Free Guilty Pleasures: A Collection by Janelle Denison

allow?”
    “You’re a smart man, Shane.” She patted his cheek playfully. “You’re the one who asked for this make-over, not me.”
    “Alright, alright,” he conceded, and disappeared into the dressing room to change into what ended up being the second of at least a dozen different coordinating pants and shirts.
    By the time they were done shopping, they were both loaded down with department store bags filled with clothes and accessories for him, and he’d spent a small fortune. Not only did he now have a new wardrobe fit for an executive, but Alyssa had also taken him over to the cologne department and had him purchase a brand new men’s fragrance that she insisted would drive any woman crazy with desire.
    The only one he was interested in driving crazy was her, and the cologne seemed to do the trick on her, as well. She’d spritzed his wrist with the woodsy scent, inhaled deeply, and closed her eyes and moaned like a woman in the midst of an orgasmic experience.
    And that’s all it took for him to plunk down his credit card and buy a large bottle of the stuff.
    They reached his SUV and tossed the bags into the back of the truck. After climbing behind the wheel, and with Alyssa in the passenger seat, he pulled out of the mall parking lot and headed back onto the freeway.
    He’d had such a great afternoon with her, and he hated for their time together to end. “Would you like to come back to the restaurant with me and get a pizza or pasta dish?”
    She shook her head. “Actually, I can’t. I have a bunch of party favors for a client’s New Year’s Eve party that I need to pick up and deliver before five today.”
    He took the turn off the freeway that led to her apartment. “Okay. If you change your mind or want to stop by The Pizza Joint after your errands, I’ll be there.”
    “I think I’ll pass tonight.” She softened the rejection with a genuine smile. “I had a great day with you, though. It was tons of fun dressing you up. And tomorrow, you get your hair cut.” She reached across the console and ruffled the unruly strands with her fingers.
    He admitted to having a few reservations about her stylist messing with his hair. Usually he went to a barber, and he had no idea what to expect tomorrow. “By the way, no buzz cuts.”
    “Giving you a buzz cut would be a crime. You have gorgeous hair.” She ran her fingers through the thick strands again, this time seemingly measuring the length in different places. “A bit of layering on the top and a trim around the ears and neck, and you’ll be good as new. And it’ll be painless, I promise.”
    Amused laughter escaped him, and he brought his SUV to a stop in front of her apartment complex. “Are we still on for our date tomorrow night?”
    She looked at him in confusion. “Date?”
    “The annual Twilight Zone marathon, remember?”
    She groaned. “I can’t believe I let you sweet talk me into watching all those creepy reruns with you every year. You know how much I hate scary movies and shows.”
    But he loved the way she inevitably curled up to him on the couch while they watched the shows because she was spooked or frightened. “Hey, it’s become a tradition. You can’t back out on me now.”
    She released an insufferable sigh. “Alright, I’ll be there. Can we do Chinese take-out for dinner?”
    He’d give her anything she wished. “You got it. Chinese take-out it is.”
    She leaned over and kissed him quickly on the cheek. “Consider it a date then,” she said, then got out of the truck and headed up the walkway to the complex.
    Shane sat there in his truck to make sure she made it into the building safely—while enjoying the backside view of her curvy hips swaying provocatively every step of the way.
    #
    Alyssa sat at her computer that evening, searching the internet for the best pricing on floral arrangements for an upcoming fiftieth wedding anniversary party one of her clients was hosting for her parents. The woman wanted