Just as they finished, Luisâs wife Lily called, "Honey, should I take the afternoon off to buy clothes with Leah?"
Lily was slow to realize that a high school girl like Leah, who mostly wore uniforms, would only need ill-fitting clothes if they were underwear.
Asking her husband to take his teenage sister-in-law underwear shopping was a questionable move, and she only now sensed it might be inappropriate.
"No need to take time off."
Luis naturally refused, "Mom also asked me to take her to school to pay fees. Weâre at the mall now and donât want to go back and forth."
"Okay, honey. Thanks for your hard work."
After hanging up, Leah said sheepishly, "Brother, itâd actually be nice if Sister came."
"No way. If she comes as a third wheel, I wonât allow it."
Luis reached out and grabbed her hand again.
Leah squirmed, trying to pull away, but Luis held on tight, teasing, "Be good and stop moving. Think about itâif Sister took you shopping, would she bring you here?"
This was a harsh reality. No matter which family member took her shopping, theyâd go to cheaper places, not a mall full of brand stores.
Leah froze at this, then blushed and said, "You donât have to hold my hand, though. Stupid Brother, donât go too far."
"Whatâs too far? Holding a kidâs hand in the mall is to prevent them from getting lost."
"Iâm 18. Iâm not a kid."
Luis had mostly figured out her personality by now. He firmly held her hand, and Leah, too embarrassed to make a scene, reluctantly let him lead her into a branded lingerie store.
Deep down, Leah knew that if her sister had come, they wouldnât be shopping here. The cheapest set cost over ten dollars, and Ruth had never bought her underwear at this price point. Worse, most of her clothes were hand-me-downs from her older sisters.
"Donât be nervous. Letâs get your measurements taken first."
Luis noticed her palm was sweaty, though he wasnât sure if it was from excitement.
Leah obediently nodded and followed the sales assistant into the fitting room. Luis waited at the door and asked as soon as she came out, "Did you measure the bust size accurately?"
The sales assistant smiled professionally. "Itâs done. 32D. Your girlfriend looks slim, but her figure is really great."
"Whatâs wrong with you? Why are you asking about my bust size?" Leah blushed and glared at him.
"Couples shouldnât have secrets between them."
The sales assistant chuckled and said, "Miss, donât be shy. Itâs already rare to have a husband or boyfriend willing to shop for lingerie together."
"Where did you get the idea that heâs my boyfriend?" Leah was both embarrassed and annoyed.
"Coming together to buy lingerie must mean youâre a couple. At your age, he canât be your dad, right? Iâve never seen an older brother bringing his younger sister to shop for this. And if itâs some brother in law or other relative, wouldnât that be even weirder?"
The sales assistant spoke softly, but Leah guiltily lowered her head, her conscience pricking her.
"Baby, pick the styles you like." Luis held her hand and confidently strolled around the lingerie store. Ironically, he had never shopped like this with his wife, but now he was broadening his horizons with his sister in law.
"Baby, how about this one?" Luis picked out a purple lace set.
The fabric was thin and sheer, subtly sexy without being too revealing. Leah just glanced at it and said, "This is too mature. Itâs more suited for big sister and second sister."
"Didnât you always say youâre not a kid anymore?"
"But I donât like purple." Leah fidgeted uncomfortably. Seeing how awkward she was, Luis let her pick on her own and sat down on a chair by the entrance to play with his phone.
She chose two sets, both priced at a little over a hundred dollars, among the cheaper options in the store. Luis paid without hesitation and immediately took her to the next store.
"Brother in law, Iâve already bought enough."
"Two sets arenât enough to wear. Brother in law checked your wardrobeâthere wasnât a single bra in there. The ones you have now must be ill fitting. They all need to be replaced."
His bluntness made Leah lower her head in embarrassment, grumbling about Luis becoming more and more excessive.
Luis suddenly placed both hands on her shoulders, his expression serious. "Baby, ill fitting lingerie is not something to compromise on. It can compress your heart and affect your breathing, so you must take it seriously, understand?"
"Ugh, fine!" Leah didnât even dare to stay angry, meekly holding the shopping bags as she followed Luis.
"Pure cotton is the most comfortable, though silk is good too. Buy a few of each and see which feels better!"
This time, Luis held her hand as they shopped. His sister in law didnât resist or complain, though she kept her head down the entire time, blushing.
"Baby, try this one. Donât think itâs too revealing. Wearing thick bras in summer is unbearable, and itâs not like anyone will see it under your clothes."
The sales assistant chimed in approvingly, "Miss, your boyfriend is so considerate. Itâs rare to see a man this attentive and willing to shop with his girlfriend."
This time, Leah didnât argue or protest. She just blushed and asked, "... Brother, should I go try it on?"
"Good girl." Luis smiled in satisfaction.
Now Leah was more relaxed, less tense and less resistant. She hesitated over some lingerie she liked because of the price, but Luis bought them for her without a second thought.
After shopping, five sets of lingerie cost over a hundred dollars. Leah felt dazed, thinking her mother would never have agreed to this.
"Baby, letâs keep shopping. Brother in law is dedicating the day to you." Instead of leaving, Luis held her hand and continued.
"Huh?" Leah was puzzled. "Weâve already bought enough. Why keep shopping?"
"Brother in law turned your wardrobe inside out. The only clothes left were hand me downs from your second sister and big sister."
Luis leaned close to her ear. This time, Leah didnât pull away. Luis grinned and said, "It made brother in lawâs heart ache. Today, Iâm buying you lots of new clothes."
As he spoke, her little red ears looked especially adorable. Up close, her fair skin seemed to emit a milky fragrance, making Luis unconsciously swallow and fight the urge to lick them.
But afraid of scaring the little one who had just calmed down, Luis restrained himself. Instead, he just got closer and blew warm breath onto her ear.
The girl was still a girl. That single warm breath made her shiver visibly, her grip tightening on his hand.
Blushing, she silently let Luis drag her into different stores, buying camisoles, tube tops, nightgowns, and more.
"Bro... Brother, we donât need shoes, right?" Calling him brother in law would indeed be strange, especially now that they were sitting in a branded sports shoe store. Leah was already feeling overwhelmed.
Her hands were full of elegant shopping bags from brand stores, and Luis had already spent nearly three hundred dollarsâa staggering amount for her.
Overwhelmed and uneasy.
So much so that when Luis knelt before her, took off her little sandals, and held her delicate feet, she just blushed and stayed silent.
"Baby, well fitting shoes are important. Otherwise, they can cause deformities and other problems."
Luis cradled her petite feetâpale, soft, and so delicate that even the veins were visible. Even without a foot fetish, he couldnât resist playing with them.
"Stop touching, it tickles!" The rough touch of his hands felt like teasing, making Leah tremble. She tried to pull her feet back, but he held them firmly.
"Brother in law, youâre such a pervert. Whatâs so fun about touching feet? They probably smell."
"If they smell, itâs a good smell." Luis lifted her dainty foot and took an exaggerated sniff, teasing her even more brazenly.
"Disgusting pervert brother in law!" Leah huffed, though her tone was low, somewhere between a pout and flirtation.
"Yep, brother in law loves being a pervert just for you." Luis took off her other sandal and caressed her foot, thoroughly enjoying himself.