THE CORSET & THE COWBOY by Ruth D. Kerce (Copyright © 2001, all rights reserved)       "Why do I have to wear this contraption?" Lily tugged at the top of the black, tight fitting corset as she examined herself in the full-length mirror.       The phrase Hooker's 'R' Us popped into her head, along with some clanky porn music from a stag film she'd once been subjected to at a college keg party. She pulled her black hair forward, but the medium-length strands weren't long enough to cover her exposed skin.       "You have to be authentic," her best friend Julie explained, studying her like a history class assignment.       "Why? Is someone going to peek under my clothes? Besides, didn't women in the Old West wear corsets over another undergarment, not against bare skin? And didn't they wear drawers too, not this satin thong and garter thingy you've got me in?"       Julie waved off her concerns. "Don't bother me with details. Besides, you're a saloon girl. You're supposed to be daring and break the rules."       "First you say I have to be authentic, then you say don't fret over the details. What's wrong with this picture?" The gleam in Julie's eyes confirmed that things weren't as they seemed, and a frisson of alarm raced down Lily's spine. "I have the uncomfortable feeling that you're up to something."       "I'm not up to anything except trying to make tonight a success."       The day Julie didn't have some secret plan in the works would be the day Lily started believing in fairy tales and flying monkeys.       "Sometimes you make me more nervous than a pig at a barbeque. I never should have let you talk me into helping you and your family with this costume promotion."       Lily had already seen the dress her friend had picked out for her, and the bodice wasn't much higher than the corset. She turned from side to side in the dressing room, trying to see how much of her backside was exposed by the underwear Julie had given her to wear. Thankfully, the dress would completely cover that part of her anatomy.       "Quit complaining. You look great. Besides, you're not kidding anyone, Lily. You would have felt totally left out if we didn't ask you to help. You're practically part of the family, we've known each other so long. It wouldn't feel right doing this without you."       Lily yelped when one of the garters snapped open against her thigh. "I hate this thing! This ridiculous garter belt is not authentic. It's, it's…medieval. And this corset is way too small. I can hardly breathe. If I bend over I'll fall out of it." She frowned at her cleavage, which had never seemed too large before, but now threatened to spill out of the corset every time she moved.       "It'll all be worth it. It's going to be a great party, and it's the perfect way to advertise our costume store. If it's successful, we'll do a lot of these themed promotions. Everyone loves the Old West. It's going to be such fun. And you'll make a great saloon girl."       Lily made eye contact with Julie in the mirror. "Is that a compliment or an insult?"       "Very funny. Say, you know what? You need a boa-a bright, red one…and feathers for your hair. Won't that be fun!"       A boa? Feathers? Lily groaned. "Why do I have to be the saloon girl, while you get to be the prim and proper schoolmarm?"       "Because you have the body for it. I don't. You are going to let Jason escort you tonight, right? He'll die when he sees you in this."       At the mention of Jason's name, Lily tensed. She'd been in love with her friend's older brother for years, but had kept her feelings hidden. He'd never be interested in someone like her. He liked the fast movers. Party girls. No commitments. Not a woman interested in a home, 2.5 kids, a shaggy dog, two gerbils, and a shiny black mini-van to tote everyone around in.       "Well?"       "No, I'm not going with him tonight. And he's definitely not seeing this corset; not while I'm wearing it. What are you thinking anyhow? Every woman at the party is going to be draped all over him, just like they always are. I have no intention of pretending to be his date." Jason had always attracted women like honey did bears. And she wasn't any more immune to his charms than other females. Unfortunately, their relationship had never progressed beyond friendship.       As she thought about the new woman she'd spotted on his arm last week, a wave of jealousy hit Lily. She tried to fight back the emotion, but only half succeeded. She knew that she had no claim on Jason and no right to feel so possessive of him. However, knowing that and feeling it were two different things.       "It doesn't have to be a pretend date. He wouldn't let you get pushed aside. Jason cares about you. He always has."       Lily ignored her friend's comment. Jason was fun to be around, and he'd always looked after her, but he only cared for her as his sister's best friend. He'd never given her any indication of feeling otherwise. "Get me the next size. I'm choking in this thing."       "All right. But we're not done with this conversation. I know you and Jason are perfect for each other, and I'm not going to just let the subject drop."       As soon as Julie left, Lily reached behind her to undo the laces of the torturous garment. How did women wear these things? It was worse than a full-body girdle. "Dammit, who's the sadist that designed the ties in the back!"       "Need some help?"       The deep voice sent delightful shivers down Lily's spine. She whirled around to come face to face with Jason dressed in full cowboy costume-hat, boots, spurs, and a plastic six-shooter strapped to his hip. His jeans fit him like a second skin, and his blue flannel shirt stretched across his wide chest, accentuating his build. The five o'clock shadow along his jaw projected a rough, sexy image. Her mouth grew dry just looking at him.       Suddenly remembering her state of undress, she crossed her arms over her chest.       "Aw, don't spoil the view, darlin'."       "Wh-what are you doing in here? I'm not dressed." Lily felt the heat in her cheeks and knew she was blushing. The urge to glance in the mirror for confirmation nearly overpowered her, but she resisted.       With a wide smile on his face, Jason ambled forward. "I just wanted to see your costume. Julie said it was all right to come in."       Julie. She was definitely going to kill her best friend, who had probably set this whole thing up just to get her and Jason alone together.       "I wasn't much looking forward to wearing this crazy outfit, but if I get to escort you in that, I'll suffer through the boots and spurs."       "You shouldn't wear the spurs inside, you know. And this is not my costume. This goes underneath, and you very well know that. And you won't be seeing it--well, except this once. And you're not going to be my escort. And you look great, by the way," she added, lowering her voice.       He laughed and tipped his hat. "Thank you much, ma'am. Have you ever noticed that when you're nervous you say 'and' way too much?" His brow suddenly furrowed. "Why aren't I going to be your escort? You're not going with some yahoo, are you?"       "Yahoo?" She chuckled, and an unladylike snort escaped. She felt her face heat again. She'd never blushed so much in her life. What was wrong with her?       Lily glanced around. Where was that boa? She could use it right about now to hang herself. "You're really getting into this cowboy persona, aren't you?" she asked quickly, trying to cover her embarrassment.       "You didn't answer my question, Lily. Are you going to let me take you tonight?"       The double meaning of his question caught her off guard, and her voice hitched when she tried to speak. She cleared her throat and tried again. "You don't have to take me to the party, Jason. I'm sure there are a dozen women just waiting for the chance to go with you. Besides, you're supposed to be a sheriff." She fingered the star on his chest. "How would it look if you came with a saloon girl?"       His lips quirked up, and he covered her hand with his. "Like I'm trying to redeem a fallen woman?"       Lily's skin heated at the contact. She couldn't decide which feeling was stronger--the urge to flee or the need to melt against his hard body. The scent of his woodsy cologne, his soft touch, the warmth of his body, took her breath away. She had to rope in her feelings before she made a fool of herself and started to drool all over him.       He stepped closer, and his other hand drifted down her side, teasing the skin exposed by the corset. "Didn't you need some help getting out of this thing?" His warm breath caressed her cheek as he glanced behind her at the ties.       Her pulse beat a staccato rhythm. All she had to do was turn her head toward him and they'd be lip to lip. Lily quickly figured the odds of executing a successful kiss. Being an accountant and fast with numbers came in handy at times.       But before she could mentally calculate the bottom line, he stepped back and looked into her eyes…then he unpinned the sheriff's badge and tossed it in the corner. "There. Now I'm just a plain old cowboy. And a cowboy takes pride in caring for his woman, you know—no matter what her profession. It's a duty not taken lightly."       "Duty?" The ridiculously macho statement deserved a scathing reply, but his teasing grin saved him. She'd always been a sucker for that dimple in his left cheek. "Watch your mouth, cowboy. This woman can take care of herself."       "Is that right?" He chuckled.       Jason leaned down and his mouth brushed her jaw. The erotic sensation of his lips on her skin almost sent her into a faint.       "I don't need you to…umm, I don't want you to—"       "Are you sure? Careful what you say, Lily."       Right now she wasn't sure of anything, except that her tongue wasn't following her brain's instructions. The way he said her name, in that deep and sensual tone, made her legs feel like liquid butter and her knees wobble like a newborn calf's. She grabbed his arms for support.       At his sharp intake of air, she glanced up at his face, then followed his line of vision to her chest. When she'd grabbed him, she hadn't thought about how exposed it would leave her, and with his topside view, not much was left to the imagination.       She tried to step back, but his arm snaked around her waist, stopping her.       "Please, Jason."       "Please what, Lily?" he whispered against her mouth. "Tell me what you're thinking, what you want."       She couldn't speak, couldn't move. The deep tone of his voice, and the heated look in his eyes, held her mesmerized.       "I'll tell you what I'm thinking, what I want." Jason tossed his hat on a nearby stool, then laced the fingers of one hand through her hair. "I think you're beautiful. And so soft." His fingers slid down to trace the mounds of flesh pushed up above the corset. "I'd love to see what's underneath this corset."       His words, along with his hand on her breast, made her heart thump painfully against her ribs. He'd never touched her so intimately, never spoken to her in that sensual tone before today.       "Is this real, Jason? Or part of some Old West fantasy?" Her voice came out a bare whisper. She couldn't drag enough air into her lungs to speak any louder, and she didn't think the tight corset was to blame.       No man had ever affected her like Jason. Lily didn't know why he had such power over her emotions, but he did. They'd been through a lot together. Maybe that was the reason. He'd taught her to drive. She'd taught him to slow dance. When she'd turned twenty-one, he took her to Delaney's Bar for her first drink. When he got arrested for disturbing the peace during a protest march and didn't want his family to know, she'd bailed him out.       Jason slowly backed her up against the wall. "You decide, Lily. Does this feel real?" He leaned into her and trailed a fiery path of kisses down her throat.       Oh, goodness. Desire coursed through her veins like an ignited fuse, slowly burning toward an explosion of erotic sensations. "I-I need to hear you say it."       "You're going to make me admit my feelings?" he growled in a passion-laced voice. "Okay. I've wanted to do this for years—touch you, kiss you…love you."       Lily's world began to spin, and her mind whirled trying to make sense of his words--words she'd longed to hear. His tongue licked at her exposed flesh, making her pulse race faster than she ever imagined possible. When his fingers snapped open a garter and he caressed the inside of her thigh, she moaned against his shoulder. Her leg turned, giving him greater access to touch her.       "Jason," she breathed in a passionate whisper, hardly recognizing her own voice. She couldn't believe this was happening. Her wildest dream come true.       His lips covered hers in a kiss so soft and tender she thought she'd die from the sheer pleasure of it. He nibbled at her mouth, then swept his tongue along her bottom lip.       "Oops!"       The surprised voice drew their attention, and they quickly pulled apart.       Julie stood in the doorway, smiling. "I guess this means you've changed your mind about Jason, Lily?"       He cocked an eyebrow at her, and a look of uncertainty crossed his face.       Lily reached up and smoothed his furrowed brow. "It's nothing. Silly girl talk and certainly nothing bad."       He seemed to accept her explanation. His body relaxed, and his arm again eased around her waist.       Julie backed up. "I'll just go look for another pair of stockings. You've got a run in those you're wearing, Lily. I'll be back in a bit."       "Take your time," Jason answered over his shoulder. "Because that's exactly what I intend to do," he whispered into her ear.       After Julie left, Jason stepped back and looked into Lily's eyes, a serious expression on his face. "For someone so smart, I don't see how you've been able to miss my efforts to snare your attention all these years. Why do you think I've never gotten involved with anyone long term?"       "Well…."       "You thought I was some sort of player or something, I'll bet."       "No! I just…I don't know what I thought."       "Do you…." He cleared his throat. "Do you have any feelings for me, Lily? Beyond friendship?"       The almost shy way he asked melted her heart, and the answer burst from her lips. "Yes!" Her immediate response and his sudden mega-watt smile had her blushing again. "I didn't think you had any feelings other than friendship for me, so I never said anything," she admitted.       "Ah, Lily. So much time wasted. After tonight, you won't have any more doubts about how I feel. I decided last night to finally make a move, because I got tired of being subtle about it, waiting for you to make a move."       "Me?" Could he possibly care about her as much as she cared about him? Jason had never lied to her that she knew of. Had he really been waiting for her to come to him all these years?       "I asked Julie to help. I hope you don't mind."       Before Lily could do any more than shake her head, she felt him tugging at the corset ties, and her thoughts took a different path.       "This is a garment of seduction, made for a man to undo. Let me help you out of it."       She pushed her palm against his chest until he stepped back.       "Whoa, Jason." If he didn't slow down, they'd be making love right here, with Julie just on the other side of the curtain, able to hear every sound. "Maybe…if you're a good cowboy, we can discuss it tonight, after the party. Okay?" The anticipation rolled over her in a tidal wave of need and burgeoning love.       A slow smile spread across his face. He leaned close and, in a husky voice, whispered against the sensitive skin of her ear, "Yippie-ki-ay." THE END