Page 55 of Mending Me

The elevator took me up to her floor and I stepped into her hallway brimming with anticipation. This was the first time I would see her all dressed up, and ever since her texts yesterday, I had been visualizing what her dress could look like. I loved how casual she was in her day to day life, but part of me was salivating at the thought of seeing her in a sexy red dress all done up. My arm reached for the door and knocked a few times. Ophelia opened the door with a wide grin on her face.

“You’re gonna die. I hope you brought yourself an extra pair of clean pants because if Bailey doesn’t make you come immediately upon seeing her, you don’t like her enough,” she quipped without even saying hello first.

“Ophelia!” I heard her shout from her room. “Stop it right now! Hank, I’m so sorry, just ignore her. Ophie, get away from him before I come out there and beat your ass for saying things like that.” The volume of her voice grew as she moved closer to the door. As soon as she stepped out of her room and into my line of sight, my heart nearly stopped and I fully understood why Ophelia had made the comment about my pants.

She looked stunning. Not just stunning, she looked drop dead gorgeous. Her dress was sexy as hell but still inside the realm of appropriate for the evening. Deep red and floor-length, it had a slit that ran up her thigh, showcasing her strong, toned legs. She was wearing a pair of strappy heels that matched the bejeweled neckline of her dress. The way it hugged her neck made me jealous. My heart rate increased as she smiled and posed for me, absolutely radiating.

“What do you think, soldier?” she remarked, holding her arms out away from her body. When she spun around and exposed how deep the back of her dress fell, I nearly dropped to my knees in front of her. I must have waited too long to answer because Ophelia smacked me hard on the back.

“Well, Hank, what do you think of our girl?”

“I think she looks stunning. Like the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” I sputtered, tripping over my own tongue as I stared at her. She giggled before taking a few steps closer to me. She rested her hands on my arms and brought her face close to mine.

“You don’t look too bad yourself,” she hummed as her lips pulled back into a warm smile.

“Here, let me take a picture of you both and then you can go.” Ophelia took Bailey’s phone from her hand and positioned us in front of the wall. I felt like I was back in high school having my prom pictures taken. Unable to keep my eyes off of her, I looked down at her and felt my lips pull into a smile. She continued to look at the camera, putting my favorite smile of hers on full display. She shined as she stood next to me and with every picture taken, I could feel my heart falling for her even further.

“Okay, I think I got some good ones,” Ophelia exclaimed, handing the phone back to Bailey. She slipped her phone into the small silver purse she was holding and turned to me.

“You ready to go?” Her sapphire blues pierced straight through every logical thought I was trying to form. Just one lookfrom her turned me inside out. Unable to hold myself back from her, I pulled her into my chest, wrapping my arm around her waist and pressed my lips to her cheek.

“Yes, hermosa?2, I am.” Ophelia let out a soft sigh at my words and looked at us with hearts in her eyes.

We waved goodbye and headed out towards the car hand in hand. As the elevator doors closed, I pulled her into me again, pressing her hips into my side. I tucked my lips behind her ear and growled.

“I just need you to know that the sight of you in that dress is the sexiest fucking thing I’ve ever seen. You’re an evil woman for thinking it’s fair to make me sit next to you all night wearing that when you know I can’t have you until after we leave.” Her breath hitched in her throat and I loved how an evil, knowing smirk grew on her face. “You knew this dress would drive me crazy, didn’t you, mi diablita?3?”

She turned her face to meet mine as our bodies got closer together in the elevator. “Iwashoping it would get that kind of reaction out of you.”

I grabbed her chin with my hand and forced her to look at me. “You’re a naughty girl and I promise to make you pay for this later. I hope you aren’t planning on wearing this dress again after tonight because I fully intend on tearing it off of you once I get you back to my apartment.” Her eyes burned into me with desire and I didn’t miss how her chest was rising and falling more quickly.

“I hope you do,” was all she could say before the elevator doors opened.

As we walked towards the car, I tried to focus on all the things I knew would help to kill an erection. Part of me knew, though, that I was fighting a losing battle.

1 My beautiful girl.

2 beautiful

3 little devil

32

BAILEY

“You ready?” Hank looked at me from the driver’s seat and I could tell by the look on his face thathewas ready to go. I chewed my bottom lip, excitement and nerves building in my core. I looked at him for another beat before he dipped his head at me, his dark curly hair bouncing as he did. “Blondie? You ready to go or what?” he teased.

“Yeah, mhmm, yep, I’m ready.” I sat in my seat and waited for him to come around and open my door for me. I learned the last time we were in this car that he preferred it if I let him be the one to open it. I watched through the window as he buttoned his suit jacket—the move causing my face to get warm—and walked to my side of the car. When he opened my door, he held out his hand towards me and helped to lift me out of the Ford Bronco he’d borrowed to drive us tonight. I swung my legs out of the car, my ass making the leather interior squeak as I moved, and tried to cover my laugh at the sound. Once he had me standing, he laced a strong arm around my waist and pulled me into his side.

“You know, I totally heard that. You didn’t fart, did you?” he played.

“No, Hank, I didn’t fart, oh my god,” I scoffed jokingly. “It sounded like a fart though didn’t it?” I tried not to laugh too loud as I spoke. He turned his face towards my neck and laughed with me. I love how, even when at a high-caliber event like the Annual Veteran’s Benefit, he was still the goofball I knew I was falling in love with. I loved how easily he made me laugh and how quick he was to laugh right along with me.

“Even if you did, you’d still be the most fucking gorgeous woman here tonight. That dress is sinful,” he growled into my ear as we walked up the steps of the library. My breath caught in my throat as he dropped his hand just below my lower back and landed square on my ass and gave it a squeeze.

“Careful there, if someone spots you doing that I’m sure they’ll come over with a whistle or baton and scream at you to drop and give them twenty,” I purred into his ear. The sexual tension between us was almost palpable. An instant heat grew between my legs when I saw him standing in my entryway wearing his dress uniform when he came to pick me up.

“For you, hermosa?1, I would drop and give them a million,” he whispered so close to my ear that his lips brushed against it just enough to send a shockwave down my spine.Calm down girl, you aren’t wearing any underwear, soaking through this dress is not an option.

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