep things amicable, and once he said whatever he needed to get off his chest, they could go their separate ways.

It was the smartest,
safest
option.

I’ll be ready
, she texted back, then got out of her car and rushed into the boutique before she was any later.

She met up with Melissa and Ashley in the fitting area. “I’m sorry I’m late,” she said, giving Melissa an apologetic look. “I had an appointment with a client that ran longer than I’d anticipated.”

“That’s okay, dear.” Melissa’s smile barely registered on her heavily Botoxed features—which she had done regularly to preserve her beautiful and youthful appearance. “I know how important your little business is to you.”

Paige let the patronizing comment slide. Her stepmother truly thought she was being supportive, even though Melissa didn’t understand why Paige felt the need to tie herself to job that demanded so much of her time and attention. To Melissa, Couture Corsets was a whimsical hobby, a small, cute boutique that kept Paige busy but would never amount to anything significant.

“Now that both girls are here, I’ll be right back with your dresses to try on,” the saleslady said and disappeared into a back room.

Melissa wandered off toward the case of sparkling bridal jewelry, and Ashley strolled over to Paige.

“So, have you seen Sawyer this week?” Ashley’s tone was conversational, but her interested gaze was far shrewder.

The last thing Paige wanted to do was discuss anything Sawyer-related with Ashley. “No.” At least she wasn’t lying. She hadn’t seen him since last Saturday.

Paige’s phone pinged again. She automatically glanced down at the display and read the recent text from Sawyer,
oh, and dress casually for dinner. See you soon.

Ashley gasped from beside her, and too late, Paige realized her stepsister had craned her neck to read the message, too. She stuffed the phone back into her purse, and when she glanced at Ashley again, her eyes were wide with disbelief.

“Are you going out with him again?” Her voice hit an incredulous pitch.

There was no fibbing her way out of this one, so Paige just gave a casual, nonchalant shrug. “We’re going for dinner.”

“Oh, you’re going as
friends
. Well, that makes sense.” Ashley shook her head, sending her silky blonde hair cascading over her shoulders. “A guy like Sawyer wouldn’t take you on an actual date.”

“Excuse me?” Paige didn’t know which comment bothered her more, the one about
a guy like Sawyer
or the insinuation that Sawyer wouldn’t date her again.

“Come on, Paige.” Ashley waved a hand in the air. “He’s gorgeous. Hot. And you’re…” Her voice trailed off, as if the rest of her comment was obvious. “I just don’t want you to set yourself up for another heartbreak. And would you really be able to trust him after…
you know
.”

“Yes, I do
know
,” Paige replied irritably through gritted teeth, though she wasn’t surprised that her stepsister had the audacity to go
there
, to dredge up the past and the fact that Sawyer had slept with her. Never mind the fact that she showed no remorse or guilt. “If you’ll recall, I was right there the morning after my twenty-sixth birthday and saw
everything
.”

“You know I’m sorry for what happened,” she said haughtily. “I’ve apologized enough times, even though Sawyer was the one who came on to me and told me that he was only with you because—”

“Don’t,” Paige snapped, not wanting to hear the end of that sentence all over again.
He was with you because he felt sorry for you
. According to Ashley, Paige had been nothing more than a pity fuck to Sawyer and he didn’t really like fat girls. Those kinds of careless remarks had always accompanied a sharp stab to an old wound, because they took her back to high school and reminded her of the cruel scheme Ashley had orchestrated to humiliate Paige all those years ago.

Yet despite Ashley’s claim, there had been nothing resembling
pity
with Sawyer last Saturday night. Paige had witnessed the heated desire etching his masculine features before he’d blindfolded her, had felt his hunger and lust as he’d dominated her body, and she’d seen the wild, unrestrained passion in his eyes as he’d given himself over to his own fierce orgasm.

There had been no pretenses between them in that moment, and there was nothing that Ashley could say to convince Paige otherwise.

“Here are your dresses, girls,” the saleslady said, making Paige very grateful for her timely interruption. “Follow me to the dressing room, and we’ll see if either of you need any alterations.”

Paige shook off her rioting emotions and followed the woman to a fitting room. Ashley took the one beside hers, and Melissa sat on the plush couch to wait for them to model the dresses
Ashley
had chosen for them to wear as her two bridesmaids. Paige hadn’t had any say in the matter, and since the sample size at the bridal shop had been three sizes too small for her to even try on beforehand, she had no idea how she’d look in the form-fitting gown. The saleslady had just taken her measurements and promised that the dress would be custom-made in her size.

Except as Paige tried to pull the garment up over her curvy hips and ass, a sense of dread settled in the pit of her stomach. She could barely squeeze into the tight, mermaid-style gown, and zipping it up was a challenge. Her butt and hips looked huge, her breasts spilled out of the top, and she was certain that even a heavy-duty pair of Spanx wouldn’t be able to smooth out the ripples and bulges caused by the form-fitting sheath.

Frustration tightened her chest, and tears welled in her eyes as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. The dress itself, in a soft shade of rose, was gorgeous—with a classic sweetheart neckline and cap sleeves. The bodice, all the way down to the mid-calf, was constructed in a high-end lace fabric that clung to every curve, which then flared into a skirt made of layers of rose hued chiffon.

But for Paige’s fuller figure, there was absolutely nothing flattering about this particular silhouette. She looked hideous, and nothing would change that.

There was a quick knock on the door, followed by the saleslady’s voice. “Your sister is already out here. Are you ready to show your mother the dress?”

No, she wasn’t, but what choice did she have? Bracing herself for everyone’s reaction, she stepped out and walked into the dressing area, where Ashley was standing on the dais admiring herself in the three-way mirror. Her tall, slender stepsister looked stunning in the form-fitting dress, with the fabric molding to her perfect curves and her blonde hair cascading over her slim shoulders in soft curls. The dress had been made for the lithe shape of her body, and she looked as though she’d stepped right out of a bridal magazine.

As soon as Melissa saw Paige, her eyes widened, and a soft gasp escaped her. “Oh…Paige.” Her soft, cultured voice was tinged with dismay.

Ashley twirled around on her platform to see what had startled her mother, looking equally stunned at Paige’s appearance in the gown. “Oh my God, Paige. You look like a stuffed sausage.”

Paige’s face heated in embarrassment at her stepsister’s very apt description. She
felt
like a stuffed sausage in the dress, and she refused to compound her humiliation by looking at herself from all angles in the three-way mirror.

Melissa shot Ashley a chastising glance. “Ashley, that is not a nice thing to say.”

Ashley just shrugged, a small smirk on her lips that Paige recognized all too well. Ashley knew she looked stunning in the dress, and she loved the fact that Paige would look so dowdy standing next to her at the elegant wedding so all the attention would be on her.

Melissa circled around Paige to take in the full effect of the dress, then looked at the saleslady. “Is there anything we can do to make this dress fit better?”

The other woman shook her head, even as she offered Paige a sympathetic glance. “I’m very sorry, but it’s the way the gown is designed, and Paige’s proportions and shape isn’t ideal for this particular style.”

Melissa touched a hand to her sleek blonde chignon and sighed. “Well, I’m not sure what to do. She certainly can’t wear it as it is, and there’s only two weeks left until the wedding.”

Despite the way Ashley had always treated Paige, Melissa had always been kind to her. Melissa clearly didn’t want Paige showing up wearing such an ill-fitted gown to her upscale ceremony, and that was the last thing Paige wanted, as well. A solution to the problem popped into Paige’s head, and she crossed her fingers and hoped that her stepmother would agree to her proposal.

“I have an idea,” she said, which captured the attention of all three women in the room—the saleslady, Melissa,
and
Ashley all turned their gazes her way. “I can make myself a bridesmaid gown, similar in style to Ashley’s but not as form-fitting, so I’m comfortable in the dress and it suits my figure better. I can even use the same lace and chiffon fabric, so the color and material is exactly the same.”

Melissa was quiet for a moment as she contemplated the idea, and Ashley went back to admiring herself in the mirror, unthreatened by Paige’s plan to create a
handmade
dress.

“That is a
fabulous
idea,” the saleslady replied enthusiastically, which, in turn, seemed to ease any concerns Melissa might have had. “Having bridesmaids in different style dresses but in the same color is quite popular right now. I can order the lace and chiffon and have it sent directly to Paige so she could have it in a few days’ time.”

Melissa nodded her agreement. “I guess that will have to do.”

A huge surge of relief rushed through Paige, but nothing took away the heaviness in her chest or the feeling of inadequacy the entire situation had caused. She was embarrassed and humiliated, but she had no other choice than to shake it off and set her mind to creating a knockout gown that would make even Ashley sit up and take notice.