"I would say it isn't you, but in a way, it is."
I took a deep breath. "Yeah."
Harley stared at me with vacant eyes. He was smiling, but not at the outfit. Smiling at some internal music or vision that only he could perceive.
There was a long leather coat on the bed. "One of the vampires dropped it off," Edward said. "Thought you might want something to cover up with until the big unveiling."
"You're enjoying this, aren't you?"
"I'd feel better if I could guard your back."
"You're going to do that with a rifle from the closest hill, remember."
"Night vision and scope, fine, but I can't kill them all from a distance."
"You couldn't kill them all if you were johnny on the spot, either," I said.
"No, but I'd feel better."
"Worried about me?"
He shrugged. "I'm your bodyguard. If you die under my protection, the other bodyguards will make fun of me."
It took me a second to realize he was making a joke. Harley looked back at him with an almost surprised look. I don't think either of us heard humor from Edward much.
I walked towards Edward. The leather made that little creaking sound it makes. I stopped in front of him, legs a little apart, staring down at him.
He widened his eyes a little. "Yes."
"I can't imagine anyone making fun of you, Edward."
He touched one of the leather straps. "If I went around dressed like this, they might."
I had to smile. "You probably would be dressed like this if you were going to be down in the clearing with us tonight."
He turned pale blue eyes to me. "I've worn worse than this, Anita. I'm a fine actor when I have to be." The humor drained away from his face, leaving something feral and determined behind. Edward would still do things that I wouldn't, still had fewer rules than I did, but in some ways, Edward was a mirror for me. A warning of what I was becoming, or maybe a preview.
Richard would have said it was a warning. I hadn't made up my mind yet.
There was a knock on the door. Richard came in without waiting for an invitation. He was scowling, but the grumpy look faded when he got a good look at me. His eyes widened. "I was going to come in and complain about my outfit." He shook his head. "If I complain, will you just shoot me?" A smile spread across his face.
"No laughing," I said.
The smile got wider. His voice was a little choked, but he managed, "Wonderful. You look wonderful."
There are only two things you can do when you're dressed like Barbie Does Bondage; you can be embarrassed or you can be aggressive. Guess what my choice was.
I stalked towards him, putting a little extra sway into my walk. The boots made it easier, somehow, giving just the right roll. I put into my eyes, my face, what the outfit promised: sex, violence, heat.
The humor faded from Richard's face, replaced by an answering heat and a hesitation, like he wasn't exactly sure we should be doing this in public.
He was wearing black leather pants with soft suede boots that were almost a match to my own. His hair had been slicked back, tied off with a black ribbon. His shirt was silk and a vibrant blue, somewhere between turquoise and royal. It looked splendid against his tanned skin.
I stopped just in front of him, legs apart. I stared up at him, defying him to think it was funny. I put a finger to his lips, trailing my fingertip down his cheek, his neck, caressing the edge of his collarbone, tracing the skin until it vanished down the buttoned front of his shirt.
I stalked to the bed, fetching the leather coat. I threw it over one shoulder so that it trailed down like a limp body, not hiding much of the outfit. I opened the door and stood for just a moment framed in it. "Coming?" I said. I walked away without waiting for an answer. The look on his face was enough. He looked like I'd hit him between the eyes with a sledgehammer.
Great. Now all I had to do was try the outfit out on Jean-Claude, and we could go.