A little outfit change

I waited until the rhythmic creaking began—subtle, but unmistakable—before slipping upstairs. My thighs trembled with each step, still tender from last night. The landing was dim, the afternoon sun filtered through gauzy curtains. Perfect. I paused outside James’s door, letting my breathing go deliberately ragged. Then—with exaggerated care—I nudged my bedroom door until it gaped precisely three inches. Enough for a glimpse.

The bikini strings slithered through my fingers as I shucked off my leggings, making sure the elastic snapped against my thighs louder than necessary. The sports bra followed, landing halfway across the room with a soft thump. I took my time stepping into the triangles, letting the fabric whisper against my damp skin. The gold rings caught the light—a deliberate flash—as I adjusted the ties at my hips, pulling them just tight enough to dimple the flesh. Would he watch? Would he pause outside, sweat-damp palm pressed to the doorframe, biting back a groan?

Footsteps creaked in the hallway—too heavy for Bella. My breath hitched when they paused outside my door. For three agonizing seconds, the entire house held its breath. Then—nothing. Just the distant hum of the washing machine downstairs and my own pulse roaring in my ears. Disappointment curled hot in my stomach until I noticed the shadow marring the strip of light under my door. Broad-shouldered. Motionless.

I turned toward the mirror, arching my back just enough to make the strings dig into my hips. The bikini was ridiculous—less coverage than the lace bras I’d worn under my school blouse—but it did things to my silhouette. Made my waist look narrower, my ass rounder. I dragged a fingertip along the dip of my collarbone, watching in the reflection as the shadow shifted. A floorboard groaned under sudden weight.

Our eyes met in the glass—his dark with something furious and hungry, mine wide with carefully rehearsed surprise. For three dizzying seconds, the world narrowed to that stolen glance. His jaw flexed; my lips parted. Then—slowly, deliberately—I let a smirk curl at the corner of my mouth before turning away, pretending to fuss with the ties at my neck. The door snapped shut down the hall with a force that vibrated through the floorboards.