But even in those kinky clubs, my little girl outfit would have stood out as odd. I’d been willing to accede to Salt’s request to wear it instead of the slutty school girl outfit, mainly because I felt shy about wearing the transparent blouse without a bra on under it. But the more I looked down at myself in the plain light of day—well, the dying light of the evening, anyway—the weirder I felt. Hadn’t I had a dress something like this, back when I was a kid? The memory was hazy but it seemed like maybe something my father had bought for me before he skipped town and never looked back…
Stop it, I told myself fiercely. You’re not even in the front door yet and you’re already having repressed memories or whatever they call them. Do you want to prove Professor Stevens right about your “Daddy issues” before this case even gets started?
“I just don’t like it,” I said, frowning up at Salt. “I mean, I’ve got bows in my hair and shiny little patent leather shoes on my feet. It feels perverted.”
He raised an eyebrow at me. “More perverted than the other where your body is on display? At least in this you are covered.” He nodded approvingly at the dress.
“Covered in a pedophile’s wet dream,” I muttered sulkily. “Come on, Salt, this is gross.”
“Look, Andi…” He blew out a breath in obvious frustration. “The reason I asked you to wear this one instead of the other is simple—the other is too distracting. We both of us must keep our minds on the case. I find that very hard to do when you are so exposed.”
His words made me pause. Could he mean what I thought he meant? Could it be that seeing me in the slutty school girl outfit was hard for him because he wanted me? Sexually? But surely not—we were just partners, weren’t we? Then I thought of the hard lump I’d felt under my ass when I sat on his lap the night before.
“Salt,” I said hesitantly. “Are you saying…what are you saying?”
He sighed and looked at me.
“I am saying you are very beautiful woman, Andi. Most of the time I can remind myself you are my partner and is easy to deal with. But if you are wearing that outfit, climbing me like tree and sitting in my lap…well, will be much more difficult.” He leaned forward and stroked my cheek gently. “So please…for me will you wear the dress? At least for a little while? Is much easier this way. Much less sexual.”
“Well…okay,” I said at last. I was taken aback because this was the first time Salt had admitted he found me sexually arousing. I mean, there were always little things like the comments about my eyes or telling me I was pretty but he’d never actually come out and said I made him hot.
I should have been upset or taken aback but, just like the night before when he’d gotten hard for me, I kind of liked it. It made me feel beautiful…powerful to know my partner was attracted to me.
Careful, Andi, I told myself sternly. You’re on a slippery slope here. Go too far in the wrong direction and you could ruin the best partnership of your life. Hell, the best relationship period. So be careful—be damn careful.
Yes, I would, I resolved to myself. I would watch what I said and did and if Salt found it easier for me to play this age than the slutty teenager, I could manage it. I would have to manage it.
“Come, is time to go. We will be late for dinner.” Salt got out of the car and came around to get the door for me, as he always did. When he opened the door and held out a hand, I took it with a coquettish smile.
“Thank you, Papa,” I said demurely—might as well get into character now. Salt seemed to feel the same way because he smiled and nodded.
“You’re welcome my little mishka.”
Tucking my arm through his, he led me through the parking lot around to the front of the building, which didn’t look much better than the back.
“Sheesh,” I said under my breath. “It’s not much to look at, is it? Are you sure we’re in the right place? It just looks like an old abandoned cigar factory.”