Barely There by Dakota Trace

Empress: An uptight ladies clothing store owner. Nicolai: A fashion designer with a new risqué line, Barely There. The sparks fly when these two fight over what customers will want as well as the attraction between them.

When Nicolai Rambaudi approaches Empress Chikowski, a plus size ladies clothing store owner, with his new clothing design, sparks fly. While she thinks the design is too risqué for her customers, he’s convinced it isn’t. In fact, he offers her a chance to put him in his place: a focus group on his design. If the group agrees with her, he takes his designs elsewhere...but if they agree with him, he wins the contract and gets to see Empress personally model it!
Warning: This title contains graphic language, sex and mild BDSM.

Empress Chikowski owns and runs an upscale plus size women boutique. She is professional and conservative and prides herself on offering the same type of cloths in her store. The new design offered by Nicolai is too risqué for her store or her personal tastes. And he is overwhelming to her as well. It doesn’t help that she has never has an orgasm, with anyone else present anyway. That he just might be the first man to be able to give her one makes her even more nervous around him.

Nicolai Rambaudi is a nudist, his whole family back in Italy are/have always been so. His brother suggested a clothing line for woman copying this idea (hinting at naked skin and following the curves of a lady’s body) and Nicolai couldn’t resist. But convincing Empress to carry the line will be a challenge. The focus group is an easy task; winning Em for himself will take all his skills.

But the bigger challenge will be overcoming Em’s own issues with her body. And finding out if she can accept his way of live as well, embracing the naked human body in all its glory.

Barely There is too short, seems to be missing part of the story. The build up is good, with a brief encounter between these two, and then it just cuts to the end. Barely There had lots of potential and I wish Dakota had the time/space to develop it fully. She has done so well with other books and I know I will keep my eye for more of her work.

Barely There has a nice connection between Em and Nicolai. Nicolai falls fast and has to work to win Empress. That they are both in the clothing business gives them a starting point together. He is very tall and her extra height gives them an extra connection to their attraction. Of course, it always help when the man is the first/only one to be able to give you an orgasm (sorry, couldn’t help it). I like that while he first briefly hesitates, he is the one to point out where and why big women would like the extra boost of feeling sexy and attractive his clothing line could give then (accentuating the positive and hiding the ‘flaws’). Nice touch there.

Barely There is a fact read and almost sweet in the romance. Their one encounter is graphic but normal/vanilla. This is a lovely little story.