too much for me right now.” She turned and pulled the door open. “Thank you for breakfast…and for last night. But I have to go meet the tow truck.”
“Lily, wait,” he called. For a moment he didn’t think she would stop, but she paused just outside the door. “I have something else to tell you.”
“What?” Her voice cracked.
“The tow truck is not coming.” She wheeled around and stared at him, flames rising in her eyes as her face bloomed bright red. “I cancelled the tow to your house and had my personal mechanic pick it up. It will be ready for you this afternoon.”
“You did it anyway,” she hissed. “I should call the police for kidnapping and theft.”
“Please,” he gasped, fighting the urge to go to her and take her in his arms, “let me do this for you. And while your car is being repaired, let me take you to replace your clothes.” He held his arms up in surrender. “I swear I will keep my hands to myself.”
* * * * *
Lily closed her eyes and took a deep breath. He was so genuine about everything he said, but he was also a monster. He was a thing from camp-fire stories and children’s nightmares. Yet he stood before her, his large, pale blue eyes begging her to stay. Her fight-or-flight instincts told her to fly—to run far away and never return…but he had her car. And he wanted to buy her clothes… It was such a weird situation.
“I don’t know,” she sighed. Her feet seemed glued to the floor, unable to move in either direction.
“Come on, Lily. Let me repay you for everything you have done for me. The least I can do is replace the clothing I destroyed.” At the mention of it, her body tingled with excitement. How could she still want him so much after everything she’d seen? Her body very obviously didn’t understand that her mind was not happy. She was trapped with him for a few hours anyway…why not listen to her body and make the best of it?
“All right.”
Rowan rushed across the room as if he would hug her, only stopping short several feet. A lopsided grin curled his mouth and he held his hands up again. “I promised I’d keep my hands to myself.” The comment made her smile, and deep in the pit of her stomach a small bloom of warmth spread its tendrils.
Chapter Five
Shopping with Rowan was more fun than Lily imagined it could be. Every article of clothing he picked up fit her as if it were made only for her. No matter how she argued, he continued to throw clothes at her, picking out his favorites while creating a large discard pile near her feet. She agreed to one set of clothes, but he insisted on more, simply because he thought they flattered her. In the end, the bill from the posh little boutique totaled more than her last two paychecks combined. Lily tried to argue, to demand that the clothing go back and they find the nearest department store, but he ignored her in favor of handing over one of the many credit cards tucked inside his wallet.
To further her financial discomfort, he insisted on buying shoes in a neighboring store to match the clothes, and lunch on the river at an upscale restaurant she never would have imagined entering while alone. With the money he spent, Lily had a hard time being angry with him over the issue of his nature. Instead she chose to be angry with him for not appreciating the value of money, and for throwing it around to impress her.
“So is this all a ploy to distract me?” she asked, ducking under his arm to enter the restaurant.
He grinned. “Something like that.” Within moments they were led to a table in a bright, windowed corner. “Before you argue with me further,” he said, “I do not intend to buy forgiveness. I do not want to make you feel guilty. I only want to see you enjoy yourself.” His words, while flattering, unnerved her.
“Why?” she snapped. “You don’t know me.” He watched her, his eyes flickering with a confusion of emotions. “You and I have known each other less
“Lily, wait,” he called. For a moment he didn’t think she would stop, but she paused just outside the door. “I have something else to tell you.”
“What?” Her voice cracked.
“The tow truck is not coming.” She wheeled around and stared at him, flames rising in her eyes as her face bloomed bright red. “I cancelled the tow to your house and had my personal mechanic pick it up. It will be ready for you this afternoon.”
“You did it anyway,” she hissed. “I should call the police for kidnapping and theft.”
“Please,” he gasped, fighting the urge to go to her and take her in his arms, “let me do this for you. And while your car is being repaired, let me take you to replace your clothes.” He held his arms up in surrender. “I swear I will keep my hands to myself.”
* * * * *
Lily closed her eyes and took a deep breath. He was so genuine about everything he said, but he was also a monster. He was a thing from camp-fire stories and children’s nightmares. Yet he stood before her, his large, pale blue eyes begging her to stay. Her fight-or-flight instincts told her to fly—to run far away and never return…but he had her car. And he wanted to buy her clothes… It was such a weird situation.
“I don’t know,” she sighed. Her feet seemed glued to the floor, unable to move in either direction.
“Come on, Lily. Let me repay you for everything you have done for me. The least I can do is replace the clothing I destroyed.” At the mention of it, her body tingled with excitement. How could she still want him so much after everything she’d seen? Her body very obviously didn’t understand that her mind was not happy. She was trapped with him for a few hours anyway…why not listen to her body and make the best of it?
“All right.”
Rowan rushed across the room as if he would hug her, only stopping short several feet. A lopsided grin curled his mouth and he held his hands up again. “I promised I’d keep my hands to myself.” The comment made her smile, and deep in the pit of her stomach a small bloom of warmth spread its tendrils.
Chapter Five
Shopping with Rowan was more fun than Lily imagined it could be. Every article of clothing he picked up fit her as if it were made only for her. No matter how she argued, he continued to throw clothes at her, picking out his favorites while creating a large discard pile near her feet. She agreed to one set of clothes, but he insisted on more, simply because he thought they flattered her. In the end, the bill from the posh little boutique totaled more than her last two paychecks combined. Lily tried to argue, to demand that the clothing go back and they find the nearest department store, but he ignored her in favor of handing over one of the many credit cards tucked inside his wallet.
To further her financial discomfort, he insisted on buying shoes in a neighboring store to match the clothes, and lunch on the river at an upscale restaurant she never would have imagined entering while alone. With the money he spent, Lily had a hard time being angry with him over the issue of his nature. Instead she chose to be angry with him for not appreciating the value of money, and for throwing it around to impress her.
“So is this all a ploy to distract me?” she asked, ducking under his arm to enter the restaurant.
He grinned. “Something like that.” Within moments they were led to a table in a bright, windowed corner. “Before you argue with me further,” he said, “I do not intend to buy forgiveness. I do not want to make you feel guilty. I only want to see you enjoy yourself.” His words, while flattering, unnerved her.
“Why?” she snapped. “You don’t know me.” He watched her, his eyes flickering with a confusion of emotions. “You and I have known each other less
Similar Books
