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She stuck her tongue out at me for being bossy, then went on. "After losing my parents, I always thought I'd be alone."
Then she added drily, "And I didn't hate the idea."
I laughed. She was so blunt and honest, and I liked that.
"I didn't mean to put too much pressure on you by trying to buy you something beautiful to keep forever," I tapped another glass case with earrings. "You could get earrings instead. Those can be forever."
"You have to stop trying to buy me everything."
As I wrapped her in my arms, I caught a glimpse of the salesgirl beaming at us from across the room. I knew what they saw: a handsome, well-dressed man, who adored the woman with the curves and long glossy curls. We seemed picture perfect.
And also, we probably seemed like a big commission.
"Oh. Shut up and like it, slut," I murmured into her ear, because I couldn’t stand for anyone to think I was completely whipped by this beautiful girl.
She froze for a second, then let out a laugh as she untangled from me. "I'm going to have to take the lead at the club to civilize you."
"We'll see how that works out for you."
The lighthearted banter seemed to have eased her mind. Typical Selena; too much real emotion made her panicky. She picked out a ring that looked beautiful on her thin hand, and she didn't protest--much--as I added several sets of earrings and necklaces to the purchase.
Maybe I couldn’t hang onto her. But even so, I wanted her to be reminded of me often.
CHAPTER25
Selena
Dominic,Aiden and I sat around the breakfast table. I was eating a hot, fresh buttered blueberry muffin, which was one of life’s greatest pleasures.
“Do you remember that guy who hassled you at the party?” Aiden asked me. He was eating a spinach omelet. I wasn’t interested in a steady diet of health food when I was pretty sure I’d be dead by thirty.
“I do,” I said. “The last I saw of him, he was going for a walk with Dominic.”
Dominic snorted. “I should’ve just killed him. Came close. He didn’t enjoy the little talk we had outside the house.”
I tilted my head to one side, glancing between the two of them. “Why? Why’d you two go full psycho when you didn’t even know me?”
“Aiden hadn’t gone full psycho yet,” Dominic said. “That came later.”
Aiden glanced down at his omelet. “He had sketched your face. But he was a terrible artist. He gave it to my dad as a potential suspect.”
“Ah,” I said. “Well then, I do wish you’d just killed him.”
“Wish granted,” Dominic said.
Aiden waved it off as if it were nothing. “It had to be done to protect your cover. And it’s no great loss.”
“Do you think you could at least tell me when you kill people on my behalf?” Maybe I shouldn’t have felt as pleased as I did, but I scolded them on general principle anyway.
“You should eat something with some protein,” Aiden said instead of answering. He cut his omelet in half with his knife and pushed his plate between us.
“I’ll take the protectiveness and even the control,” I said, “and I’m fine with spankings, but I draw my boundaries on eating spinach.”
Dominic didn’t quite succeed in hiding his grin behind his coffee cup.
“I’ve barely seen Xander lately,” I complained.
“Well, he finally delivered his project,” Aiden said. “He’s got everything in place and Gavin’s happy.”
