Deception (36 page)

She leaned over for a kiss. Then she floated away, leaving him alone on the terrace with a smile twitching his tingling lips.

Chapter 24

Following a short and lonely shower, Layla walked from the bathroom and stumbled to a stop, nearly dropping her towel as her mouth fell open.

Quin stood in the middle of the room, already dressed, and it was the first time she'd seen him in something besides shorts and a t-shirt or pajama pants. He wore a dark pair of straight-leg jeans, and a white collared shirt, which he left untucked. The cuffs of the long sleeves were also left undone, and he was in the process of rolling them up his forearms.

Layla gathered two corners of her towel in one fist and strolled closer, drinking in the visage of the finest man she’d ever seen. She swept her free hand through the air, and the buttons of his shirt came undone, exposing his sculpted torso.

“You look yummy,” she purred, moistening her lips. Then she pressed a palm to his stomach and kissed his heart. “Mmm . . . you taste yummy, too.”

Her towel fell as she took him by the waist and slipped her tongue out, tempted to taste him all over, but he put a stop to it by pulling her lips from his pecs.

“If you keep doing that with no clothes on, our deal will become null and void.”

She widened her eyes. “Are you saying you would break your word?”

“I would do everything in my power to get you to agree first.”

She dropped her hands and narrowed her gaze. Getting her agreement would be entirely too easy for him, and he knew it. “I'll just go get dressed.”

“Okay,” he returned, letting her curls slip between his fingers as pulled his hands away.

She watched his chest disappear as the buttons of his shirt flew back together. Then she flashed him a sarcastic smile and turned toward the closet. Walking away from him while nude was disconcerting, and her flushed skin surely showed it, but she also knew the view was driving him crazy, so she couldn’t help but grin as she entered the closet.

Not that she kept the upper hand for long. She lost it as soon as she flipped through the clothes he’d brought. Everything had plunging necklines, and there were no pants. No matter what she wore, she’d look exactly the way he wanted her to, which – if she was honest with herself – was a turn-on.

Not wanting to appear too formal for a walk down the street, she picked out the most casual gown she could find – a white sundress with sheer chiffon overlay. She magicked the frock on over a white, satin thong. Then she looked in the mirror and choked. The gown’s spaghetti straps stretched from two triangles of material that were
supposed
to cover her breasts, but she was spilling more cleavage than ever before. She tried to look beyond it by focusing on the bright-yellow cord of satin daisies trimming the empire waist, but
wow
that was a lot of skin. She dropped her gaze lower, to the skirt that cut off mid-thigh, but the chiffon overlay gave the illusion of coverage by draping to her knees in uneven layers, so she could live with the length. Now, if she could come to terms with the neckline.

“You look amazing,” Quin offered.

She glanced over, finding him leaning against the doorjamb. “How long have you been watching me?”

“Who says I stopped?” he countered, moving to the spot behind her.

His warm hands covered her shoulders as he appraised her reflection, and while she loved what she found in his glinting eyes and speeding aura, she still wasn’t sure about the outfit. “I feel dressed up.”

“So?”

“So we’re just going for a walk. Who wears dresses like this to window shop? People being followed by the paparazzi, that’s who.”

“And witches. It’s rare to see them in anything other than skirts and dresses.”

“Why?”

“Why not? They don't have to worry about rips or stains, and they're comfortable in them. Are you comfortable?”

“Physically, yes, but I don't want people staring at me.”

He pulled her away from the mirror and swept her into a cradle hold. “People will stare at you no matter what you wear. The dress merely sweetens the view.”

She cuddled into him, her tension melting with her muscles. “Okay. I'll wear the dress, but if one person looks at me like I'm a head case, we're buying some jeans and a t-shirt.”

“Deal,” he agreed, burying his face in her cleavage. “Mmm…You're yummy.”

She giggled as she ran her fingers into his hair. “Good. We can be yummy together.” A chill swept over her shoulders and down her spine, and goose bumps followed, reminding her of the cold weather. “This dress is inappropriate for the weather. I'm going to get cold.”

“Nuh-uh,” he breathed, spreading magical warmth into her breasts and throughout her tingling limbs. “Not while you're with me.”

Leaving the inn's luscious gardens behind, Quin and Layla followed the sidewalk to North Hemlock Street.

He raised her hand, once again filling her with magical heat. Then he pointed out a cluster of storefronts. “You should say something if you want to stop, because I’m not going to force you through every shop on the strip.”

“Okay,” she agreed, but with the world’s sexiest man by her side, she found it difficult to pay attention to the stores. “Do you have any suggestions for shoes?”

“Yes, and I know they'll let us in barefoot. It's only a block away.”

“Let's go there first.”

He agreed by wrapping his arm around her shoulders and leading her across the street, and she kept her eyes on his handsome profile. “Is it just shoes?”

“No. They sell a wide assortment of things.”

“It's not fancy stuff, is it?”

He smiled down at her. “That depends on what you mean by fancy.”

She kept her eyes on his, nervous about what he was leading her into, and she didn't look forward until he opened a door and ushered her inside. She'd missed the shop's name, but it didn't matter. She loved the store. Not for its products, but for the precious toddler who squealed and jumped into her arms.

“Waywa!”

Layla bubbled over with joy as she caught Alana and wrapped her in a tight hug. “Alana angel. I've missed you so much.”

“I missed you, too, Waywa, but you came to see me!”

Layla looked around, finding Selena and Edana standing near the checkout counter. “This
is
a fancy store,” Layla approved, smiling at Quin.

“I'm glad you like it,” he returned, leading her forward while giving Alana’s nose a soft pinch. “Hey, angel. Have you been good for your mom and dad?”

“I'm ahways good,” Alana answered.

“Yes you are,” Layla cooed, drifting her lips through Alana's hair. Then she shifted the toddler to one hip so she could hug Selena and Edana. “Hi.”

“It's wonderful to see you looking so healthy,” Edana replied.

“Yes,” Selena agreed. “You look lovely.”

Alana patted Layla's cheeks, successfully stealing her attention from everything else. “Waywa's ahways wovewy.”

And with that, Layla's heart melted. “You are too cute,” she whispered, nuzzling the child’s nose. Then she tore her gaze away and found Edana. “Is this your store?”

“Ours,” Edana answered. “Devlin and I partnered with Drystan and Selena to open it in celebration of Brayden’s birth.”

Layla glanced around and liked what she saw. “Did you guys make all this?”

“Most of it,” Selena confirmed. “Do you like it?”

“I do. Everything looks . . . happy.”

“We think so, too. That's where it got its name after all.”

“That's the store's name? Happy?”

“No,
Euphoria
. You didn't see the sign?”

“No,” Layla mumbled, looking around again. “But it makes perfect sense. I can't pinpoint why, but everything gives off a happy vibe.” It had to be the combination of upbeat decorations, unique inventory, and bright colors. A little of everything was tucked into shelves, laid out on homemade tables, or draped from novel art pieces, yet the store was expertly organized and would be easy to meander through.

“Other people think so, too,” Selena noted.

Layla sniffed the air then double-checked the store for customers. There weren’t any. “Is there magic in the air?”

“Yes,” Edana confessed, “but nothing drastic. The spell merely promotes a calm atmosphere, but it tends to produce a feeling of euphoria in the hexless.”

“Sneaky, sneaky,” Layla teased, wrinkling her nose at Alana.

“Maybe a little,” Edana laughed. “Are you two here for something in particular?”

“Layla needs sandals,” Quin answered, “and whatever else you can talk her into, but good luck. She's stubborn.”

“Ooh . . . ooh . . . ” Alana chirped, bouncing in Layla's arms. “May I choose youw shoes?”

“Of course you can,” Layla agreed. “I’d be honored to wear something you pick out. Have Quinlan help you,” she added, throwing him an ornery grin. “He wants to pick out my shoes, too.”

Quin laughed as he held out his hands, and Alana soared into them. “Come on, Quinwin, we got work to do.”

He obediently carried her to the back half of the store. Then they knelt out of sight to examine the shoes.

Layla smiled and shook her head at Selena. “I just can't get over your little girl. She’s incredible.”

“She thinks the world of you, too,” Selena noted. “This morning she asked me if she’d get to see you today, and when I told her maybe, she specifically picked out a dress she thought you’d like.”

“Aww… She makes me melt.”

“She's good at that. She's also good at picking out shoes. We make more sales when we let her run the show.”

“Well who could tell her no? I'll be putting on whatever she brings over here no matter what it looks like.”

Edana laughed as she moved to a jewelry counter to shuffle through merchandise. “She'll choose wisely. She's usually right on the money when it comes to picking out women's shoes.” After filling her palm with jewelry, she handed the items to Selena then dug for more. Selena then turned to Layla and began holding different pieces against her skin.

“What are you doing?” Layla asked.

“We're picking out jewelry that would look great on you,” Selena answered.

Layla withheld a sigh and shook her head. “I don't need any jewelry.”

“Nonsense,” Edana disagreed. “Every woman needs jewelry.”

Selena picked up Layla's fingers and examined her zultanite ring. Then she discarded several necklaces.

“Really,” Layla insisted, “I don't…” Her voice trailed off as Selena held up a necklace with shiny green stones. They were oval and set end-to-end, forming three long strands that were braided into one thick chain. “What are those?” Layla asked, taking a closer look.

“Chrome tourmaline,” Selena answered, “each of them handpicked for their exceptional quality. Pretty, huh?”

“Yes,” Layla mumbled, mesmerized by the sparkling beads.

“Try it on,” Selena suggested, taking a step forward, which snapped Layla out of her reverie.

“Oh, no, that's okay. It's lovely, though. Did you make it?”

“Edana did, but I made the bracelet.” She held out a hand, and Edana put more gems into her palm. “Here, try it on, too.”

Like the necklace, the bracelet was gorgeous and composed of three braided strands of chrome tourmaline, but Layla shook her head no. “Thanks, but there's really no point.”

“Come on,” Selena whined, but it sounded more like a song. “Humor us. We haven't seen anyone try these on in ages, and I want to see how they look with your eyes.”

Being the pushover she was, Layla glanced at the shoe shelf, making sure Quin remained out of sight. Then she turned back to Selena and caved. “Okay, but hurry up. You have to get them off me before he gets back over here.”

Selena grinned and bounced as she slid the necklace over Layla's head, and Edana beamed while securing the bracelet around her wrist. Once they’d decorated her, they turned her toward a rotating mirror and nodded their approval.

“They look fantastic,” Selena praised. “They go perfectly with everything, your skin, your hair, and especially your eyes.”

“They even complement the dress,” Edana added.

Layla had to agree. The jewelry was the most beautiful she'd ever worn aside from her mom's wedding ring. “They're very pretty,” she mumbled, slyly searching for a price tag. “You guys did a wonderful job making them.” She found a tiny tag attached to the inside of the bracelet's clasp and had to stifle a gasp. If the bracelet was that expensive, the necklace undoubtedly cost a small fortune, and she had no intention of letting Quin spend that much money on her.

She turned away from the mirror while rushing to remove the bracelet, and Selena stopped bouncing. “You're really not going to let him see them on you?”

“I'm really not,” Layla confirmed. “He doesn't need to buy me stuff like this.”

“He gets a family discount.”

“Then it wouldn't be fair for you either.” She handed Selena the bracelet. Then she pulled off the necklace and passed it to Edana. “They're really pretty, though.”

“I know,” Selena pouted, “and they've never looked that good on anyone who’s tried them on. I’d keep them for myself if they looked that good on me.” She tilted her head as her smile returned. “You are stubborn. Maybe next time, huh?”