Panty Raid (of Mom's Closet)

She felt like a new woman.

That morning had been hell — dry mouth, pounding head, stomach rebelling at the thought of food. She had lurched through lunch on a single slice of toast, sipped water like it might kill her. But by supper she was steady, and now… now she was electric. Her whole body felt awake, tuned toward one purpose.

The weekend had been… transformative.

Juniper lay back on her bed, staring at the ceiling with a slow smile. She was excited to be home, delighted that she'd chosen to surprise her family with this weekend visit. Yes, she knew that she should already be driving back, but her grades were solid. If she skipped classes on Monday morning, she'd be fine. More time at home meant more time with Joey.

Earlier, while eating her supper alone, she had wondered where her dad had been hiding all weekend. When she'd asked her mom earlier, Juniper had been told that he was away with a friend. It was all for the best. With both her and Mom enjoying this new thing with Joey, Dad's presence would be… awkward. She would reach out when she was back at school. Maybe visit with him next weekend.

Because Juniper was going to be back every weekend.

How could she not? Her whole life had been turned upside down! She had come home for a family visit, and was leaving after finding the one thing she wasn't looking for: Love. It was like one of those cheesy Hallmark Christmas movies. Young, sexy, career driven woman comes home for a visit and gets blindsided by unexpected romance. But instead of it being the rugged local handyman who makes craft beer and oil paintings, it's her little brother Joey.

With her mom taking Joey out earlier, Juniper had enjoyed a chance to recover from her hangover, but also to plan. Soon he would be back. And when he walked in the door, she wanted him to see something he would never forget.

The thing about the Granger women was that they seemed to be cut from the same mold. Having heard that she was the spitting image of her mother hundreds, maybe thousands, of times growing up, Juniper had the advantage of a resource most women in her situation wouldn't have. They wore the same size clothes, they had similar hairstyles, their faces were adorned with the same smile. They were like a before-and-after picture, Mom as the polished, mature version, Juniper as the taut, toned one. And now they shared Joey, too.

That thought still made Juniper's pulse race.

Her best lingerie was in her dorm room at school — the kind of expensive, delicate stuff you didn't leave at home for parents to stumble across. The last thing Juniper would have wanted was to have that talk with her dad. But none of that mattered now. She knew her mother. Mom would have something hidden away that would do nicely.

Juniper slipped off her bed and padded barefoot to her parents' room. The door gave way with a faint creak, letting in the scent of her mother's perfume, soft and floral, like a welcome.

She started with the drawers, careful and deliberate, opening each one just enough to peer inside. Satin slips, a few lacy camisoles, silk robes… nice, but nothing that screamed Joey won't be able to breathe when he sees me.

The closet was the better bet.

She stepped inside and scanned the shelves. And there, half-hidden on the top shelf, was a pink box. Big enough for shoes, but the wrong shape. It looked expensive.

Perfect.

She reached up, plucked it down, and popped the lid.

Inside was a treasure: a black crotchless bodysuit made of sheer mesh and intricate lace, the fabric so fine it seemed to float. The cups were low-cut, scalloped lace framing where her breasts would be, the bodice hugging every curve before disappearing between her legs, leaving nothing to the imagination there. Matching thigh-high stockings were folded beneath it, along with a slim garter belt.

Juniper's lips curved in a slow, satisfied smile.

She stripped without hesitation and slid into the bodysuit. The mesh stretched just enough to hug her body as if it had been made for her. The cut made her legs look endless, the garter straps drawing the eye to the exposed space between her thighs. She fastened the stockings, then stepped back to take herself in.

Damn.

She looked lethal.

She thought of her target.

Joey. Short. Skinny. Narrow shoulders, almost delicate collarbones, no real muscle tone to speak of. Nothing like the men she used to go for — broad-shouldered athletes with thick arms, guys who liked to crowd her against walls and play rough. She had always liked tossing those types around, playing with them like a cat toys with a mouse, letting them think they were in control before taking it away.

But Joey…

All those years, she had been so wrong about him.

Juniper had been looking for the wrong kind of man all along. There was something sharper, more dangerous about wanting someone smaller, someone who didn't overwhelm her with size but with something else entirely. Joey had a pull that the musclebound idiots never had.

She moved her hands up and down her torso, imagining that she was showing off her body for him. Closing her eyes, she could see his smile as he looked her up and down. She wanted him to stare. This was all for him, for her man, for her Joey.

Back at her vanity, she pulled her hair free from its ponytail, letting it fall over her shoulders. She added mascara, a sharp flick of eyeliner, and a bold red lip. Aggressive, competitive — no softness, no apology.

When she leaned forward and looked herself in the eye, she didn't see the sister who had ignored her little brother for years. She saw a woman who had finally figured out what she wanted. And she was going to take it.

Joey wouldn't know what hit him.

Just then, the sharp chime of the doorbell cut through her thoughts. Juniper blinked, then grinned. She grabbed one of her mother's silk robes from the closet and slipped it over her shoulders, not bothering to tie it tight. The smooth fabric clung just enough to hint at what was beneath.

She padded downstairs and pulled the door open.

On the other side stood Serena — Joey's new girl from the party — wearing an incredibly revealing harem girl outfit. Lavender bikini-style top with small triangles of fabric barely covering her breasts, held together by golden ringlets. A long, sheer lavender loincloth fell from her hips, doing nothing to hide the length of her legs. Bangles jingled at her wrists, a golden choker hugged her neck, and she balanced easily on open-toed high heels.

Juniper was straight as an arrow, but even she couldn’t help the slow drag of her gaze over Serena’s body.

"Well hello there," Juniper said, letting the silk robe slip open just enough to reveal the lace and mesh of the bodysuit beneath. "I’m guessing you're here to see my brother. Why don't you come inside?"