Page 14 of Dark Knight

Once he paid for everything, we started walking out of the store and he said, "I want you to walk twenty feet in front of me. I need to see the reaction people have to this outfit, so I know if it's appropriate for the club or not."

"I see." He hadn't needed to explain what he was doing to me, but he did. For that, I was grateful. I exited the store first, trying to act more confident than I felt as I strutted out, leaving distance between us.

Having him so far away made me feel oddly uncomfortable. At first, I thought it was just the outfit, but as I walked, I realized that it was mainly the lack of Hudson's presence by my side.

I could feel eyes on me. People watched me, looking me up and down, and though I felt like I wanted to scream, I was determined.

He wanted to see people's reaction, which meant that he needed them to look at me, so I put a little extra sway into my steps. If he wanted people to look, I'd make them look. I never had any trouble getting people's attention before, and I was sure that wasn't about to start now.

My heart thudded in my chest as I realized I was heading toward a group of guys that were probably a similar age to me. One of them grinned at me lasciviously before extending both hands as though he was going to try and wrap me in a hug, my steps faltered. As he got closer, his hands dropped.

"Those are some baby-making hips right there," he drawled, before seeming to come to his senses and passing me by. "Hey, watch it," he said a moment later, his voice carrying over the crowd.

I turned and saw Hud glaring down at the kid, as the two had just bumped shoulders. "You watch it, you little punk." Talking like that made him sound like an old man, which made me laugh and coincidentally drew his attention. "Wait for me," he called out before he started walking to catch up to me.

"Shit, that was that girl's boyfriend? You almost died, man," one of the other guys in the group said. "Do you know who that was?" They were out of earshot before I could hear the answer. Who exactly did they think Hudson was? A sliver of anxiety ran through me, but I’d told myself I’d try to trust Hud and Dylan, and I was going to stick to that, so I banished the thought as soon as it reared its ugly head.

"Come on. We're going in here. I need to get you some essentials." Hud's voice was more business-like than before.

I didn't expect a lingerie store. In fact, I would have named any other store as the next place we were going. Hudson's hand landed on the small of my back as we entered the store. The possessive gesture and unexpected touch made heat flare through the skin that was exposed between the halter top and the shorts.

Unlike every other store, the women here flocked to him like gnats to fruit. They didn't seem to realize that this fruit could be deadly.

"We're looking for some sets for her." He looked down at me, letting his gaze slowly travel over my body. "The sexier the better, as well as some everyday essentials."

"Of course, we'll get some set up for you and she can try them on." The woman appeared to be the manager or assistant manager, seeming to have some authority over the other employees within the store as she succeeded in shooing them away.

He smiled charmingly at the woman before he said, "I'll give you five hundred bucks to let me in the dressing room as well. A thousand if you keep other people out of the area."

My jaw dropped. "What the hell, Hud?" I whispered.

"I need to make sure it's something he would like. Nobody else should get to see that."

My cheeks flamed, even I could tell I was blushing, and I was sure everybody else could as well. It was just like wearing a bathing suit I told myself yet again. Nothing wrong with wearing a bikini.

The woman who spoke to him flitted through the store, going from rack to rack as she pulled different things from them. I could see straps, lace, shimmery fabrics, and things that I didn't understand how they went on somebody's body. Finally, she came back over to me.

"Okay, sweetie. Let's get you set up," she cooed at me before hustling me back to the dressing rooms. I hadn't even had a chance to look at anything myself.

There was a hot pink leather couch opposite the dressing room curtains, one that I had to assume was for awaiting husbands, boyfriends, and people of that nature. Hud set all of our bags down next to it before he plopped down on it himself, spreading his legs wide and claiming the entire space.

"We'll make sure the area is clear for you," the clerk said quietly, leaning over as she did, likely so he could get a good long gander down her blouse should he so choose. He just nodded and she walked away pouting slightly, clearly disappointed by his reaction.

I slipped behind the curtain, pulling it closed as I began to examine the items she brought for me to try on.

"Don't forget to show me," Hud called out. I wanted to tell him no, to explain that this was not appropriate, but I knew I just had to get through it.

There was nothing really wrong with him seeing me in a bra and panties. At least, that's what I thought until I saw the items I was trying on. It wasn't just bras and panties. It was lingerie. Full-blown sheer, lacy lingerie. The kind that didn't leave anything to the imagination.

"I can't show you all of this," I called, my voice a little shaky.

"You can and you will, or Dylan will find out that you were disobeying orders." The threat was clear, even if I didn't think they would do anything to hurt me. I mean, after all, I was collateral on a debt I owed them. If they hurt me or killed me, they wouldn't be able to collect on that debt anymore. That didn't mean they couldn't make my stay unpleasant.

I tried on the first set, a blush colored bra and matching panties that were both embroidered with purple flowers. Taking a deep breath, I opened the curtains so that Hudson could see. "Good, next." He barely even looked up from his phone. It was just enough for him to tell me that he was satisfied.

I wanted to snarl at him, to tell him that this wasn't easy for me, that this took everything I had. I couldn't, so I just drew the curtain closed once more and pulled out the next piece of lingerie. A piece of red satin smoothed over me as I put it on.

This time when I opened the curtain, Hud was waiting and watching. The lace and sheer material that made up the bust hid anything I'd be worried about, but I could still feel his gaze traveling over me like it was hot to the touch.

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