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Then he strode away, leaving the woman behind the counter with her brows rising and her jaw dropping. “Holy shit.,” she whispered, glancing at the card in my hand. “Did he just almost…kiss you?”
“Of course not,” I forced the words as I handed her the card. “He’s my brother.”
I left the store, my cheeks burning and my head giddy.
Shop after shop they took me to, Caleb joining us an hour later. All three waited patiently, usually beside me as I browsed, then picked out new trainers under Tobias’ guidance. “I thought we might start to jog together.”
He stilled, elation widening his eyes. “You want to run with me?”
There was no way I'd be able to keep up, still I shrugged. “Why not? I need to improve my stamina.”
His grin was instant, and the lip bite that followed hit me right between my thighs. “Damn right,” he answered, smiling as he cast not one, but two, pairs of shoes onto the counter with a devilish glint in his eyes.
He was gonna run me to death, I just knew it.
We spent hours shopping and there wasn’t a grumble, not even when the bags piled up and I'd bought an entire wardrobe of the most beautiful things I’d ever seen, dresses, jeans, a soft cashmere sweater that Tobias said matched the ugly mark on my cheek. I looked away when he said that, standing in front of the display with the soft fabric pressed against my cheek.
I smiled and tugged my hair lower.
“Uh-uh, little mouse.” Tobias gently pulled my hand away, staring at my face before meeting my gaze. “You don’t shy away from us…ever.”
Heat moved through me, closing in around my heart.
“We’ll take these to the car and come back,” Nick said, hefting the bags into the air.
Caleb followed, carrying his own purchases as well as mine.
I grabbed the sweater, feeling the burn of Nick’s card as I swiped it once more. I’d owe him money for the rest of my damn life…but I was sure we’d be able to come to some kind of agreement. My pussy clenched at the idea of that, trading money for my body. I stopped dead, watching as Nick walked out of the store. Then I’d behiswhore.
“You good here?” Tobias asked.
I glanced his way, finding a bemused expression on his face before he stepped closer. “Or do you need to try something on in the dressing room?”
I knewexactlywhat he meant. “We’re in a shoe store, there are no dressing rooms.”
“There’s a back room, isn’t there?”
I couldn’t hide the smirk. “You can’t wait?”
His intense stare was answer enough.
“Tobias,” came the deep, familiar murmur behind us.
My stepbrother stiffened, then slowly turned. Lazarus Rossi stood behind us, flanked by his bodyguard. He took one look at me, then at the bags in my hand. “Out shopping?”
Tobias took a threatening step forward, putting himself between Lazarus and me. “How is that any of your goddamn business?”
“Just strange is all.” Lazarus shifted his focus to me. “That you’re not concerned at all about your father, seeing as how he’s missing.”
My stomach sank. “Missing? What do you mean, missing?”
Those icy blue eyes gave me nothing but a sinister glare. “You’re really going to stand there and tell me you know nothing?”
I didn’t need to stand here. I pushed forward, stepping around Tobias. He grabbed my hand, pulling me against his side. “He’s not missing, he’s upset after the news he’s not getting out.”
“Upset?” Lazarus took a step closer, coming chest to chest with Tobias, but still holding my gaze. “That’s what you want to believe, then go right ahead.”
“You know what?” I snapped, my face heating. “Fuck you, you piece of shit. Fuck you for putting him in there in the first place!”
