Chapter 4

4

K risten felt full. That’s the only way she knew how to describe the feeling of Cin's Benwa balls inside of her. As she took her first step, she worried that the balls might slip out of her core, past her lace panties, and bounce on the floor. But they didn't budge. They remained snuggly inside of her.

The fullness grounded her. The feeling anchored her to the present. She felt fully seated in her body, inside of in her head. In addition to that, the balls kept her on the edge of arousal.

Or maybe that had been the feel of Cin's fingers as she'd inserted them. Kristen had never been touched there. Sure, there was the fleeting fumbling of a man's rough fingers as he checked the X marks the spot of his cock's destination. But she'd never had her folds parted. She'd never had the pad of a finger test for wetness. She had never been this wet for anyone.

Not that there had been many someones down there. Never a woman. Kristen knew that Cin was a homosexual, a lesbian. She wasn't sure which was the politically correct term. Where she'd grown up, politics were not in favor of women loving women.

Not that Kristen had an issue with it. She'd never thought of it. Not until she had a woman with their hands between her thighs.

Kristen needed to wipe that thought from her mind. She wasn't into women. She was into men. One man in particular.

A glance at herself in Cin's mirrors told her that Justin wouldn't be able to ignore her in this dress. She barely recognized the reflection staring back at her. She looked like... an angel. A sexy, heavenly vision wrapped in ivory silk.

The gown hugged her curves in ways she never realized were possible. The fabric accentuated the lines of her waist and the gentle flare of her hips. She had never thought of herself as curvy, but in this dress, she looked—no; she felt—beautiful.

The soft shimmer of the fabric brought her skin to life, making her complexion glow as though she were lit from within. The delicate lace at the neckline framed her collarbones, and the sheer sleeves gave her a sense of elegance she had never associated with herself before. Her eyes wandered over the details, the way the dress swayed as she moved, the way it made her feel powerful and graceful all at once.

She had always tried to blend in, never one to draw attention. But now? There was no way anyone would be able to ignore her in this gown. She felt radiant. Justin wouldn’t be able to look past her, and it was all thanks to Cin.

A surge of gratitude and awe welled up inside her. Or maybe that was the balls. They tingled and hummed as she moved. The devices had not only wrangled her anxiety, they'd given her confidence.

Impulsively, she reached out and hugged Cin. At first, Cin stiffened. Then her arms came around Kristen. Cin was warm, like her name. Also, like her name, there was a spice to the embrace.

Kristen could've stayed longer. Would've, if the impropriety of the action didn't catch her. Cin was for all intents and purposes Kristen's boss. Though her actual boss was now dating a new hire, and she had never seen Noel more happy than he was when he was standing next to Mindy, that wasn’t for Kristen. She wasn’t a lesbian, and she had a crush. On a guy.

"Thanks again," she murmured.

"It was my pleasure."

The way Cin said pleasure made the balls inside Kristen hum with delight. Kristen pressed her thighs together and moved down the hall.

She felt like she was floating. Her strides were confident. She glanced over at Cin at her side and wondered if this powerful woman had lent her some of her strength. Cin Kringle had said that she had suffered from anxiety. Kristen would’ve never guessed it by the confidence of the woman beside her. But maybe if she used the balls instead of her medication, she might gain the same confidence as Cin.

They stepped into the party room, and it felt like walking straight into a Christmas wonderland. Tinsel draped from every surface, sparkling in the soft glow of twinkle lights that lined the ceiling and wrapped around the two towering Christmas trees. They stood proudly at either end of the room. The trees were decorated with ornaments in rich reds and greens, the golden star on top twinkling as if it belonged in a snow globe.

In the center of the room, a long table held an array of drinks and finger foods, from brightly colored holiday cocktails to platters of mini quiches and gingerbread cookies. The sound of holiday music hummed in the background, adding to the cheerful buzz of conversation and laughter. It wasn’t Christmas just yet, but at Kringle a plate which she would've happily made for him. But Justin shook his head as though he'd anticipated her question.

"Not gonna eat any of this trash. High protein diet, you know? It’s killer. I can’t touch any of that stuff they've got on the table,” he said, gesturing to the food. “Too many carbs. Would ruin my body.”

Kristen’s smile faltered, but she tried to stay engaged. “Oh, well, there’s?—”

“Yeah, it’s brutal staying in shape like this,” Justin continued. “You wouldn’t believe how many reps I’ve been doing lately. And after the holidays? I’m out of here. Gotta get away. I hate Christmas, honestly. But you can’t beat playing Santa. Single moms are practically lining up to give me their numbers when I’m in that suit.” He laughed, like it was the best joke in the world. “It’s the easiest game in the world, you know?”

Kristen’s excitement began to drain, the crush she had once harbored for Justin slowly smothered by his endless talk of himself. She tried to find a moment to interject, but he barely paused to breathe, much less listen.

“So anyway, what’s your number?” Justin asked casually, as if it was a foregone conclusion she’d hand it over. “By the way, what’s your name again?”