Free Her Prince Charming: An Inspirational Romance by Faith Austen

easily, fitting itself to my curves as if it had been made for me.
    I did up as much of the zipper as I could and gaped at my reflection in the mirror. The dress was sexy without being revealing. On another woman, one with a straighter, smaller body, it might simply be elegant.
    On me, it made my waist look tiny, showed off my curves, and the hi-low hemline displayed the best part of my legs. I looked modern, youthful, and feminine without feeling like I was showing too much skin.
    I’d never worn a dress like it. I was afraid to look at the price tag. A soft knock on the door startled me.
    “Yes?”
    “Do you need help with the zipper?” Jessica asked.
    “Please.”
    She slipped in and circled around me, examining the fit of the dress. Without comment, she stopped behind me and pulled the zipper the rest of the way up.
    Her hands twisted in my hair, doing something that ended up with the thick mass of it piled on my head in a makeshift up-do, secured by a glittery clip she’d snapped into place.
    Dropping to her knees, Jessica eased my bare feet into equally glittery gold heels. A moment later, I looked ready to stroll into a gala. Speechless, I stared at myself in the mirror. Jessica stood beside me, grinning.
    “I am amazing, am I not?”
    I grinned back at her. She was gone ten minutes, and she came back with this?
    “Amazing doesn’t cover it,” I said, squeezing her hand in a thank you. Even if I never wore it, getting to play dress up in designer fashion was the most fun I’d had in ages.
    “Let’s see what James thinks,” she said. I followed her out of the dressing room, eager to see James’s reaction. He didn’t disappoint.
    As I stepped out of the dressing room, he rose, following Jessica and me to the three-way mirror. Much as Jessica had, he circled me, examining me. Unlike Jessica, his eyes were possessive. Approving. Standing behind me, he met my eyes in the mirror.
    “Do you like it?” he asked.
    “Do you?” I thought it looked fantastic, but I wasn’t confident enough to say so out loud.
    “You look gorgeous. Elegant and sexy. I won’t be able to leave your side or the men will be all over you. But we won’t get it unless you like it.”
    “I like it,” I said in a whisper, my head spinning from James’s words. I thought I looked good, but the way he described me melted my heart.
    “Then we’ll get it. And the shoes. Go try on the other one.”
    “But-” If we were getting this one, I didn’t need another dress.
    “Humor me,” he said. “If Jessica brought two dresses, you should try on the other one.”
    “Okay.” Jessica trailed me to the dressing room. After helping me with the zipper, she discretely slipped out, saying,
    “If you need help with the bustier, let me know.”
    I glanced down at the bench beside the hanging dresses to see a black satin bustier. Looking at the other dress, I realized it was strapless.
    I’d need something more beneath to hold me, and the dress, in place. Carefully removing the ivory and black dress I was wearing, I replaced it on its hanger before turning to the bustier.
    Getting it on was a little bit of a battle, but I wasn’t ready for the svelte Jessica to see me mostly naked. She’d been nothing but kind, and I had no reason to think she’d sneer at me.
    Still, I was too shy to ask for help with my underwear. In the end, I fastened most of the hook and eyes in the front, then wiggled it around and settled it in place. Jessica could do the last few once I had the dress on.
    And what a dress. If the black and white dress was elegant and sexy, this was a grown woman’s fairytale. An underdress of black satin provided the framework for yards and yards of transparent, shimmering black tulle embroidered with delicate silver daisies.
    Unable to resist, I looked for the price tag. Somehow, I wasn’t surprised to find it was missing. That was probably for the best. I didn’t really want to know what it cost. I could guess, and the guess