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The dress fitting for Lizzie’s wedding. Amber and I are to be bridesmaids. “I’m sure my dress will be fine, I haven’t gained a pound since the last fitting.” I narrow my eyes and glance at her baby bump. “Not sure about you though.”
Amber laughs. “Ha-ha.”
My sister is massive, considering she is only four months pregnant. She could easily pass for six, but what would I know? I’ve never been pregnant before and nor do I want to be. I’m comparing her baby bump to when she was carrying her daughter, Freja. With Freja on my mind, I ask, “So, how’s my niece?”
“You know,” Amber says with a knowing smile. “Giving Rick hell, braiding his hair and painting his nails.”
I snort into my mug.
Amber orders our breakfasts. I sit quietly and listen to her talk about how amazing her fiancé Rick is, and how lucky she and Freja are to have him in their lives. Before I know it, an hour has passed. Our coffee mugs are empty and the plates bare, with only breadcrumbs and the remnants of tomato sauce left behind. I kiss my sister on the cheek and literally run from the café and head to the flat. So much for Tyler and I talking over toast. I’ve got to make this quick.
Rounding the corner, I stop dead at the sight unfolding before my eyes. What the hell is he doing here?
Lucian Calloway is standing outside Tyler’s shop. A man in a navy suit stands hammering a sign to the wall. I can’t see what the sign says because Lucian’s big head is in the way. I take a few steps to the right, the large letters of the sign becoming apparent.
The word ‘sold’ hangs in bold red lettering.
My stomach twists in a way that is painful, and for a second, I’m sure the ground is moving beneath my feet. Sold. Seeing as Lucian is standing out front, it doesn’t take long for me to put two and two together.
Burt has sold the shop to Lucian.
The Devil.
Lucian
Itake a few steps back and shake my head. “No, it still isn’t right. Try a few inches higher.”
Josh glowers at me and wipes his sweaty brow with the back of his hand. “Remind me why I’m hanging this bloody sign?”
I clap my cousin on the shoulder. “You should know by now that everything I do has a purpose.”
I open the lapel of my jacket and retrieve my grandfather’s gold pocket watch. He was a stickler for punctuality and arriving at meetings ahead of time. It is for this reason the time has always been set ten minutes early, a tradition my grandfather started, and a tradition that to this day I continue.
“Lucian.”
I smile because I recognise her voice immediately. I don’t turn to face her, not yet. I offer her my profile whilst continuing to glance down at my pocket watch.
She’s right on time.
“Lucian,” she repeats. In my periphery I notice her standing with her hands placed firmly on her hips.
I close the lid on the watch and wait until the clasp clicks shut before placing it in my jacket pocket. I glance past Chelsea and briefly look at Josh. His mouth hangs open as he takes in the girl directly in front of him.My damn girl.Now that he has had a second to appreciate her beauty, it’s time to remind him of the fact.
I lean in to him and nudge his chin. “Ogling is unattractive on you, and do I need to remind you that you are already spoken for?”
Snapping his mouth shut, Josh swallows loudly. “I was not ogling.”
I dismiss his reply and, in a whisper, continue. “I believe the answer to your previous question is standing right in front of you.She, dear cousin, is the reason we are here.”
I’m pulled from my little tête-à-tête with Josh as Chelsea pulls on the sleeve of my suit jacket. It seems that she doesn’t like to be kept waiting, a trait she and I share. I turn casually. Only now do I offer her my full attention.
I fight to keep my expression neutral, but it’s clear to see why my cousin’s jaw dropped. She is utterly captivating. She is wearing a brightly coloured floral summer dress. Her blonde hair hangs freely around her face and falls to the hem of a faded denim jacket. Her features are in perfect proportion, but what has my attention is her eyes. Utterly riveting, her eyes are as blue as the Mediterranean Sea, a sea I would willingly drown in.
I capture Chelsea’s dainty fingers and guide her hand toward my lips. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”
Gazing into her eyes, I’m about to place a chaste kiss on her skin when she pulls away. Her expression hardens and her eyes, those beautiful blues, are as angry as a tempestuous sea.
“What are you doing here, Lucian?”
