KILLIAN

 

Lucy’s guard was down. All the way. I couldn’t blow this.

“Will you do me a favor, Miss Lucy?”

“Depends on what it is.”

I took the rest of her cone and tossed it in the trash. She yelped, lecturing me for a bit until I pointed out “You hadn’t taken a bite in over five minutes. Vanilla was melting all over you. You were done, Lucy.”

“That’s up to me. Not you.”

“Favor.”

“Apologize.”

“Why? Was I wrong in pointing out the truth?” I won when she didn’t answer. “Favor.”

“Yes, you were wrong.” Lucy sighed, “What is it?”

Taking my extra napkins, I wiped her palm clean. “You’re still on for dinner, right?”

“Yes.”

Loved that lilt she had. It carried all her smiles.

“We need to go shopping.”

“For what?”

This goddess was too oblivious to my cues. Any other woman would’ve already dug my black card out of my wallet and waved it in triumph.

If I focused solely on her deplorable wardrobe, Lucy was bound to get her pride hurt. But what if we both went shopping?

“I’m in the mood for a new suit.”

“You buy off the rack?”

Fuck no I didn’t. Shit.

“Did I say suit? I meant, I was in the mood for whatever catches my fancy. I’d like your opinion.”

“Right.” Lucy raised a brow. Her smile fled. “You think my fashion taste is disgusting.”

“No! Not disgusting…just…not…good.” That wasn’t helpful.

“So why would you want my opinion?”

There was cunning and then there was sloppy. No doubt which side I stumbled into.

“Because what you think matters.”

There. Truth. How could anything go wrong with the truth?

“You’re full of it, Killian. You’re taking me out to dinner and you don’t think what I’m wearing is up to code.”

Fuck it. I was already done for. “There is that.”

Her mouth turned into a flat line. “Okay. I’m ready to go back.”

Lucy turned around and I lunged after her. “Wait a minute! It’s not as bad as you’re making it sound.”

“No? You’re embarrassed by how I dress so you want to turn me into a Barbie doll.”

“First, I’m not embarrassed. Second, I’ve always wanted to dress you. Hence the favor.”

Her muscles were stiff beneath my arm. “Why?”

“What do you mean? Because I do. My family is in the business of beautifying women. It’s in my genes.”

“Why me?”

“Why not you? You’d be a dream to dress.”

Her plump mouth curled into a dark smirk. It didn’t suit her. “In case you haven’t noticed, I’m not tall and I don’t have the kind of figure that’s currently in fashion.”

What was this? Lucy had insecurities about her body? How the hell could that even be possible? Was she blind? Did she lack a mirror?

“Lucy, you don’t need to fish for compliments. I know you get them every time you walk down the street.”

“That’s not a compliment. That’s harassment.” She cut me off with “Look, I asked you out to dinner first. Since it’s on me I was planning on going to a local diner or something. Maybe burgers. What I’m wearing is fine.”

I barely kept the grimace off my face. Barely. Our first dinner was not going to be at a greasy diner. Nor was Lucy going to foot the bill. Not in my damned lifetime. On some things, I was old school and proud of it.

It didn’t matter what it was—I paid. Not her.

“First, I asked you to dinner. Second, it’s on me not you. Third, I plan on taking you to somewhere nice.”

“Boring, overpriced, and bland.”

“Wrong. Exclusive and delicious.”

“Just because the menu doesn’t have prices doesn’t make it better than regular food. It just means you got robbed.”

God help me. Why was I even having this conversation with her? Didn’t she understand her part? Lucy was supposed to be giddy and open to spending me into the poorhouse before I paid through the nose to feed her delicate stomach.

Nothing was working the way I planned it.

Unexpected.

“The menu prices are as they are for a reason, Miss Lucy. It’s not important.”

“It is when you bring up outfitting me so I can have the ‘privilege’ of entering such hallowed grounds.”

“It’s called a favor for a reason, Lucy. It means you’re doing it for someone else.”

“I don’t want to.”

“Why not?” She frowned, looking at me with growing disappointment. For the fucking life of me I didn’t understand why and that made my temper fray. “Well? Or are you going to keep me in suspense forever?”

“You really want to know?”

“Obviously.”  

“Because how I dress doesn’t make me less valuable, Killian. Besides, I’m not your date. We’re not going to dinner because it’s a date. We’re going to dinner because you weren’t free for lunch.”

Lucy’s vulnerability may have disappeared through the mad rush of her end sentences, but I saw it. I didn’t like it.

She was a goddess. Goddesses bowed their heads to no one. They made fools of men—not the other way around. Period.

Drawing Lucy closer to me, I pitched my voice softly. “You’re right. The hideous suits you wear don’t have a thing to do with your value. You’re above all fashion labels.”

“My suits aren’t hideous. They’re fine. You’re just a snob.”

“You’re right. I am a snob, especially when it comes to you. You should have clothes that fit your body properly. Ones that come in here,” I caressed her waist, “and then flare out here.” I dared to touch her right above her exquisite ass.

She sighed my name. I couldn’t remember anything that sounded as lovely.

“But you’re right again. It doesn’t really matter. You’re still beautiful—even if your clothes were to hang off your body like a potato sack. Which would be impossible, I might add.”

Lucy’s breath quickened. She stood there in my hold, chin up and expression shuttered, but the trembling didn’t lie. My words moved her and I wondered if anyone had ever bothered to tell her truth.

The world could be a cruel place.

Leaning down, I rasped in her ear, “You’re wrong too.”

Enough silence passed that it prompted Lucy to ask, “How am I wrong?”

“I’m free now and I’m still here. What does that tell you, Miss Lucy?”

The vein in her neck fluttered. If I was a predator I’d definitely lean in for the kill.

“That you’re good at making people do what you want them to do.”

I reined in my triumphant smile. “Will you do me this favor?”

Lucy nodded and then looked up. “But only if you do one for me in return.”

Negotiation. Hmm, intriguing.

“What favor?”

“Another question.”

“What?”

She shook her head slowly, dark eyes threatening to pull me into a beautiful abyss. “It’ll be one of my choosing when I choose to ask it. No word games. Just an answer. A truthful answer.”

“I’m not in the habit of lying.” No. Just deceiving.

“Do you agree?”

This could be tricky. Lucy might ask something of me that would render me hollow. Wait. Why fear something that was already my life? There was nothing Lucy could ask that would have the power to break me.

After tonight she wasn’t going to even think about her question.

“You have a deal—but only if you give yourself over to me. Agreed?”

That sounded dirtier than I wanted to let on, but Lucy could read between the lines. She’d agree knowing full well where we’d end up.

If she was going to back out it’d happen now.

“Do we have a deal, Lucy?”

I need this.

She didn’t smile or look smug for getting me to break first. If anything, her expression grew more serious.

“All right then, Killian. I leave myself in your hands.”