Justin nodded and stepped into the bathroom as Natalie let him in.
Inside the confined space, she felt a wave of hesitation wash over her. Should I have done this outside instead?
"Turn around," she heard him say.
She looked at him. His gaze was calm and steady, like still water. Without saying a word, she turned around, allowing him to stand behind her and looked at him through the large mirror over the washbasin counter.
Just as his hands reached for the zipper, she moved forward slightly and said, "Maybe... close your eyes when you unzip it."
She didn’t want him to see her exposed back.
"How am I supposed to see what’s wrong with the zipper if I close my eyes?"
He had a point. She glanced at him through the mirror, her nervousness visible on her face. Seeing her expression, Justin spoke again, "Turn around."
She hesitated, offering him a questioning look through the mirror. "What do you an?"
"You don’t want to see your exposed back directly, right? So, turn around and face ," he explained.
Still unsure of what he intended, she slowly turned around to face him. Justin took a step closer, positioning himself directly in front of her. Her back was now turned to the mirror, so he could see it without looking at her body directly.
Instinctively, Natalie took a step back as he approached.
"What?" she asked softly, feeling her heart race.
"My arms are long, but they have their limits when it cos to reaching tricky spots," he said as he moved closer, making her step back again until she was pressed against the washbasin counter.
Justin sighed but then observed her flustered face.
’Is this the sa woman who smashed that expensive car without batting an eye and even warned others like a boss, but now acting here like a scaredy cat?’ He wondered, wanting to see this side of hers even more. ’She dares claim being with so many n? Sweet liar! But then, I shall be the only one to see her like this.’
"I guess you can’t move past the counter now," he remarked, his gaze lingering on her anxious face, clearly enjoying her reaction.
"What do you plan to do?" she asked warily.
"For now, just help you with the zipper. But if you want to do sothing else, I wouldn’t mind that either," he said, stepping even closer.
She shrank back, feeling the cool edge of the washbasin counter against her. "I only asked you to help with my stuck zipper."
"And that’s exactly what I was going to do. But you added conditions, even for such a simple thing. Close my eyes? Then you’d complain if my hands happened to slip and touch you sowhere else. How do you expect to untangle your stuck zipper with my eyes closed?"
Natalie was at a loss for words. He had a point.
"Now stay still," he commanded, his voice leaving no room for argunt as he moved even closer.
She did as she was told and found Justin leaning closer to her, his hands wrapped around her and then moved to the zippee as he looked at the back of her dress through the mirror.
"Looking at your exposed back through the mirror, should not be an issue now," she heard him ask.
Natalie drew in a sharp breath, and her senses were instantly filled with his enticing scent—a mix of woods, mint, and a subtle hint of coffee. She swallowed hard, only her eyes visible over his strong shoulder, focussed on the door of the bathroom behind him, as if contemplating to escape through it.
She’d only wanted help with the zipper, so why did things suddenly feel so... intimate? If she had just turned her back to him, he could have unzipped her dress and left already. But now...
I asked for this. It’s my fault.’
His fingers brushed against the bare skin of her back as he tried to pull the stuck zipper down, causing her to flinch.
"You shouldn’t wear these kinds of dresses or get ready like this," he murmured, still focused on the zipper. His lips were so close to her ear that his warm breath brushed against her shoulder. "You look good in your usual clothes."
"Now you want to control my choice of clothes too?" she retorted, her voice almost muffled against his shoulder.
"I just don’t want you wearing them in front of other n."
"You might not like in these clothes, but others might," she countered, recalling his earlier response to Julia when he said she looked better in her usual attire.
"Who said I didn’t like it?" His voice dropped, low and husky, as his fingers worked on untangling the tiny thread caught in the zipper. "You have no idea what I wanted to do to you the mont I saw you in this dress. You would have know better if Julia was not there."
Natalie’s breath hitched in her chest, clearly understanding the aning.
Can this man be any more direct?He never hides his intentions. He’s probably not the type to pretend—just honest about his thoughts. But too much for to know them.
"I don’t want any other man to have those thoughts about you," he continued, his tone calm but edged with a subtle threat. "Otherwise, I might have to get rid of those dirty minds. And I believe you wouldn’t want that to happen."
Scary! was the only word that ca to her mind. What’s with him always acting like he’s ready to kill soone?
"Understood?" he asked, finally managing to free the zipper and slide it down.
Not knowing how to respond, she simply nodded.
He watched through the mirror as he lowered the zipper further down, the dress loosening around her shoulders.
Once he was done, Justin stepped back and looked at her flushed face, noting how she avoided eting his gaze. He turned and left the bathroom, closing the door behind him.
Natalie exhaled deeply, realizing she’d been holding her breath the entire ti. She glanced at the closed door, her heart still racing. This man is definitely going to give a heart attack one day, either with his words or his actions.
Reviews
All reviews (0)