“Do you want to try them on?” I ask.

He blinks at me in surprise. Is he startled that I asked? Or that shops allow you to try things on? Maybe it’s both.

He licks his lips and nods. I smile and lead the way to the changing rooms. I stop once we are by the entrance. Luci steps up to my side. The assistant smiles at him. Luci freezes.

The assistant looks like a nice young girl. All long blond hair and precise makeup. She certainly seems unruffled by Luci’s armful of feminine clothing. There is no need for him to be uneasy.

Ah, okay. I get it now. I should have remembered that Luci doesn’t have much, if any, experience of the mundane world. Clothes shopping in a mall is very different from visiting a tailor on Savile Row.

I gently lift Luci’s bundle of clothes off of his arm and quickly count them.

“Nine items, please,” I tell the assistant.

She smiles and hands Luci a white plastic card with the number nine etched into it. He takes it dazedly.

“Your boyfriend can go in with you, if you like,” she says as she winks at me.

Luci straightens up. “Husband.”

I feel my eyebrows rise. Is he being possessive? Asserting his claim on me? I like it. It’s making my insides feel all warm and tingly.

“Oh, how cute!” gushes the assistant. “How long have you been married?”

“Two weeks,” says Luci, and I swear I can hear pride in his voice.

“It’s your honeymoon!” she all but squeals. “How long were you together before you got hitched?”

Luci turns to look at me with a horrified and mortified expression. I smile warmly and place my hand on his shoulder.

“It’s all been a bit of a whirlwind,” I say to the assistant.

She smiles broadly. “And they say romance is dead.”

I grin at her and steer Luci into the changing area. It’s a Thursday morning, so we are the only people here. I guide Luci into a cubicle and slide the heavy curtain shut behind us. I hang his selection on a hook and take a seat.

“Is it alright if I watch the show?” I ask.

Luci blushes again. I love the way his pale skin turns pink so easily. It’s the cutest thing in the world.

“I can leave if you’d rather?” I offer.

I have no wish to make him uncomfortable. A stricken look crosses his face. He chews his bottom lip. I’m learning what this expression means. It means he is panicking and trying to figure out what answer will please me.

Okay, I’ve got this.

“Actually, no. I’m going to stay and watch you undress so I can see everything that is mine.”

His eyes widen, but the panicked look leaves. He nods eagerly and his hands reach for his belt buckle. I lean back in my chair. This is going to be good.

He slips off his shoes. Then his jeans slide down his slender legs. As my gaze roams back up, a little gasp escapes me. He is wearing red lace panties. I’m pretty sure they are the same ones I glimpsed the other day, when he twisted his hands in his skirt. I’ve been dying to see them again.

Luci licks his lips. He pulls his jumper over his head and his hair goes all delightfully frizzy. His hands reach for the hem of his plain white teeshirt. He lifts it up and I nearly choke on air.

A red lacy bralette is covering his nipples.

Luci hangs his teeshirt neatly on a hook. He flashes me a shy look. Oh, my gods. He is perfection. My vessel is perfection. My gaze roams all over him. Drinking in the sight. I had no idea he was this gorgeous. Otherwise, I would have ripped his nightgown off when we had sex and worshiped his body properly.

He is perfectly toned all over. Definitely male, but with a hint of androgyny to his build that is utterly alluring. His skin is smooth. Creamy. Perfect in a way only twenty-one-year olds are blessed with.

The red of the lace suits his complexion perfectly. The way the panties skim over his narrow hips is divine. The pale pink of his nipples teasing through the lace bralette is a sight to behold.

My cock is swelling in excitement. The changing room is empty. Luci is my vessel. My very obedient vessel. This utterly gorgeous boy before me will do anything I say. He will allow me to do anything I want to him.

He will drop to his knees and take my cock into his mouth without the slightest hesitation. I could shove him against the full-length mirror and fuck him until he cried out so loudly the assistant would hear and know exactly what was going on. She would know that Luci was mine and I was taking him because I chose to.

The sheer and utter power of that is intoxicating. Alluring and enticing. I’ve never felt anything like it.

I swallow and shake my head to clear it. I’m not going to do that. I’m not that much of a monster. I’m supposed to be making amends to Luci for the abhorrent way I’ve treated him. I will not add to my list of crimes. As darkly tempting as it is.

“Try on the blue dress first,” I tell him.

His eyes light up and he hurries to obey me.

Watching my pretty boy try on pretty clothes will not be a poor consolation prize at all. In fact, it is going to be quite lovely. The truth of that statement swirls through me and it makes me smile.

There may be hope for me yet.

Chapter eighteen

Luci

“The red dress is my favorite,” says Felford.

I look up from putting my boots back on. It almost feels strange to be wearing normal clothes after the little parade I just had. Felford’s heated gaze and obvious enjoyment made dressing like myself a thousand times more pleasurable than it usually is.

“Which ones are you getting?” he asks as he gestures to the stack of clothes hanging on the changing room door.

I swear it’s getting hot in here. My hand shakes a little as I reach for the red dress.

“Just this one, please.”

He lifts an eyebrow. “Let me guess. Vessels shouldn’t be frivolous with their husband’s money?”

Oh gosh. I look down at my feet and resist the urge to twist my hands into the pretty red dress I’m holding.

Felford sighs. He picks up all the clothes. He strides out of the changing room with them. What on earth is happening? My feet hurry to chase after him. Felford doesn’t stop until he reaches the till. He places his armload of clothes down and gestures at me to add the red dress I’m holding.

My heart is going crazy. My arms are shaking as I carefully lie the dress down on top of the pile. Felford flashes me a quick smile and my stomach does a cartwheel. He turns his attention to the cashier and I’m glad for the reprieve.