Chapter ５６

With nervous, excited fingers, I slipped the ribbon off a corner, opened the lid, and pulled the tissue paper back.

It was a bra, garter, and panty set of dusty pink tulle trimmed with black lace, and two stockings of luxurious black silk. I ran my fingers over the delicate lingerie, then slowly held the bra up to look at it closer.

“Do you like it?” he asked softly.

“It’s beautiful.” But the price tag dangling from the back was outrageous. “Carl, I can’t—”

“Oh, yes, you can. I told you this gift was selfish. It’s more for me than you.” His eyes gleamed with mischief. “I’ll send it back if it doesn’t fit, but there’s only one way to find out.”

I grasped the sides of the box, not sure what to do. I hadn’t seen the bill tonight at dinner, but it had to be a small fortune, and now this . . . I didn’t want a sugar daddy.

He must have sensed how uneasy all of this made me. He set a hand on my wrist. “There’s more that goes with that.”