Chloe felt like a bundle of lit-up nerve endings. As Nathan helped her out of the car and escorted her to an unmarked bronze door on the side of the venerable retailer’s Fifth Avenue store, she could feel every brush of her clothing, every whisper of air over her skin, every point of contact between Nathan’s body and hers. It all fed the tightly wound knot of desire deep in her belly that was aching for release.
A tall, beautiful woman whose salt-and-pepper hair contrasted dramatically with her chocolate-colored skin stood just inside the door. “Ms. Russell, Mr. Trainor,” she said, stepping forward with her hand outstretched. “I’m Faye LaBarre, your personal shopper. Let me show you what I’ve selected for you.” Her deep voice moved in the cadences of the South, and her handshake was firm.
Nathan took Chloe’s elbow as they followed Faye to a bronze-and-wood-paneled elevator. Just that casual touch sent fire burning through her veins. The elevator was small enough that Nathan’s shoulder and hip brushed against her, and she had to quell the urge to lean into his body. Faye led them out into what looked like someone’s living room. A plush beige couch and several chairs were arranged around an open space covered by a pastel Oriental rug. An elegant brass rack hung with dresses stood in the middle of it.
“May I offer you something to drink?” Faye asked, waving them toward the couch.
“Water would be great, please. And call me Chloe.”
Faye’s smile was as warm as her voice. “Sure thing, sugar. Mr. Trainor?”
“Nathan,” he said with his own heart-grabbing smile. “Water for me as well.”
Nathan settled onto the sofa, stretching out his long legs and sliding his cell phone out of his pocket. “I’ll leave you ladies to your critical task.”
Faye handed each of them a tall glass of water with a lime floating in it. Chloe took a gulp and turned toward the rack.
“Nathan forwarded me the sizes you gave him and explained about the wedding you’re attending. I pulled together several ensembles I thought might work. Shall we begin?”
Chloe took another swallow of water and set the tumbler down on a glass-topped side table. She ran her damp palm down her skirt so she wouldn’t get water spots on the beautiful clothes displayed in front of her. She saw with relief that they had tags dangling from them, so she’d be able to select by price.
She walked to the rack and casually glanced at one of the tags, biting back an exclamation of dismay. The only information on it was the size and the designer’s name, and the name let her know it was exorbitantly expensive. She reminded herself that her appearance would reflect on Nathan, so she needed to swallow her pride, just this once.
Faye showed her each of the half-dozen outfits, naming the designer, describing the fabrics, and discussing the accessories. As Chloe hesitated in front of the array, Faye said, “If you don’t like any of these, I have another rack for you to look at.”
“My problem is deciding which one to try on,” Chloe said, running her fingers over the beautiful embroidery on the skirt of one dress.
“Try them all on,” Nathan said, startling her into spinning around. She’d thought he was engrossed in his cell phone, but instead he was lounging on the couch, his arms spread across the back, the glass of water dangling from his long fingers. “I’ll help you choose.”
“A gentleman after my own heart,” Faye said, rolling the rack toward a wide door.
Chloe trundled along behind Faye into the huge dressing room, remembering Nathan’s comment about mirrors as her image was reflected back at her from multiple angles. He had to be kidding about having sex here, since they had a very attentive personal shopper. Chloe was both relieved and frustrated.
“All right, let’s try the Roberto Cavalli first since you were stroking it.” Faye’s tone invited Chloe to laugh along with her. “Would you like me to help you, or would you prefer that I give you your privacy?”
“I, um—” Chloe wasn’t accustomed to having a dresser, but when she thought about the possibility of damaging one of the delicate and expensive pieces of clothing with her inexpert handling, she decided she could use some assistance. “Please stay. I don’t want to ruin anything.”
“With pleasure, sugar. You’re going to look stunning in this.” Faye was already unfastening the dress and slipping it off its hanger.