“Nonsense,” Rio said, concentrating on his phone. “It’s my party that you are being forced to come to. The least I can do you is buy you a dress.”
“It is really not-” Pearl protested but Rio cut her off by a gesture of his hand.
She sighed and looked out of the window of the Rolls Royce, staring into the streets outside. She had never been to this part of town before, and everywhere she looked she saw rich looking people running around. Holding onto piles of shopping bags. Even the shops were fancy, displaying the most elegant looking outfits and shoes in their windows.
The car stopped outside a huge building, and the driver walked over to open her door. She walked out, feeling as if she had dropped into an alien world. Rio walked over to the door, which was instantly opened by two guards. Pearl followed him, feeling nervous and apprehensive. The shop itself was huge, with various floors for various items. She could see the finest looking dresses hanging around her and she swallowed as she realized exactly how out of place she was.
“I need a cocktail dress for my friend,” Rio said to the saleswoman. “Along with nice shoes and any other accessories that go with an outfit.”
“Of course, sir,” the woman said, bowing slightly. She turned around to look at Pearl, her expression sour as she looked at her from head to toe. It was obvious that she thought Pearl was beneath her but didn’t dare to say so in front of Rio.
“Right this way- ma’am,” she said in a condescending tone before marching off into the store. Pearl followed her inside, still awed by how luxurious everything was.
"Perhaps you would like this black gown?” the woman said, slipping it off the rack and handing it to her. “The dressing room is over there. You can try it on, and we will see how it goes from there.”
Pearl watched the woman walking away before making her way to the dressing room to try it on. The dress slipped on easily, and Pearl looked at her reflection in amazement. She hadn’t anticipated that the dress would fit her so well. It hugged her every curve, making her breasts and ass look even bigger and rounder. The fitting showed off her thin waist and the slit in the gown allowed her to flaunt her long legs. The deep neck accentuated her cleavage and showed off her creamy neck.
She stared into the mirror for a minute, unable to believe what she was seeing. She felt so different in this dress, like she was someone else. All her life, she had dressed in second hand, tattered clothes, and now she was standing in this beautiful dress. She looked down at the price tag and almost gasped when she saw the amount. She wouldn’t be able to afford a dress like this even if she saved her entire salary for months,
She walked outside, feeling confused and lost. At one point, she was happy to be dressed in such a way, on the other hand, it was hard for her to accept that so much money would be spent on just one dress.
She stepped in front of Rio, who looked up from his phone. She had expected him to comment on it, but he just sat there, gazing at her with an intense gaze. His stare made her shiver and her heart race, as his gaze was full of lust and desire. He seemed to be undressing her with his eyes, taking in every curve off her body.
“That will do,” he said, his voice thick. “Have it packed and meet me in the car.”
He got up from his chair and headed over to the counter, throwing his credit card on the counter. Pearl looked at him, standing there aloof, and wondered why the hell men have to be so confusing.
She went inside the fitting room to change and then handed the dress over to the sales girl.
“This way, ma’am.” The sales girl smiled at her. Pearl nodded and followed her.
Pearl picked up her dress from the counter thinking about Rio’s weird behaviour. He neither commented on the dress nor did he ask for her to try on other dresses. He just said yes to the very first dress she had tried.
She walked out of the mall and looked around for Rio. He waved at her and she walked up to the car with lots of questions going through her head. He played some romantic music all the way back but didn’t say a word.
What was he thinking? Pearl was confused at his behaviour. But she now understood that Rio was so unpredictable.
Chapter 12
It was party day, and Pearl looked gorgeous in her dress and almost every man in the room noticed her. She looked magnificent.
Rio swallowed as he once again found himself staring at Pearl. He was trying to keep his attention on the people that surrounded him, but his eyes kept drawing toward her. The dress he had bought her truly fitted her well. It hugged her body like a glove and left little to the imagination. Rio had been battling against his lust and longing, trying to suppress the feelings that spread through his body like fire. It was getting harder and harder to control himself, and he knew that he just had to have her.
He didn’t know what about her attracted him so much, but he knew that he had to have her at all costs. The bear inside him was howling and he knew that he had make her his.
“Rio,” he heard a voice say, and he looked up to see his friend, Jake, walking over. “A very happy birthday to your lovely Laura and thank you for inviting me. It is good to see you after so long, my friend.”
“Jake!” Rio exclaimed. “It’s a pleasure seeing you after so long.”
“I want to thank you once again for your help with the Rain clan. If you hadn’t come in time, they could have seriously injured and hurt those humans,” Jake said. Jake was the leader of the Akai Bear clan and Rio had recently helped him with a problem that involved another bear clan.
“I am glad that I could be of help,” Rio said. “Now, don’t mention it again, my friend. The past is in the past. Have a glass of champagne and enjoy the party.”
“Where is the little birthday girl, anyway? I don’t see her anywhere,” Jake said, sipping on a glass.
“She is on the other side of the room, surrounded by her group of friends,” Rio said, pointing. “I believe they are currently playing party games and drinking juices while they overload on chocolate cake.”
“She is a beautiful little girl, Rio,” Jake said. “I am sorry about what happened to your sister. I couldn’t believe it when I found out. I thought there might have been some mistake.”
“It’s been just two months since the incident,” Rio said, his voice low. “I caught the bastard and I killed him with my own hands, but the nightmare still plagues me. Laura was so traumatized that I actually had to pass on my duties to my right hand and stay home to look after her. It took a lot of therapy and counseling to get her where she is. I just recently took my duties back on and had to hire a nanny to look after her.”
As if aware that she was being talked about, Pearl turned around and looked at him. Their eyes met and Rio felt a familiar feeling of desire and want flow through his veins.
“She is very pretty,” Jake said, looking in the same direction as Rio with a knowing smile on his face.
“Don’t let your wife hear you say that,” Rio replied, still staring at Pearl. “Plus, it’s nothing but lust.”
“Nah, mate,” Jake said. “For bears, there ain’t no such thing as lust. If you feel so strongly about her and your inner bear howls with need and want, she is the one.”