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Co over to hi you’re handsome Otherwise, they’d call security to remove the creepy man from the women’s underwear section"

"I’ave her another wink, then studied her choices His silent inspection made her feel uncomfortable, as did the look he raised to her face

"You’re doin’ it again," he said "Evan wants ye to pick out things you like Consider this your two hours, aye?"

She didn’t want to wear things that Evan and Niall didn’t like, so why couldn’t she pick the things she was sure they would? Evan wanted her to express her desires, because he said it increased their pleasure with her Why couldn’t that work in the opposite direction? Even though he’d been teasing, of course Niall would prefer her to wear a string bikini I the way he’d look at her when she wore it heated her from head to toe

That hard knot moved up under her ribs The store seemed overly warm She ran a hand under her hair, lifted it She was now nervous and out of sorts, almost teary Why couldn’t they let her be who she was, instead of trying todifferent?

Because you aren’t a true servant You’re a failure You don’t knohat you arelost little girl

She’dto the rest of theinto shore She shrank to the wall, a secluded corner formed by the display mannequin She envied the doll its mindless stoicism

Niall was still with her He put his hands on her arms "It’s okay, lass Easy"

"No, it’s not easy I can’t do this" She didn’t want to sound angry or frustrated That wasn’t her But she wanted to push away, she wanted to run, and she never ran fro In reaction, she sank down to the floor, a defensive, folded position, her knees under her chin, fingers linked on them It made her smaller, more walled-up, less noticeable She needed to breathe

"Aye, you can Ye can do anything" He squatted on his haunches before her, shielding her from curious eyes with his wide shoulders She never caused public scenes She stared at his knees

"Help me, Niall Help me make sense of it"

He paused She focused on the rise and fall of his chest, tried to let the steady rhythm restore the same to her

"If ye truly ken there’s a difference betantin’ to do it because ye feel obligated, and doing it because pleasing him pleases you, then that’s different Don’t ye think?"

She lifted her eyes to his face "Is this what Evan called cheating?"

He lifted a broad shoulder, his lips quirking "Not so much, because you’re the more honest of the two o’ us Ye’ll decide if what I say is true or not Ye like hi him makes no difference to a servant’s actions"

"Perhaps it does in this case Ye like hi ye wear, and that ht like He’d be fine with that Long as the feeling’s true"

Maybe her reaction had alar her, but his words did make sense "It is I dolike him Is that how you do ithow you make choices? Do you dress for his pleasure?"