me even though she made enough to rent an oceanfront condo. Anyway, she saved every cent until she could walk into Rocko’s office and hand him cash. Of course she took her lawyer with her, papers in hand.”
He laughed and damn near fell out of his chair. “I’m guessing her lawyer is you?”
“Yep. I didn’t realize how much she made as a stripper until she told me how much she had saved up.”
He raised a brow. Tessa let out a soft laugh. “She had one and a half mil saved from the two years she worked there.”
“Did she pay that much for Lola’s?”
“Oh, no. She offered him just enough to pay his legal fees and the fines to clear the club’s name.”
Kenton nodded. “Good work, to the both of you. Give her my best. I have faith she’ll be successful.”
Still smiling, Tessa said, “Thanks. I know she will. She’s my twin after all. Well. I’ll see you Monday morning.”
“Okay. Have a nice weekend.”
She waved as she walked off.
Once she left, the office seemed too quiet. Pretty common for a Friday afternoon. The lack of noise made him miss the sound of Aimee answering the phone outside his office or hearing her type on her keyboard.
Oh hell. He shut off his computer, stood and turned to windows that overlooked the marina. His pulse increased slightly and palms moistened. After years of thinking about it, but unable to act on his desires, he finally would go on a date with Aimee.
Chapter Two
Aimee sat on the edge of her bed in her bra and panties, watching in terror as her older sister held up dresses that were either too short or too low cut. No way would she dress like a desperate-throw-herself-at-a-man-girl.
She wasn’t desperate and she damn sure didn’t throw herself at men.
“I’m not wearing any of those.”
Grace lowered the too-short black dress from in front of her and scowled at Aimee. “You haven’t tried any of them on to see what they look like.”
Aimee shook her head. “I don’t need to.”
“Aimee Lynn, you only have another twenty minutes left until he gets here.”
Averting her gaze to her bare feet, Aimee spoke softly. “I don’t want men looking at me like that.”
A sigh escaped Grace’s lips and she sat beside Aimee and leaned into her. “You are beautiful. Wearing pretty things doesn’t make you a slut or desperate. They’ll make you feel pretty. If I had a bod like yours, I’d show it off and enjoy the stares and glances.”
“It makes me uncomfortable.”
Grace tsked and fisted her hands over the black satin dress in her lap. “Because that bastard conditioned you to believe you were nothing to everyone but him.”
Aimee dropped her shoulders. Her sister was right. Every day of their marriage Roger repeatedly reminded her that no one could love her like he did. When she tried to look sexy for him, he’d accuse her of sleeping around. Then proceed to tear down what little self-esteem she managed to cobble together.
Grace wrapped an arm around her and squeezed. “You’re better than you give yourself credit for. It’s okay to feel good, build your confidence, and be the beautiful person you are inside and out. You’re free to be yourself and be desired.”
A lump formed in Aimee’s throat. It’d been a little more than five years since Roger’s incarceration. Besides, he would be in prison for a long time for trying to kill her. He couldn’t touch her, couldn’t make her feel inadequate anymore.
Straightening her spine and gathering courage, Aimee stood and took the black silky dress from her sister and proceeded to put it on. The soft fabric slid over her skin like a lover’s caress. When Grace rushed over and zipped up the dress, it felt like it was made for her.
Grace let out a sigh, then a fake sniff. “My baby sister looks so pretty.”
Aimee rolled her eyes and stepped in front of the full length mirror, then gasped. Not pretty, the reflection in the glass could only be described as gorgeous. The dress
He laughed and damn near fell out of his chair. “I’m guessing her lawyer is you?”
“Yep. I didn’t realize how much she made as a stripper until she told me how much she had saved up.”
He raised a brow. Tessa let out a soft laugh. “She had one and a half mil saved from the two years she worked there.”
“Did she pay that much for Lola’s?”
“Oh, no. She offered him just enough to pay his legal fees and the fines to clear the club’s name.”
Kenton nodded. “Good work, to the both of you. Give her my best. I have faith she’ll be successful.”
Still smiling, Tessa said, “Thanks. I know she will. She’s my twin after all. Well. I’ll see you Monday morning.”
“Okay. Have a nice weekend.”
She waved as she walked off.
Once she left, the office seemed too quiet. Pretty common for a Friday afternoon. The lack of noise made him miss the sound of Aimee answering the phone outside his office or hearing her type on her keyboard.
Oh hell. He shut off his computer, stood and turned to windows that overlooked the marina. His pulse increased slightly and palms moistened. After years of thinking about it, but unable to act on his desires, he finally would go on a date with Aimee.
Chapter Two
Aimee sat on the edge of her bed in her bra and panties, watching in terror as her older sister held up dresses that were either too short or too low cut. No way would she dress like a desperate-throw-herself-at-a-man-girl.
She wasn’t desperate and she damn sure didn’t throw herself at men.
“I’m not wearing any of those.”
Grace lowered the too-short black dress from in front of her and scowled at Aimee. “You haven’t tried any of them on to see what they look like.”
Aimee shook her head. “I don’t need to.”
“Aimee Lynn, you only have another twenty minutes left until he gets here.”
Averting her gaze to her bare feet, Aimee spoke softly. “I don’t want men looking at me like that.”
A sigh escaped Grace’s lips and she sat beside Aimee and leaned into her. “You are beautiful. Wearing pretty things doesn’t make you a slut or desperate. They’ll make you feel pretty. If I had a bod like yours, I’d show it off and enjoy the stares and glances.”
“It makes me uncomfortable.”
Grace tsked and fisted her hands over the black satin dress in her lap. “Because that bastard conditioned you to believe you were nothing to everyone but him.”
Aimee dropped her shoulders. Her sister was right. Every day of their marriage Roger repeatedly reminded her that no one could love her like he did. When she tried to look sexy for him, he’d accuse her of sleeping around. Then proceed to tear down what little self-esteem she managed to cobble together.
Grace wrapped an arm around her and squeezed. “You’re better than you give yourself credit for. It’s okay to feel good, build your confidence, and be the beautiful person you are inside and out. You’re free to be yourself and be desired.”
A lump formed in Aimee’s throat. It’d been a little more than five years since Roger’s incarceration. Besides, he would be in prison for a long time for trying to kill her. He couldn’t touch her, couldn’t make her feel inadequate anymore.
Straightening her spine and gathering courage, Aimee stood and took the black silky dress from her sister and proceeded to put it on. The soft fabric slid over her skin like a lover’s caress. When Grace rushed over and zipped up the dress, it felt like it was made for her.
Grace let out a sigh, then a fake sniff. “My baby sister looks so pretty.”
Aimee rolled her eyes and stepped in front of the full length mirror, then gasped. Not pretty, the reflection in the glass could only be described as gorgeous. The dress
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