From This Moment (25 page)

“White.... w
ith a tan you’ll look stunning in white.  Something sexy, but that you can be seen in public wearing.  You don’t necessarily need shoes because of the sand there.”  I caress her face.  “God, I love you.”  Telling her this just as I sweep in for a quick kiss.  Elise walks down the corridor.

“
I’m ready to go Rona, but Justin is going to drive us.  I phoned Jake to tell him I was going shopping with you and he said Justin is going into town and would act as driver and bodyguard.”  Elise rolls her eyes.

“Thank god.
  At least I won’t be in a panic the whole time you’re gone now.”  I feel  relieved.

“When will Justin be here?”
  Rona asks Elise.

“In about five minutes.”

“Let me just go upstairs for my purse and boots.”

Leaving me alone in the kitchen to drink my coffee, I feel rather pleased with myself.
  I knew Rona wouldn’t let me pay for her clothes, but she would have also refused the dress if I’d gone straight with that.  At least I now know what tactic to use when I want to buy her something.

She seems to be moving a lot easier today, although once or twice I caught her limping slightly.
  I certainly wasn’t going to suggest putting her shopping off until tomorrow as she seems full of excitement at going shopping with Elise.

Walking back down the stairs slowly, but with her
boots on and her purse and coat in her hands, she looks up and catches me watching her.  Her whole face glows.  Standing up from the chair, I walk over to her.  We embrace at the bottom of the stairs.

“You did that well, how’s the pain today?”
  I ask while she’s in my arms.  Her arms are wrapped around my waist.  Then her hand sneaks down the inside of my jeans and shorts; she squeezes my rear.  She pulls away grinning, knowing what she does to me.

Placing an all too brief kiss on my lips, “I’ve just taken another painkiller to keep the pain at bay.
  I’ll be walking more today than I have since the attack, plus I’ve a spare painkiller with me.  Please don’t worry about me.”

“I’ll try not to.”

“Are you going to be working while I’m gone?”

“Yes, I’m going to try and catch up with everything over the next couple of days so Jake won’t have to sort the paper work out, as well as cover for me at the stables.”

“You ready to go?”  Elise shouts.

“Yes, I am....
  see you later honey and remember I love you.”  She kisses my cheek before following Elise out the door.

I stay standing at the stairs atiss for a short while after Rona leaves.
 I walk over to pour more coffee then head up to my office to crack on with the paperwork and orders.

~~ Rona ~~

I’m really excited to be going shopping with Elise.  The first shop is going to be the boutique where I bought my red dress.  They have them in different colors and I think with Elise’s blonde hair that she’ll look good in blue to match her stunning blue eyes.

“Justin, can you drop us off over there
, please?”

“Sure, I have something to do then I’ll come back for you both.
  Is an hour enough?”

“That’s fine.
  Thanks for this.”

Climbing out of the car
we head on into the boutique.  I laugh at Elise; I don’t think she expects the kind of fashion she sees on the hangers.

“Elise, over here.
  You have to try this one on.”  I hold up the blue backless number.

Elise looks over to me and her eyes nearly pop out of her head.

“That’s the reaction I’ll expect from Jake when you wear this!”  I tease.

“Wh
at shoe size are you?” I notice a pair of matching shoes.

“Around a six, why?”

“They have matching shoes for the dress.”  I tell her, as she approaches me, “Here go in there and try them on.”  I push her into the changing room.

“Give me a shout when you have it on.”

Browsing through the clothing, I end up at the maxi dresses and move towards the white ones.  Wow, they’re gorgeous.  One in particular catches my eye.  Pulling it off the rack to have a closer look, it’s made of some soft floaty material, plain white with a low cowl neck line.  The arms appear to have been cut into the same material as the front of the dress.  Turning the dress around there’s no back and it’s cut very, very low.  I turn around and head back to the changing rooms.  I must try it on.

“Elise, how you doing in there?
  Do you have it on yet?

“God, yes.”

I laugh at her reaction.  “Let me see.”

“I’m not coming out there.”

“Then just open the door and let me poke my head in.”

“Okay.”

Hearing the door unlock, I push it slightly and stick my head inside and wow, she’s gorgeous in blue.  “Oh my, I think you may have to practice resuscitation before wearing that in front of Jake!” I laugh.  “Don’t you dare put that back on the shelf or the shoes, it’s my wedding present to you.   I’m in the next room.  I’m under strict instructions to buy a white dress.”

“Okay, but you have to show me when it’s on,” Elise says, still looking at herself in the blue dress.
  She really does look good in it and Jake will probably fall over his feet to get to her when she wears it.

Entering the changing room, I strip off keeping my thong on, but take my bra off; I want to get the full effect.
  I step into the dress, and then smooth it into place over my body, it leaves me stunned.  Wow, it fits me perfectly.  It moulds to my breasts showing the outline through the top with the rather low cowl neck falling nicely between them.  Turning around to look at the back of the dress, which actually starts at my butt cheeks, and fits perfectly around them, the dress starts to widen from the hips down.  I just have to have it.

“Rona, you ready to show?” Elise asks me.

“Yeah.”  Opening the door, Elise looks me up and down.  I spin around slowly, so she can see the back of the dress and get the full effect.

“
Wow, that is lovely.”

“Thanks.
  Do you think Cade will like it?”  I ask.

“Are you serious, I don’t think you’ll be wearing it for long when he gets a look at you in
it.”  She laughs.

“
Sold.”

Dressing again, my hip starts to throb slightly.
  Not being able to take any more painkillers just yet, I think it’s time for a coffee so I can sit for a while.

Heading out of the changing rooms, I go over to the sales desk and place my dress on top of the growing pile of clothes.
  “Don’t put everything through yet, I want to have another look around.”  I tell the sales girl who seems more interested in her phone than an actual sale.

Looking around, I spot the swim wear.
  Heading over there, I select three bikinis, in white, black and red, adding two sarongs to the bundle, as well as two pairs of flip flops.  Leaving everything on the sales desk together, the sales girl seems to have finished on her phone call and starts looking at the bundle.  You can see her u cidth="face lighting up at the prospective sale.

Heading away again, I find Elise in the underwear section. “Hi, have you chosen anything?”

“Not yet, I don’t know what to wear under that dress.”

“Nothing Elise, you wear nothing.
  Trust me on this; you’ll get his blood going even more if you aren’t wearing underwear.”

“I’ve never gone without before,” she whispers.

“Neither had I until the other night.  Cade nearly fainted.”  I chuckle.

“In fact, don’t show it to Jake and we’ll have dinner the night before we go on vacation.
  Cade can get ready first then you can come up to my room and we can get dressed together; I’ll wear my red dress.”  Elise doesn’t look too sure.

“Trust me Elise, it will only be us four and I’ll be wearing the same as you, plus Cade and Jake will both be in the same ‘condition’ throughout the meal.”

Nodding and laughing, “I can’t believe I’m going to do this.”

“It will be fun.”

“Come on; let me just grab some thongs and maybe a sk
irt or two then I’ll pay and we can go for a coffee.  I need to rest my hip for a short time.”

Groaning, “Rona, you should have told me you were hurting.”

“Don’t worry it isn’t too bad, I just want to rest it before it does get bad.”

“
I’ll just go pick up some trousers I like, and another dress, then I’m ready.  So we can go meet Justin, then get lunch before heading back, unless you want to go somewhere else?”  Elise is already distracted with dresses.

“That’s perfect.”

After having a fun morning we head for lunch with Justin.

~~ Rona ~~

Sitting waiting for our lunch to arrive with Justin is enlightening and I discover he’s very good at entertaining; neither Elise nor I
can hardly get a word in.

Finally our sandwiches arrive and as I’m just about to take a bite of mine, I look up into the smiling face of Josh Mitchell and freeze.

“Hello Rona.&nbsu cidook up inp; How are you feeling?” he asks, still smiling at me.

Shit!

“Hi Josh, I’m fine thank you.”

Realizing he probably doesn’t know Elise, “Josh, this is Elise.”

“We’ve already met.”

Turning to Elise, “Nice to see you again Elise, Justin.”

“Oh right.”  He seems to be hovering.

“Do you want to join us?” Justin asks.

“If you’re sure I’m not interrupting anything?”

“No, take a seat,” Elise invites.

Which he does right next to me.

“We’re taking a breather from Rona’s shopping spree, which is e
xhausting,” Elise laughs.

“Hey, I’m not that bad, besides I’m not the only one who has bought a ‘knock your socks off’ dress!”
  Elise blushes.

Looking from Elise’s blush to me eating my sandwich, “Knock your socks off
.... huh.  You want to try them out on me?”  Josh asks.

Fuck!

“They’re packed in the car.  Sorry.”

Laughing at us now, “You actually went shopping with these two?”
  Josh asks Justin.