Free Trusting Stone by Alexa Sinclaire

bit her lip. Mara was right. She couldn’t stay in her apartment forever. “Okay, where are we going?”
    “Granada, a Latin club . My baby likes to take me dancing . You’ll love it.”
    “Mara, how is it that you’ve been in this city less than twenty-four hours and you already have a better social life than me?”
    “I have no idea, but I’m dragging you into it, whether you like it or not. Wear dancing shoes!”
    Eden returned to her apartment , nervous about the idea of going dancing, but thrilled that Mara was moving to the city . She had already texted Eden three times since leaving her after drinks, and Eden knew it was going to be hard to be lonely in the new city now that Mara was there. She had told her about her Friday dinner date with Sebastian, and Mara had already planned to go out shopping on Friday morning to find the perfect outfit.
     
     

 
    Chapter Eight
     
    Standing in the upscale department store, surrounded by dresses in the changing room, Eden almost regretted Mara’s offer to help her find something. She had wanted to wear something similar to the dress she had worn to the Acer Club .
    “I’m going for sophisticated chic, Mara, not whatever this is!” She dangled the tiny silver mini-dress that Mara was expecting her to go try on. It would barely cover the top of her thighs.
    “No, you’re going for asexual librarian with your choices. Now stop being a prude, Eden. That was Edinburgh Eden, right? Not sexy, hot New York Eden.” Mara had not only chosen ten dresses that Eden would never have picked, but she also had a box of heels that could only be described as “fuck-me-shoes.”
    “Let’s compromise. I pick the dress and you pick the shoes.”
    Mara shook her head. “No way, lady .” Seeing that she was pushing Eden too quickly, she dropped the silver dress and rifled through the pile. “This! You can’t argue with this!” She held up a dark green silk dress with a high rounded collar. Thin straps held it up over the shoulders, but overall, it was pretty tame. The dress looked like it would hit Eden just above her knee and was far too demure for Mara’s taste.
    “What’s the catch , Mara?”
    Her friend’s eyes twinkled as she turned the dress around on its hanger. Eden raised her eyebrows. The dress was almost completely backless, with nothing but a tiny tie around the neck to keep it from falling off. It ended with a gentle swoop, dangerously low on the back.
    “I can’t even wear a bra with that outfit! Or even a thong! Look at how low it’s cut in the back.”
    “That’s the whole point, Eden! On, now!”
    Eden grabbed the dress and scowled at Mara as she yanked the curtain shut. She had to concur that the dress was great. From the front, the only thing overtly seductive about it was the fact that she couldn’t wear a bra, and despite how loosely the material fell across her breasts, the shape of Eden’s chest was pretty defined. That and the shoes. She decided to forego buying new shoes and wear the same sexy pair that she had worn the first night she met Sebastian. It was only when she turned around that the full impact of the dress was made. Mara reassured her that it looked great. She also convinced Eden to buy a few more outfits, including a fun purple dress with a flirty skater skirt for the Tuesday night dancing . Mara dragged her to the lingerie department next.
    “Seriously, I bet you’re still wearing the same bras from before you moved to Edinburgh.”
    Eden adjusted her shoulder straps, embarrassed about how accurate Mara was. “I didn’t have any cause to buy anything racy, you know that!”
    “Um, hello? You are a good cause. A woman shouldn’t just buy lingerie for a man, Eden. You should wear it because you’re hot and it will remind you every time you put it on! Come on! I’m not suggesting crotchless panties and nipple tassels! Just some nice lacy bra sets. God, my mother wears racier stuff than you.” Mara teased her, but Eden knew