Page 89 of Choosing Skyler

I spend most of my session with Dr. Anderson this morning talking about my feelings on the upcoming trip. She wants to make sure that I’m truly ready and not going out of a feeling of obligation to Brady. I explain that the closer we get to Sunday, the more excited I feel. I can’t wait to see where he grew up.

Brady is excited, too. He said that he can’t wait for me to meet his mom, even though she’s not physically there. I can see the sadness in his eyes every time he talks about her. The grief of losing her overwhelms him and he gets lost in it for a little while. I know that nothing I could say will make it better for him. So, I just let him grieve while knowing that I’m here for him. I think going home without her there is weighing on him even though he’s excited to take me with him.

The memories shared at his childhood home won’t all be sad though. It’s also where he met Devon who ultimately brought us together. I’m excited to see his childhood home too. Timothy insisted that we take a key to his house in case it was too hard for Brady to stay at home. He has been super supportive to all of us since he’s been in town. It’s hard to reconcile the Timothy I’ve gotten to know with the absentee father that was never there for Devon before.

Devon is still in shock, but much more open to a relationship with his dad now that Timothy is making the effort. I’m so glad to see them getting along and getting to know each other as father and son. They have been talking every day and Timothy has stopped by the apartment a few times to check in. He even invited us all to have dinner at his hotel’s restaurant tomorrow evening before we fly out Sunday morning.

Brady and I decide to go to the mall after my appointments to get any last-minute items we want to pick up for the trip. I also want to get a dress for the dinner tomorrow night. I left all of my fancy dinner dresses in Florida when I moved here, thinking I would never need them again. Now I wish I had brought a few with me.

I’m worried about my bank balance since I’ve been out of work. So, I head straight for the clearance rack when we get to the little dress shop. There are a few dresses in my size since I’m still larger than average, even after the weight I lost in the hospital. I find a navy-blue A-line dress with a sweetheart neckline and half sleeves made of a soft lace. I grab it and head to the fitting room without pulling any of the others from the rack.

Brady waits just outside the dressing room door when I step inside. I eagerly undress and pull the dress on, but I can’t get zipper all the way up in the back. So, I open the door a crack and ask Brady to come in and help me. I turn around for him to finish zipping the back. When I look up at the mirror I gasp. This dress is perfect. It’s a light weight, airy material. So, it won’t make me too hot even with the lace overlay at the top and the lace sleeves. It hugs my curves without making my stomach poke out like a pot belly like most fitted clothes tend to do. The front hits just at my knees while the back drops to mid-calf.

I look up at Brady’s face in the mirror and see his eyes flame as they travel down the length of my reflection and back up to my face. When he catches my gaze, he smirks. His hands go to my waist where he squeezes gently, pulling me back until my body is flush against his. My chest rises and falls with each heavy breath as his right hand travels up over my breast, squeezing there before he runs his fingertips over my chest above the neckline of the dress. I feel my skin prickle at his touch even through the lace.

“Brady…” I attempt to turn around and protest because we’re in the dressing room of a pretty small dress shop.

“Shh. Just watch andfeel,” he cuts me off, his grip on my waist tightening to stop me from turning around.

I surrender and lean back against him, enjoying the intimate touch as his hand travels back down the same path until it’s resting on my hip. I watch him in the mirror as his left hand repeats the same movements, feeling the wetness in my panties as he grips both of my hips and pulls me back against his erection. Then, he leans his head down so that his breath fans my ear, making me shiver. I take in a deep breath through my nose and clench my jaw to stop the moan building in my throat from escaping.

“Good girl,” he whispers before licking the shell of my ear and kissing down my neck where he gently nips at my shoulder through the lace.

When he kisses his way back up to my jaw, I lift my arm to wrap around the back of his neck and turn my head to catch his mouth with mine. He kisses me softly before wrapping his arms around my waist and taking a deep breath of his own.

“If we don’t get out of here, I’m not going to be able to stop,” he says huskily.

I feel the blush heat my face and neck as it registers in my mind that we are still in the dress shop dressing room. When I lower my gaze and bite my lip, he spins me around to face him. I look up to meet his stare and when I see that his gaze is no less heated than it was seconds ago in the mirror, I grin. I don’t feel any of the embarrassment or shame that I would have felt before. I feel wanted. I feel chosen. I feel cherished.

“If you don’t stop looking at me like that, I’m definitely not going to be able to stop,” Brady growls, spinning me back around to unzip the dress.

“I think you have a thing for dressing rooms.” I giggle.

“I have a thing foryou, Beautiful. Now get changed before I get us arrested for public indecency,” he says before stepping out of the room and pulling the door closed.

I take the dress off and put it back on the hanger. Once I’m dressed in my jeans and t-shirt, I pull the price tag out and realize it’s twice what I’d planned to spend, even though it’s half price. As much as I love it, there’s no way I can justify spending this much when I’m not working. The rest of the buzz I was feeling moments ago leaves me as I exit the dressing room and leave the dress hanging on the wall for the attendant to return it to the wrack.

Brady

I lean back against the wall next to the dressing room door to wait for Skyler. My mind is running wild with what I plan to do tomorrow night after our dinner at the hotel restaurant. I fully intend to finish what I just started—only, in our bedroom, in front of the mirror over Skyler’s dresser.

I straighten when the dressing room door opens and reach out to take the dress from Skyler before realizing she’s not holding it. She comes out empty handed with a frown on her face.

“What’s wrong, Beautiful? Where’s your dress?” I ask, confused at her change in mood.

“I’m going to look for something cheaper at the department store. I should have looked at the price tag before trying it on.” She frowns.

Oh hell no. I have plans for you and that dress, Beautiful,I think as I walk around her to pull the dress off the hook on the dressing room wall.

“Brady, what are you doing? I’m not spending over a hundred dollars on a dress when I’m not even working right now,” she argues, reaching for the dress.

“No, you’re not. I am,” I tell her matter-of-factly.

“Brady, no. You don’t need to do that. I’ll find something in my price range at the department store,” she argues again.

“Look. At. Me. Skyler.” I grin when her eyes snap to mine. “I’m buying this dress and you’re going to wear it to dinner tomorrow night.” I lean down to whisper in her ear so that only she can hear my next words. “Then, when we get home, I’m going to watch you fall apart for mebeforeI peel it off of you.”

My smile grows when she gasps at my whispered promise. I don’t give her a chance to argue again. I take her hand and pull her to the register.

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