Seducing Her Husband

Thirteen

Mia stood frozen at the threshold, her palms already damp, wondering why on earth she'd agreed to this.

"You okay?" Janelle whispered, nudging her.

"I'm... not sure I can do this."

"Yes, you can," Janelle grinned. "You already did the dresses. Lingerie is just dresses for seduction."

"That's not helping," Mia muttered.

But she let herself be led further in.

The boutique was dimly lit and softly perfumed like stepping into a secret.

Mia felt her nerves unravel the moment she crossed the threshold. Satin robes hung from golden hooks. Lingerie in every imaginable shade lined the walls: lace, mesh, silk, bows, delicate embroidery that looked like it belonged more in an art gallery than under a dress.

She clutched her purse tightly to her chest like a shield.

Janelle, of course, looked completely in her element.

"Okay, listen," she said, looping an arm around Mia's shoulder as they surveyed the racks. "Rule number one this isn't about him. It's about you. Lingerie is power you wear under your clothes. Like armor. Sexy, ridiculous, lacy armor."

Mia blinked at a strappy black set that looked more like an architectural experiment than anything wearable. "That doesn't look like armor. That looks like a trap."

Janelle cackled. "Exactly."

A kind-looking assistant named Camille approached with a warm smile. "Looking for something special?"

Janelle leaned in. "We need a mix. Something innocent. Something dangerous. And something that says 'I may look shy, but I can absolutely ruin your life if I feel like it.'"

Camille's eyes sparkled. "Right this way."

Mia followed, feeling like she was walking toward her own execution.

The first piece Camille handed Mia was a pale blush chemise, barely-there satin that felt like petals in her hands.

"I can't wear this," Mia whispered once she was alone in the fitting room. "It's too-"

But she tried it anyway.

The fabric draped over her skin like liquid light, clinging to the soft curve of her waist and fluttering around her thighs. Her collarbones glowed against the delicate lace trim. When she stepped out, her arms crossed tightly over her chest, Janelle gasped.

"Mia. You look like a dream someone's afraid to wake up from."

Camille's eyebrows lifted in genuine surprise. "Wow. That body was hiding under that sweater?"

Mia's blush turned crimson.

She darted back into the fitting room

The second set was a dark berry two-piece with a balconette bra and high-leg panties made entirely of embroidered lace.

"I can't wear this," Mia whispered from behind the curtain.

"Yes you can," Janelle sang. "And you will."

She emerged, arms crossed, eyes down.

Janelle gasped. "Okay. Nope. Stop right there."

"What?"

"You're not allowed to be this hot and this humble at the same time. It's illegal."

Camille was nodding behind her. "That color against your skin is actual art."

Mia risked a peek in the mirror. Her waist looked smaller. Her legs longer. Her skin, like porcelain with warmth.

She giggled nervously. "I look like someone who has secrets."

"You are someone who has secrets," Janelle whispered, smirking.

The next piece was a daring icy-blue teddy with delicate embroidery and thin straps that curved just beneath her collarbone.

Mia stepped out hesitantly again, her fingers fidgeting.

"I feel exposed," she murmured.

"You are exposed," Janelle said. "And you've never looked more powerful."

The assistant smiled. "That blue makes your skin look like warm cream. Stunning."

Mia bit her lip and stared at her reflection. Her usual modesty made her want to crawl away but underneath that? A small flutter of pride.

Maybe even pleasure.

"Something bolder?" Camille asked with a little mischief.

She returned with a two-piece scarlet lace set with high-waisted bottoms and a bralette so sheer Mia could barely hold it.

Janelle fanned herself dramatically. "If you don't buy this, I will. For myself."

Mia stood in front of the mirror, frozen.

The red looked wicked against her pale skin. The delicate scalloped lace hugged her waist like it had been made just for her.

She turned once, then again.

A slow smile tugged at the corner of her lips.

"I don't hate this," she whispered.

Janelle gasped. "A confession!"

This one's softer," Camille said, handing her a delicate ivory two-piece with silk bows at the hips and a ruffled underwire top.

Mia hesitated, then changed and stepped out again.

This time, she laughed.

She looked like a blushing angel.

Camille chuckled. "That's the one you wear when you want to look like you didn't plan anything... but secretly planned everything."

Janelle took a photo just of Mia's face her pink cheeks and shy smile.

"This is the one," Janelle said softly. "For when you want to kill him sweetly

Next came a forest green velvet set with cutouts along the hips and a plunging neckline.

Mia had to close her eyes before she could walk out in it. But when she did...

Even she stared at her reflection for a moment too long.

The fabric hugged her curves. The rich color made her skin glow. The high-waist bottoms dipped at just the right angle.

She didn't look like a schoolteacher.

She looked like someone else. Someone daring.

"You are dangerous in green," Janelle said reverently.

Camille looked impressed. "You're going to need a warning label

Next up

A sheer black bodysuit with embroidery over the chest and delicate pearl buttons down the middle. Feminine. Dark. Sharp.

Mia stepped out and didn't speak.

Neither did Janelle or Camille.

It was art.

Her soft curves, long legs, the way her hair spilled over her shoulder-it all made her look like a woman from an expensive perfume ad. Unattainable. Ethereal.

"You don't need to speak," Janelle finally said, standing up to grab her by the shoulders. "That's the one. I swear to God, if you walk past him in this, he'll forget how to function."

Mia couldn't even laugh. She just stared at herself.

A stranger

The final piece was a soft, white bralette with thin silk straps and matching panties with lace trailing down her thighs. It was sweet. Pure. But when she stepped out, it was somehow the most alluring of all.

Camille exhaled. "Wow, you're a goddess."

Janelle's voice was low this time. "You look like a woman someone would beg to keep."

Mia's hands were still trembling as she stood in front of the mirror. But she didn't turn away. "I feel... pretty," she admitted

"You are pretty," Camille said. "But in this? You're unforgettable."

Just as Mia was slipping back into her sweater, Janelle snapped her fingers. "Wait. Do you have swimsuits?"

Camille blinked. "Of course."

Mia froze. "Why?"

"Your house has a damn pool. Don't pretend it doesn't," Janelle said, wagging a finger. "And nothing screams 'Look at me, you i***t husband' like poolside legs and wet hair."

Mia groaned. "Absolutely not."

But five minutes later, she was in the changing room with a black one-piece that looked like sin stitched together.

High cut on the thighs. Plunging neckline. Gold ring in the center. Open back.

She walked out, ready to run.

Camille gasped. "Oh. Oh my God."

Janelle's mouth fell open. "Mia, you're a weapon. You're going to ruin lives in that thing."

Mia couldn't stop laughing. She shook her head, mortified. "I'm only buying one. Just one."

Camille nodded. "Good choice. This one might make a man drown. And thank you for letting me witness the transformation of the century."

By the time she was dressed again, her arms full of silky bags tied with gold ribbon, Mia felt like someone had peeled away a layer of skin and handed her back her power.

Her cheeks were still warm. Her heart still raced. But she smiled easily now.

"Did I survive?" she asked Janelle as they walked toward the exit.

Janelle linked their arms. "You didn't just survive. You thrived."

Camille handed Mia a final shopping receipt and leaned in with a wink. "We're so glad you came. You were made for silk."

Mia blushed again, ducking her head.

Janelle beamed. "She really was."

As they exited the boutique, their arms full of black bags tied with gold ribbon, Janelle turned to Mia with a proud grin.

"You did it."

"I think I need a nap," Mia muttered.

"No naps. Next stop-scents and lotions. It's time for the full seduction package."

Mia blushed again. But this time, she smiled