The Untouchable Kingpin (Gent X SugarPlum)

“Good morning.” The young woman nodded at him when he came to the door early. If she was surprised, she didn’t let on- but since she was already ready it didn’t seem to matter. It was no inconvenience that she didn’t have to wait that extra fifteen minutes. “I slept well, thank you.” She assured him. Elle had to admit, the bed in there had been quite comfortable! Even the guest house had nicer furnishings than her actual apartment did. She had a pull-out sofa that smelled like cheese pizza! Needless to say, she enjoyed the luxuries a bit more than she cared to admit.

Elle was ready so climbed into the car. She looked around the interior of the car, and knew it was nice even if she wasn’t really impressed. She’d managed to sleep well, somehow, and she had somehow managed to avoid getting hung over so she was able to be as alert as she needed to be. He might not have been armed, but Elle was. Her gun was tucked in a holster that was concealed by the blazer she was wearing. Today she left it unbuttoned so the look was a little more casual than it had been before. Today her hair was down, which somehow seemed to soften her features a bit more.

“I think cars are a means to an end.” Elle admitted, finding no point in lying about her opinion since he actually seemed interested in her personality- and lying to him, even about something small like this, could easily backfire. “I prefer function over flashiness, but I have to admit a car is pretty nice to have. Walking in heels can be a bitch if you have to go long distances.” She looked out the car window, watching the scenery as it swooped by the window. “Are you going to tell me what we’re shopping for?” she asked.

The Gentleman nodded listening to her answer and deciding that it was a pretty basic answer. So she did not like cars, most women were not really into them on any serious level which was fine. Hell, it might have even been better for him because, if she turned out to be as good as her interview, she may be around for a long time meaning that he would have to buy her a vehicle for her to travel back and forth with. William reached down and pushed a button on the radio causing it to light up brightly and some light jazz began to play out of the high quality speakers.

"We're going shopping to get you a new wardrobe." The Gentleman chuckled a little bit before continuing, "Were you that drunk that you don't remember me agreeing to buy you a new wardrobe?" William shook his head a bit as he thought about her a bit. She was a different type of woman, she didn't really want to drink, wasn't into cars for real, and seemed to completely forget that he was buying her new clothes. "You are.." he paused a moment, "If you'll forgive me saying.. weird." William looked over at her before getting onto the interstate, looking over his shoulder and downshifting to give the engine more power so that he could merge successfully in traffic.

The Gentleman looked over at her again with a solid look of confusion on his face. "So what do you like?" He asked in ernest, "What is it that makes you tick?" William moved his eyes back to the road, watching the traffic and playing his fingers gently over the leather interior as he waited for her answer.

Elle gave a small, tolerant smile. “I do remember you mentioning that we were shopping for a new wardrobe, but you wouldn’t be specific when I asked about the dress code you expected of me.” She reminded him. “So what kind of clothes do you require me to wear?” at least she knew the answer wasn’t going to be ‘nothing’, if they were going to have to go shopping to accommodate his requirements.

Then he made a remark that caught her off guard. “I’m weird?” she asked, sounding surprised- which was probably new for him, since she usually seemed to make a point of being on the stoic side. “Do you mean in a bad way?” she asked after a moment, a small frown touching her features as she considered what had made him come to that conclusion. By his definition- not being materialistic was weird? Elle had grown up poor she lived poor, so she had never really allowed herself to drool over luxuries or waste money.

“What do I like? Uh… animals, I guess.” She said. Elle was a cat person, but she had had to give up her cat for this mission since she wasn’t going to be able to take care of her during this mission. “Too bad most apartments don’t let you have them.” She said with a slight shrug. “I also enjoy fighting, but you probably already figured that out.” She didn’t really want to have a heart to heart conversation with him, she didn’t feel like he needed to know anything about her- but she’d do her best to play the role she was given. Somehow, she’d have to make herself his most trusted bodyguard!

William flashed her a look of slight annoyance. "Smartass," he responded toward her, "We are going to get you a proper wardrobe. Casual clothes, semi-casual clothes, bathing suits, proper pajamas, lingerie, underwear, evening gowns, shoes and so on and so forth." He rambled off the list with out much regard to what he was saying. "The point in all this, if you'll forgive my forwardness, if that you won't fit in without the proper attire. It's easier for me to simply buy you a new wardrobe then ask you to go through your current wardrobe and decide what you were missing." William laughed a little and shook his head, "I have a cat lady for a bodyguard and no," his tone softened a bit, "I don't mean it in a bad way." His voice mocked her a little bit, "You're just different from the women that I have in my life right now.. and yes I know, not a dancer or a whore."

The Gentleman flashed her a teasing smiled then pulled off at the next exit and took a few turns before arriving at his destination. He pulled up to a parking garage and pushed the button on the ticket machine which spit him out a ticket within a matter of seconds. Moments later, he had found a park and turned off his vehicle. "I'll be around in a moment," William nodded a bit toward her door then he got opened his door and stepped out, stretched a bit to test her patience, then moved over to the passenger side and opened her door. "There are a lot of stores around here," he begun as he shut the car door behind her and locked it. "We're going to have to spend a lot of time shopping so I think the first thing you should get is some comfortable shoes, maybe work out shoes since you love to work out so much." Once they had got out of the parking garage, they would be able to see the vast shopping area that The Gentleman and Elle had driven to. He smiled at her briefly, noticing their height difference for the first time, "The world is your playground, at least for the next two hours or so."

"I see." Elle stated, "I didn't realize you meant to buy me a closet full of clothes- I just thought you meant a couple of work-appropriate outfits." she admitted, a little appalled that he wanted to buy things like underwear for her of all things. It wasn't like she was going to let anyone see it! "I'm not sure what your idea of 'work appropriate' is." he hadn't liked her job interview clothes, but probably did not expect her to dress like one of his strippers either.

"Hey? When did I say anything about cats!" she said, shaking her head a bit- she understood he was teasing her. Probably. "I said animals." but apparently he could read her like a book, which was troubling. He'd probably see a snide remark on her face even if she was smart enough to keep her mouth shut. Elle did like animals, but cats were probably the least work- and since she didn't have the best social skills, pets were probably the company she was the most used to keeping. Men didn't tend to date women who could kick their asses, no matter how pretty they might be!

She waited for him to open the door for her, she was patient enough to let him do it even if she tended to want to hurry things up. He seemed like he wanted to antagonize her just to see how she'd react, so Elle didn't want to give him the satisfaction of succeeding. Her eyes assessed the area in a wide sweep before they settled back on him. "Okay." she agreed, she was wearing high heels which added a bit of height to her but she was still shorter than him even with her shoes on. Elle acted taller than she was, so a lot of people tended to be surprised when they stood beside her.

"Shoes?" she looked down at her feet. Patent leather stilettos.... not comfortable. She nodded, "Okay." but this whole situation was strange. Did The Gentleman make a habit of taking his new hires on shopping trips? Was he testing her? The paranoid undercover cop questioned every little thing as it happened. With his reputation, who could blame her?

"If you don't mind my asking," Elle paused to give him a chance to interrupt "is there a reason we're doing this alone- together? I thought you didn't trust me yet. So isn't this risky for you? Or do you really think I love shoes enough to forget any plans of backstabbing?" hopefully he'd realize she was joking about the last part.

William thought quietly as he listened to her comments. He didn't really see her as a dog person, she didn't seem pleasant enough to keep the company of dogs but he would not tell her that. "Oh. Animals.. Excuse me." He chuckled a little at her feistiness, something that he was coming to enjoy more and more. Something that me man have killed a man over but from her, he deemed it acceptable. In hearing her speak about work appropriate he looked over being slightly confused, "Do you think all of my business transactions happen in board rooms and on golf courses?" His face became more stern almost in disappointment. William expected her to be a little more intelligent than that. "I do business on yachts and beaches, private resorts, galas and political dinners.. blah blah." He got bored with his explanation, hopefully she got the point.

William let her take the lead so that she could go to whatever shops she wanted to while he looked around almost aimlessly and at ease. He heard her words about a question that she had to ask and he nodded a bit as a motion for her to proceed. After she finished speaking he smirked a little, she must have thought that he was an amateur and for now he would let it continue. "With all do respect," The Gentleman leaned in and whispered with a deep voice into her ear, "I am not as easily overtaken as Steven was. If for any reason you thought of backstabbing me, I am quite confident in my ability to disarm and kill you. But I wonder, would you really kill me while I'm driving down the road and out your life endanger as well?" He paused momentarily, pulling her closer in his left arm. Anyone looking at them would have thought that he was whispering something nice, maybe even naughty, into her ear. "You didn't attack me on the way from the parking garage and I doubt you would want to ruin all these peoples day. Do I trust you? Absolutely not. Do I think you're stupid? Absolutely not. Do I think you love shoes enough to not try me? Yes. Actually I do." He stood back to his full height and laughed bumping against her slightly.

William meant everything that he said but, he had a backup plan. Throughout the mall and surrounding stores he had several people who's job was to watch them and coordinate his movements to the rest of his protection team. They would watch them very carefully to see if she would try to backstab him. The Gentleman was glad that she had brought up this point though, it made him realize that she was actually thinking about his security protocols.

His new hire was a lot of things, but when it came to clothes she wasn't exactly  a professional. The last thing the vicious vixen worried about was the latest trends in fashion. Her closet mostly consisted of skirt suits, work out clothes, and lots of jeans and t shirts. With a low paying job, she didn't have the luxury to care anyway and she wasn't the type to want what was unobtainable for her. Except perhaps in one instance- she wanted to take The Gentleman down. Many could argue her goal was unobtainable, though Elle wouldn't hesitate to argue about it.

Elle's feisty nature wasn't something she could put a leash on as much as she needed to. Evidence of her nature was spilling int their conversations, and fortunately The Gentleman seemed to tolerate that aspect of her. At least for now. Perhaps he was more offended than he seemed, since she'd never heard of him losing his cool in any situation. 

"I didn't think for a moment that your skills are comparable to Steven's." she assured him, "I also think that had he approached me without the intention to go easier on me, it wouldn't have ended so quickly. I don't doubt my ability though, I'm still confident I could have broken his arm." but maybe she would have a nasty bruise to show for it in that scenario.

While shopping, her choices seemed simple- when she assessed a garment, her prime concern was whether or not she could conceal a weapon or if her movements would be restricted. If a sales assistant made suggestions, she listened, but if she refused a selection she had a good reason for it. Her attitude seemed to be that things could erupt into battle at any moment, so she didn't want to be tripped up in the name of fashion. Elle also naturally avoided things that were so expensive that she it could pay her rent a hundred times over- in no way did she see this as a fun way to get some luxuries on The Gentleman's dime. At the same time, she realized her clothes at home probably wouldn't cut it.

Of course, not once did she make a move to attack him. But after awhile, she couldn't help but smile to herself because she was pretty sure some of the people who were around actually worked for him. They weren't alone together like she'd first thought, her instincts managed to pick up on that. No, he didn't trust her one bit and that was fine by her! It would make gaining his trust even more satisfying when she succeeded.






 

The Gentleman listened calmly to her as she analyzed the fight between her and Steven. She seemed to be rather grounded in her abilities, she was confident but no to the point that she was arrogant about it. This was something that he found to be very important in a bodyguard so that she wouldn't jump the gun if something happened in which she would needed to take her time easing into the situation. "Don't underestimate yourself. Don't believe for a second that Steven let you break his arm." At his own words he chuckled a little and shook his head, "It might take a little while for him to forgive you for that FYI so be on the lookout."

As they shopped, William got a few things for himself, almost of the them were simple. When he actively participated in her shopping he found himself to be some what displeased by her choices and as she thumbed through some dresses he stepped up behind her and placed a strong hand on her shoulder, not out of anger or disappointment but almost in an encouraging fashion. "I hate to say it but most of my business partners are going to believe we are," William paused and picked his words carefully, "seeing each other. Now, you're a pretty girl and all but you're a little rough around the edges for me." He brought his right hand up and searched through some of the dresses, "However, It will be beneficial to our security if we allow them to think whatever they choice to assume. In the meantime, it will be better for you to dress the part otherwise you may raise a red flag." He continued to thumb through the dresses finding a long, black dress with a deep cut that would be seductive but not slutty and probably fit her well. "Something like this, with a nice necklace would fit you well." He nodded a bit and handed it to her, "Go try it on."

"He might not have let me, but he certainly made it easier." Elle agreed with his response. At the same time, she always tended to weigh the fact that she was smaller and physically weaker than a lot of her opponents. That could go wrong fast if she allowed herself any leeway in the confidence department. "If he does hold a grudge, I assume I'll be able to protect myself without concern of backlash on your part?" she added, figuring she'd better know before she broke his other arm. Men did take losing to her quite personally and she knew it!

When he intervened with her shopping, Elle didn't look offended. Honestly, she had seemed to expect he would feel compelled to say something at some point. "If I was particularly feminine, I probably wouldn't be in this line of work." the way she said it was more like she was stating a fact than arguing with him. "I don't mind trying this on." but she looked skeptically at the dress he had chosen, "You have a point, of course. At the same time I have to make sure I can defend you in whatever I'm wearing." she assessed the dress. It would probably be fine, the slit down the side added to flexibility of the dress and would let her move easily. Strapping a gun or knife under the fabric was possible too, if she was careful.

Naturally the thought that people would assume they were... Together... Appalled her, but she couldn't allow that to show so she disregarded that to the extent that she chose not to acknowledge it in her response. Besides, he was probably tired of being reminded that she wasn't a dancer or a whore. 

Taking the dress, she went into the dressing room and undressed. Getting it on was a little difficult, but she managed. Elle looked in the mirror, and was surprised by how good it looked on her. Clothes made all the difference in the world, no one looking at her would guess she was a bodyguard. Hell, they'd not question her femininity in the slightest. Her body was emphasized in all the right places without making her look trashy, and the contrast of the black made her red hair and blue eyes seem even more vibrant. There was only one real problem with it, which concealer could fix- a pale, thin scar was visible on her left breast. Time had healed it, it was almost invisible- but still there.

Stepping out of the dressing room, she allowed him to see it and decide if he thought she looked "believable" enough to fit in. People could assume what they wanted, especially if it made her job easier, but that wouldn't mean it would be so and Elle would cling to that knowledge. 

William nodded calmly to her first question about backlash knowing good and well that it would not happen. He did not allow for disputes to come to blows amongst his ranks, that was how kingdoms fell and he had no intention on letting his kingdom fall, especially over a broken arm and a shattered ego. In his line of work, he was the only person who was allowed to have an ego because anyone else with an ego posed a potential threat. The Gentleman raised an eyebrow at her comment but allowed it to pass without a comment of his own. Personally, he thought the young bodyguard was a very feminine and attractive young lady. She was assertive, but over all feminine.

The Gentleman continued to be impressed by her constant worry about his security, a trait good for a security officer. However, he had already considered her movement when picking out the dress. "Normally, events where a dress like that is required," he spoke to her while she changed in the dressing room, "will mean that we would have other people in place in attendence, you would be the closest one to me though so you make a good point." He nodded a little and stepped off, across the little aisle to look at some bathing suits as he thought about her body and what might fit her well.

He had plenty of time to search through the bathing suits as it took her longer than normal to fit into the dress. The Gangster simply assumed that she did not normally wear dresses so she was probably trying to figure out which hole her head went in. As he thought about her body and which bathing suit would fit it best he felt a familiar yet strange feeling in his gut, sexual attraction. He paused for a moment and picked up a relatively normal red bikini and tried to figure out if it would go with her hair or not. He then grabbed the same bikini in a deep, royal purple, forest like green and light blue for her to try on while he did his best to shake the feelings from his head.

When he heard the door to her room open he moved quickly back over to her with his things in hand. William was pleasantly surprised by what his eyes were witnessing. "You are stunning Elle," his voice full of sincerity, "Thats a definite purchase." The Gentleman would take his free and and spin her around once before handing her the bathing suits. "Here, put that in the keep pile and pick your favorite color out of these."

Compliments were not something she was used to, so he was able to see a moment of surprise touch her face at his reaction to the dress- though his action of spinning her had a lot to do with it. The sudden skin contact had been unexpected, so she had a moment where she experienced a strange lurching sensation. The best way she could describe it was that she felt like the gravity in the room suddenly changed direction, but changed back just as fast.

“Thank you.” She said politely, knowing that was the correct response someone gives when receiving a compliment. Obviously she didn’t wear dresses very often, but she took such great care of her body that it was a non-issue. Every inch of skin that was visible was smooth, soft, taken care of. After that she took the swimming suits in hand- all of the colors were fine, but of the color choices she preferred the purple so she went with that one to try on.

Hopefully he didn’t go swimming very often- the look on her face said ‘where would I put my gun?’ But the other part of her thought that having that much skin exposed would be awful, giving people opportunity to stare at her like she was a piece of meat. Elle also had a sliver of self-consciousness about scars she had, but she knew that such feelings were a weakness she needed to ignore. How strange it was to be in a dressing room trying on clothes- even stranger was who she was doing it for.

Elle put on the purple bikini after she carefully put the black dress in her purchase pile. Naturally she looked great in that too, but her scars were more visible; one on her left breast, another one located on her right inner thigh that was less than an inch of having been a fatal wound in a long, tapering diagonal line. Both of them were pale with age, from many years ago at least. Save for a bruise on the back of her arm she didn’t have another mark on her. It looked like Elle usually won her fights, but it wasn’t a natural talent It had come with lots of work and pain along the way.

No surprise at all was how in shape she was- she had well defined abs without looking like she was pumped full of steroids to obtain them. Her breasts filled out the top generously and were naturally perky due to a combination of her youth and her fitness regimen. Elle already looked beach ready, she didn't even have any unwanted hair because she waxed regularly and it kept the lines of the swimsuit smooth.

Stepping out of the dressing room, it was obvious she seemed to feel most vulnerable in this outfit. Her gun she had been able to strap on under the dress, not so with this little number. So here she was- lots of skin exposed, and no gun. “Are swimming suits going to be frequently necessary?” she asked, one hand resting on her hip while the other was on the dressing room door in anticipation of going back in to remove it as soon as she was able.

While they were in the store, The Gentleman decided that he had taking a liking to his young lady although he still did not trust her any further than he could see her. She was an interesting woman and genuinely did not seem to want anything from him except for work. This thought still confused him a bit because normally those who came to work for him wanted something, besides money, in return. Most wanted women or drugs or status or connections but Elle was different which intrigued him and made him nervous at the same time.

Elle had disappeared and William continued browsing through the clothes although he did not really find anything else he wanted to get for her so he was happy to hear the click of the waiting room door as she returned with the purple bikini on. He tried to hide his astonishment as he saw her in the bathing suit for the first time but he was not exactly sure if he had been successful in that endeavor. The Gentleman shook his head slightly in admiration, "I," he paused for a second, "am speechless." William chuckled a bit and turned his head. He was, after all, a gentleman and it was rude to stare. "Yes, they will be." He responded to her question, "I thought I told you that my business partners like tropical climates." He pretended to look through some clothes but was mainly hiding his body from her to hide his bulge that had formed. As he kept his eyes away from her he spoke again, "Maybe I didn't. I dont know." The Gentleman's words were filled with frustration although it was not directed toward her. "I want to go somewhere else so get everything you want to keep and meet me at the counter."

William looked up from behind the clothes and smiled before heading over to the mens section that was located near the checkout. In a glass case was a bunch of expensive looking cuff links. A employee came up to help him and The Gentleman pointed to a gold pair with medium sized onyx stones. He ran his fingers over them slowly and talked with the service representative while waiting for Elle.

Elle didn't argue with him, he had mentioned that he did business in all manner of places so she could assume that meant tropical locations too. Still, was it really wise for him to choose places that forced her to rely on her body more? Weapons were important, though his enemies probably wouldn't see her in a bikini as any kind of threat.

"Thanks," she said awkwardly to his comment though. Still, she wasted no time in getting it off the second she had the chance and changed back into her clothes, carefully gathering up their purchases before meeting him at the counter. He was a well dressed criminal, she didn't for a second think he had bad taste when it came to clothes... But she didn't want to find him attractive. Unfortunately, she did. Logic didn't always comply with instinct, innately she knew he was dangerous and challenging- which drew her in. Which was stupid, and she knew it! He wouldn't lose sleep over inflicting horrific pain on her if she crossed him, or he felt like she did.

Standing with him, she did feel relieved to be properly dressed again. The frustration in his tone hadn't been lost on her which she found concerning. She wanted him to trust her to guard him so she could do her job- but nothing else. 

The Gentleman, trying to focus his attention on other things, scrutinized the cuff links a little more. They were flawless as most of the other things in this store was and he knew that but staring closely at his helped him to organize his thoughts. A sigh forced its way up out of his lips as thoughts of doubt began to form in his head. Perhaps hiring this young seriously attractive woman wasn't exactly the best move. He back tracked in his thoughts a bit, maybe liking her personality was the bad idea, especially considering how talented she was.

William had calmed his nerves by the time that she had made it over to him at the counter. "What do you think?" He placed both of the cuff links in his left hand and extended them to her while his right hand grabbed some of the clothing so that he could place them on the counter. He was interested in seeing what she thought about them although, if he was being honest with himself, he didn't expect her to know much about fine jewelry. "I'm trying to decide if I want them. They're good and simple yet classy." He turned to the store employee who looked at them sideways "Quite a shopping trip," the employee noted out loud, "Somebody must have been a good girl this year." The shopkeeper chuckled a little and happily began to rang up the things, knowing that commission would be good on this purchase.

William nodded a little and laughed a bit at the employee who clearly thought they were together. "More like, she twisted the correct arms to get here." He threw an arm around her and pulled her close wondering if she would pass this test.

When she approached and he offered up the cufflinks and took a moment to examine them. He was right, she was no expert in fine jewelry- quite the opposite, she was the expert in the cheap. But somehow, that did provide enough knowledge for her to form an opinion.

"I can tell their nice," she said "but what I like them because the style is simple enough to go with a lot, so it's not something you'd only use once." she shrugged slightly as she looked back up at him to see if he agreed with her or not. Perhaps he'd laugh at her, since she was obviously cheap. He probably didn't care if he used something more than once or not, since he made enough money to buy a new pair of cuff links every day if he so desired.

Naturally, she wanted to twist free and break his nose for daring to touch her- but she didn't. Instead, she smiled a little sheepishly as if she were embarrassed instead of recoiling, forcing her body not to tense up like a startled cat. After a moment though, she had to admit his arm twisting remark was clever considering that was indeed how she had gotten there, minus the implications that they were a couple.

"Well," Elle admitted as she cursed inwardly, "I do make it hard to say no. Some might even say it's painful." she repressed the threatening look she wanted to shoot him because that was probably more trouble than it was worth. Somehow she had the impression that this was yet another test and she didn't want to fuck up while he still was in the 'I don't fucking trust you' phase of this arrangement. For now, she just played along and even leaned into him a bit. The shopkeeper no doubt thought she was a gold digging slutbag, but what could she do? Of course she'd make sure he got hell for it later, one way or another!

He listened thoughtfully to her words about the simplicity of the cuff links and nodded a bit. Her words accurately describes his thoughts about the jewelry and he appreciated someone who could recognize the class and elegance in simplicity.

He looked down at her noticing her sheepish grin, it was cute to see such a strong woman in that position. William listened to her words laughing a little at her 'painful' statement. The employee was about to respond but The Gentleman cut him off by speaking up, "Yeah, It's like sometimes you cause me an arm." William gave her a little squeeze before releasing and reaching to his wallet with his right hand and with his left hand turning the little screen that showed the total price away from her so that she would not be able to see exactly how much money she spent. To him, it wasn't important and he did not want her to feel bad about it because they still had more shopping to do and he did not want her to fight him about this new wardrobe because it absolutely necessary to her being accepted as his selected woman of the time.

The large part of their day went along in a similar fashion, he would take her to expensive stores and make her try on different clothes and she would choose some for herself. Throughout the course of the day, she got clothing and jewelry for all different types of occasions so that she would be ready for anything and he informed her that anytime they were out somewhere she should not hesitate to ask for something that she liked, he would gladly buy it for her. The day wasn't awkward but he didn't know if he would exactly describe it as pleasant either. The Gentleman caught himself wondering if her hardness was a facade or if she was actually as cold as she was appearing to be.

The last stop on the tour, before they would go eat because William was hungrier than he had been all week, was Victoria's Secret. William, being the gentleman that he was, opened the door to the famous store and motioned for her to head inside. He knew that she would have some sort of argument about this but William would turn it down immediately. Unfortunately for her, one of his business partners had planned a party in which men would be in tailored suits and women were required to wear lingerie and heels. His business partner was playing off of a poster that he saw comparing how women felt about a proper suit to how men felt about lingerie. Of course this was extremely sexist but William had to attend this meeting and was happy that Elle came into his presence because he could have his bodyguard beside him at all times. He wouldn't let any of the men touch her inappropriately or anything, but incase something went wrong he would be glad that she was there.

The Gentleman did as he did in any other store and started browsing for things that caught his eye. A young woman who worked at the store asked if she could help him with anything and he pointed to Elle across the room, "Could you take her proper measurements and then get her some of your sexier items please?" At his words he reached in his pocket pulling out a fifty dollar bill and handed to the young woman discreetly before winking at her and going over to smell the lotions.

Elle might not have known the exact dollar amount he had spent, but she had the sense that it was a lot. Probably more than she even wanted to know! The shopping trip seemed rather long to her, at one point she had changed into more comfortable clothes since her job interview outfit was not exactly tailored for long shopping trips. The bodyguard switched into a more casual navy blue dress cut above the knee. It was fitted in the top, with 3/4 sleeves that were ideal for the spring leather but the skirt was feminine and flowy- and good for concealing her gun. Her stilettos were traded for some comfortable white flats with a feminine lace overlay. A light white cardigan over the top kept her warm enough- and he got to enjoy a rather rare look at her wearing girly clothing since she seemed to gravitate towards plain and practical. He, and the sales assistants, had intervened enough to prevent her from winding up with a wardrobe that was dominated by such choices!

All seemed well to Elle... until they got to the lingerie store.

Of course there had been a bit of a fight even getting her in the door to the lingerie store- her immediate argument was that no one was going to be scrutinizing her that closely unless they were prepared to get seriously injured! These... articles... were supposed to go UNDER clothes, so what did it matter what kind she was wearing? Of course, any argument she might have had he quickly dismissed and it left her seething. Unfortunately Elle couldn't hide it very well, but she HAD in fact managed to avoid reminding him that she was not a dancer or a whore and she didn't want to be dressed like one. He knew that!

Elle kept her distance from him while he started browsing- she was embarrassed even thinking about wearing some of these things so she wasn't really looking at anything when the sales associate eagerly approached her and asked her to come with her to get her measurements. Not wanting to make a scene, she agreed and followed the young woman to the dressing area so there could be a bit more privacy while her measurements were taken. Several lingerie sets were brought out in various styles: babydolls, slips, corsets, teddies, garters and thigh highs... the sexy selection came in all types of fabrics and cuts.

Not a lot of women came in who were as beautiful as Elle, so the sales associate seemed to enjoy picking things out to her knowing full well that there was nothing she could pick that wouldn't look fantastic on her. Of course, she also brought the most expensive pieces since it was obvious the man paying for it all could afford it. The bodyguard had to endure the woman telling her what a nice boyfriend she had. Elle could hardly say 'he's not', since... well... he was buying her sexy underwear! Why else would he be buying it?

Before long, she ended up in the dressing room and was forced to try on a selection of different things. Her body was slender, so could could fit into extra small clothing if she chose to but she felt more comfortable in smalls. Elle's breasts were surprisingly large for her athletic form, in a generous C-cup. The sales associate mistakenly thought her reluctance to try things on stemmed from a low self-esteem so she was constantly being reassured that she looked great with envious emphasis on her hourglass shape and lack of cellulite. Her whole body was tight and trim!

William got some sort of pleasure from seeing her be so uncomfortable in the store. A thread of confusion crept its way into his mind. She was an undeniably beautiful woman yet, here she was clearly uncomfortable in her own skin. The Gentleman found himself wondering where it all came from. Maybe she was teased as a child when she was going through that awkward stage that everyone had although, he thought she should have outgrown that insecurity. He would allow the two women to get themselves situated in a dressing room before he would join the women in order to give his humble opinion.

The Gentleman watched relatively quiet as she changed into various outfits and began to get a little hot in the neck. The familiar feeling of lust growing in his chest but thankfully not in his pants. William did not bother to correct the sales associate for it was completely common for someone to think that William and Elle were together given the current situation. For the most part, not wanting to think about her in the outfits too long, he gave a simple yes or no. Somethings did not allow him that luxury though and burned images in his mind that would probably come back to his recollection in his more intimate moments. The first thing that did this was a black sleep shirt. The overly helpful sales associate insisted that she should not wear a bra under it so that William could get a true idea of how it would look. The Gentleman had to conscious make sure that his mouth was not hanging open. It made her look so innocent and vulnerable, something that she was clearly not.

It took William longer than normal to approve this outfit and he barely got the word out. The next outfit was even worse it was simple yet incredibly sexy little thing and the sales associate paired it with a garter belt and stockings. This caused William's bulge to grow slightly to which he crossed his arms and studied her for a moment. "This outfit in every color please." The sales associate giggled annoyingly and went to go collect the outfits. The Gentleman nodded a bit at Elle before turning to go outside and get some air. "Don't forget to get regular underwear as well." He added as he pushed the door to the shop open and took an immediate left.

Insecurity about body image in women was extremely common, but that wasn't the problem here at all. Not that Elle was about to volunteer why intimate things like lingerie made her uncomfortable, since she certainly had no intention of confiding in him- or anyone- about why she felt the way she did. One might reasonably assume that the scars on her body were what made her self-conscious, even though they were so well faded that they didn't really do much to subtract from her beauty. Being a bodyguard, scars were rather inevitable but it was what it reminded her that was more alarming than the fact that her skin was imperfect.

Elle didn't correct the sales associate either, and it was incredibly hard for her to remain calm with him in the dressing room. Somehow she maintained her cool, when in reality she wanted to yell at him and start throwing things at the very least. The tension in her body seemed dismissed by the sales associate with her assumptions about why, because she was probably dealing with people like that all day long and many of those people were insecure with themselves for good reason. The lingerie here only looked good on certain body types, but Elle filled out the outfits beautifully.

When The Gentleman left, she was in no position to follow him- even though she knew she probably should. He might have been taking her on a shopping trip, but it was still her job to guard him. Unfortunately she was disinclined to do when she was still wearing lingerie, this was a public place and it would be frowned upon! Fortunately he didn't seem to want her to follow anyway. Sadly, she was extremely relieved before anything else. Elle had been watching him throughout the whole process and knew the clothing had gotten a reaction from him. The mirrors all around the dressing room that were angled to make sure women could see themselves at every angle had backfired for him because she had seen HIM at every angle as well. The black lace and mesh teddy that exposed way more than it covered in particular seemed to get a real rise, even if her whole torso was covered in fabric- the mesh and lace allowed quite the look at what was underneath.

After the lingerie show appeared to be over, she seemed a bit more at ease. Picking out regular underwear was still embarrassing, but considering how many teddies, slips, babydolls, and bustiers he'd seen her in she was a little bit overloaded in the 'embarrassment' department. She picked out several cuts of underwear in different fabrics, though gravitated towards the comfortable ones like cotton or silk. Elle knew she was attractive, but this mess was all too awkward- did he not realize how unusual it was for one's boss to be present in a dressing room in a lingerie store? Maybe it wasn't unusual to him, given what his other female employees did... but that didn't make it okay with her!

The sales associate did much of the picking for her, since she proved tight-lipped when asked her opinion about the sexy undergarments. It was obvious that The Gentleman was calling all the shots anyway, and it was his money that would be paying for it. Elle, back in regular clothes, watched out the store windows for him- and any possible dangers- but her body language was such that he'd know that messing with her was a very bad idea.

William had not gone too far although he was completely protected in the environment that they were in. The Gentleman sat down on a bench and laid his arm across his lap trying to hide any tell tale signs of arousal while he watched the people walk by. On the outside, he looked calmed and collected but anyone who knew him knew that he was fuming. He knew the path that he was going down was a very dangerous one. There was no longer denying the fact that he was extremely attracted to her and for good reason, her body was amazing and that coming from him meant something. The Gentleman was surrounded by beautiful women all of the time and he had access to a large majority of them but this woman was of a different breed. It was something about the mixture of her danger and the beauty of her frame that confused and excited him.

William's body called and he reached in his pocket removing his cell phone. He scrolled mentally and physically trying to decide who would be used to satisfy his desire for the evening. The Gentleman decided on a beautiful brunette and he sent a text message for her to be picked up and delivered to his private suite at the Westin downtown. He would make it an appointment on his schedule even though he really did not have time for it he needed something to satisfy this lust.

The whole time he was outside might have added up to five minutes in total and he slid back into the store twisting his face a little like a man who came home too late at night. He mouthed sorry to her and went to the register to make his purchase. William hid the cost yet again, swiping his card quickly then gathering the bags. He would head towards the door where another member of his security detail would be waiting to collect all the bags that they had accumulated throughout the day. He looked at her cheerfully, "So, what would you like for dinner?" The Gentleman smiled a little too hard, trying to hide his guilt from his attraction toward the woman. "I'm hungry enough to eat a cow." He laughed nervously at his own horrible statement as he headed toward the car.

He knew he was dangerous, but he probably didn't know how satisfying it would be for her to break his neck. At least not on a conscious level- perhaps part of him did know she was a threat to him; though her goal was to get him arrested and his whole organization shut down, so she would make no attempts on his life... she would like to, especially after this episode in Victoria's Secret. He'd seen (and liked) way more of her than she had ever intended, so she was feeling rather violated and edgy as a result.

Even though Elle was fuming, and he no doubt knew it, she did not make a scene and she followed him out of the store dutifully. When he asked what she wanted for dinner, she rose a brow. What did he care? She was his employee, he was the boss- they could go get whatever he wanted and she was not going to argue with it. But instead of saying that (he did not want a Yes-Woman, he'd said before) she paused, then said "I don't care as long as it's something I can pronounce." meaning she didn't want anything fancy. He was giving her a choice, which she could have used to make him take her somewhere so expensive she could only dream of it- but honestly, she'd rather go to some cheap dive or something. "Do you like pizza? It's quick if you're hungry now." a staple in her usual diet, though her body certainly made no indication!

His strange behavior wasn't lost on her. Maybe he felt as awkward as she had at the ordeal? He seemed quite calm but there were flashes of nervousness in his laughter and expressions- though those moments didn't last long, she knew to see any response at all was highly unusual. He'd witnessed her break his bodyguard's arm with less reaction!

William as a bit confused at her words. "Something that you can pronounce?" he chuckled a little, "I think you're pretty literate so that leaves the door open quite a bit doesn't it?" He leaned over to nudge her a bit almost expecting her to lash out at him in response, if she did he wouldn't make anything out of it. William reached in his pocket and pushed the button on his keys which unlocked his doors and he slid back into his vehicle and produced a large yawn. The Gentleman began started the car and headed back toward his estate. "Pizza?" his face curled a little in disgust, "I tell you what. I'll have Chef make us a fresh pizza and it'll be close to being ready by the time we get back..how's that?"

William looked over at her quickly identifying the fact that she was clearly unhappy with him. This caused him to frown a bit as he did not like her being upset with him. The Gentleman changed his mind about the dinner plans rather quickly. "It's rather obvious that you're not pleased with me. So maybe we can work something out." William merged onto the interstate looking up and checking his rear view mirror noticing that the black suv had shown up exactly on time. He did not say anything to her and was unsure if she was going to notice in her anger. "If you are absolutely set on pizza we can have that but I would much rather make it up to you by taking you to a nice dinner spot." William looked over to gauge her responses to his statement, "Look, it doesn't have to be formal but let me take you some where nice. It can even be all American. Hm?" The Gentleman looked back to the road and became slightly frustrated by the amount of traffic that was on the road.

Something important had just happened and William did not even notice it. For the first time in his adult life, he had cared about a person. Not in a lovey type of way but in the sense that he was willing to do something to make Elle pleased with him again. Although, if he would have taken the time to think about it, the fact that he had to make up for buying her a complete new wardrobe was kind of absurd. Still, William made no thoughts of these things and continued toward his estate with only the sound of smooth jazz playing in the background.

"Well, you'd think." Elle responded as he commented on her literacy "but I'm not well-versed in foreign language and I don't want to go to a place where I might accidentally order fermented fish heads or something." she knew some of the 'delicacy' foods you could get in upscale restaurants could be spectacularly disgusting. Or at least, were things she'd never agree to put in her mouth in a million years!

When he nudged her, she didn't lash out at him but she did press her lips firmly together in disapproval. At least he indicated that he didn't think she was stupid, "Besides, I probably don't have the best table manners. I'll use whatever fork or spoon I want, which would probably embarrass you." one fork and one spoon was good enough for her! But unfortunately he might insist that she learn the etiquette. She saw him look disgusted at the idea of pizza, which surprised her- but he could afford to be picky, so it probably wasn't very good in his opinion. Despite her anger though, she could be seen looking into the side mirror and angling herself slightly to get a better view. Angry or not, she was doing her job.

"Well of course I'm unhappy, you made me model lingerie in front of you- and I'm pretty sure you enjoyed it." she pointed out point blank, but then she noticed the black SUV. "Do you know whose car that is? The black SUV that's following us?" she asked him. If anything, she funneled her anger into working so she didn't lash out at him like she wanted to. He didn't seem concerned, but it was hard to tell with him. Either way, she was quite aware of where her gun. "I am not set on pizza." she said, "I don't really care, I just don't want to go somewhere formal." she did find his attitude strange too, she noticed that he was actually compromising with her- it was over something very simple, but she still had never heard of him compromising over anything.

"Food isn't going to make me happy with you. I'd rather clock you in the head so you forget everything you saw in the dressing room." her tone was not a threat at all, but he'd get the gist of her feelings. At least to some degree, she had no intention of explaining why her reaction was the way it was. That would involve confiding in him and she trusted him even less than he trusted her.

William heard her snappy retorts and smirked a bit at them and he shook his head a little. She surely was a brave little thing and it did something to him. Her tabled manners remark did make him a little nervous so he decided to give her a bit of a quick lesson while it was on his mind, "When in doubt, you can do one of two things. Either start on the outside going in or follow my lead." He looked to the young lady and reached out his right hand to tap her shoulder a little trying to lighten the mood. The Gentleman was pleasantly surprised as she noticed the SUV behind them. "Well actually I do. Those contain all of your bags." He looked over toward her and smiled, "That's a good eye though. Keep that up."

His phone vibrated and he pulled it out then sent a text message in response to one that come to him. The text annoyed him a bit as he found that he did not want to deal with problems right now. William scratched his eyebrow a bit as he heard her words of anger toward him even though he had tried to ignore it. She was right, but in his defense, he needed to make sure that she had the proper attire. "Look," he started confidently, "A business partner of mine is having a lingerie and suit party in the next couple weeks some time. An invitation is good for one suit and 2 pieces of lingerie. Fortunately for us, you look very good in that lingerie so I'll be the suit and you and a girl from the club will be the lingerie Now," he paused and swallowed a bit, "I'm sorry for ogling you back there but in my defense I had to make sure it fit you well." He pulled out his phone and sent another text message before looking over to her again. "And if you really want to clock me in the head, I would be happy to meet you in the gym any day. As long as I get to choose the outfit." He looked out of the corner of his eye toward her and smirked playfully, wondering if he would get a response out of her.

Elle was lucky her snappy attitude did something to him, since she wasn't being as cautious or careful as she knew she needed to be. She was lucky her behavior wasn't making him angry, making him willing to do something awful to her in response. He wasn't one to cross, and she knew it- yet she couldn't just keep her mouth shut, even if it was in her best interest. Something about him got quite a rise out of her beyond anything she had expected. Perhaps part of it was the fact that she knew he was attractive, and perhaps it was the fact that he was trouble that exacerbated it in the worst way. Logic didn't seem to matter, though she had plenty of reasons to deem him unworthy of even a twinge of attraction.

Her posture and gaze remained tense and vigilant as one might expect of a bodyguard, still taking into consideration any cars that were close by. "That's what I thought." she confirmed when he assured her the car had her clothes, "But it's dangerous to make assumptions." which was true indeed! Katy was working hard to prove herself to The Gentleman even though she didn't really want to protect him- just his trust, but she'd only be able to get that by showing how serious she was in her role.

It was probably no surprise to him that when he mentioned the lingerie party she clenched her fists and looked even more incensed. "You want me to go to a party wearing nothing but lingerie?" her tone she had to fight to keep from sounding dangerous. "I know what those kind of parties entail. I'm not going to let anyone touch me. I will protect myself." she didn't care who it was, she'd gouge them in the eyes! The notion clearly had her upset, but why shouldn't it? No proper woman, tomboyish or not, was okay with waltzing around a bunch of low lives in their underwear! "You apologize for oogling me, but then you go ahead and want to bring me somewhere where a whole room full of men- including you- can oogle me!"

His teasing retort to her wish of clocking him in the head did earn him a rather heated retort. "The outfit you choose for me will have a direct correlation to how hard I clock you!" but hell, if he'd actually meet her in the gym and let her try it... it would probably be immensely satisfying! Assuming she actually could take him, anyway. He was strong, well-built, no doubt about it. But if he needed bodyguards, she could assume she'd have a fair chance against him!