“This is… exactly what I expected,” Leo said, before looking back at her with soft eyes. “Full of Christmas cheer, just like you.”
She heard the compliment, saw the warm way his gaze settled on her face. But she wasn’t feeling the moment the way she should.
Closing her apartment door, she shifted her weight from one foot to the other while twisting her fingers together nervously. “Why are you here, Leo?”
His expression turned serious, and he moved closer. “I want to know what’s going on with you. Why did you cancel our date?”
She swallowed around the lump in her throat. “I just… didn’t feel like getting together.”
His gaze narrowed. “Did I do something to upset you?”
She shook her head. “No. Not at all.”
He took one of her hands and ran his thumb over her knuckles while staring into her eyes. “But something or someone did,” he said, surprising her with his ability to see what she was trying to hide. “What was it, sweetheart? Who stole your smile?”
She wasn’t sure about telling him what happened, as if revealing the truth would make her humiliation worse but the concern in his eyes convinced her. Before she knew it, she’d admitted the whole story about the way the boutique owner had treated her.
She’d never seen Leo angry before but as she spoke, his facial features transformed until a muscle ticked in his jaw and his eyes were narrowed slits.
“I can’t believe they treated you that way,” he snarled. “It’s completely unacceptable.”
She nodded. “I agree, but I didn’t exactly stand up for myself, either. I was just so shocked.” She bit down on her lower lip, a mixture of embarrassment and anger rushing through her. At the woman, at herself. All of it.
“That’s not your fault,” he said, as he brushed his knuckle down her cheek. “The owner was dead wrong, and she needs to pay for that.”
Cammie hated the idea of a confrontation. “I don’t know… it’s probably not worth the fight. Maybe we should just forget about it.”
Leo shook his head. “Absolutely not. She’s going to learn that actions have consequences. But don’t worry, sweetheart. I’ll take care of everything.”
Cammie wasn’t the type to seek revenge or hold a grudge, but she had to admit it felt good to know he cared enough to fix things for her.
“As for the dress, we’ll go somewhere tomorrow to buy you a gown.”
She didn’t want to bother him with dress shopping. “You don’t have to go with me. I’m sure I can—”
“I’m coming,” he insisted. “I want to make sure you’re treated well.”
Her lips lifted in a smile. It had been a long time since someone had taken care of her. It was before her mom had gotten sick and Cammie had forgotten how good it felt. “Okay,” she whispered. “Thank you.”
After they wrapped up that conversation, Leo spent the rest of the evening at her apartment. He ordered pizza and sat on her living room couch while they ate the pie and watched Christmas movies. He didn’t hold back his criticisms, callingIt’s a Wonderful Lifea depressing movie and claiming that the Grinch was justified in his actions because the townspeople were annoying as hell, causing her to laugh in good-natured fun.
She figured he’d become bored with her choices in Christmas movies, yet he didn’t seem to mind when she started the third one.A Christmas Carolwas one of her favorites.
Leo leaned back on the couch and Cammie tucked herself into his side. She lay her head on his shoulder, and he pulled a knitted blanket off the back of the sofa and covered them both.
Feeling cozy and happier than she could remember, Cammie fell asleep before she even realized she was tired.
Chapter Nine
For the firsttime in over a year, Leo took a personal day off from work. After Cammie’s experience at the boutique, there was no way he’d let her go shopping alone. He was already kicking himself for recommending Urban Trend to her in the first place. He’d only done it because his sister often shopped there. But Jenny came from money, and there were ways to tell that at a glance.
Cammie’s adorable jeans and sweater look shouldn’t have mattered. She should have been treated with respect whether she had Leo’s Black Card in her purse or not, and he’d come up with a plan to point that out to the store owner in a way she’d feel far into the future.
He parked his SUV, getting lucky by finding a spot in front of the boutique. As he approached the store, Charlie, who also shopped there, was waiting for him, too.
“Well, this should be fun,” she said, treating him to an evil smile.
He shook his head and grinned despite the seriousness of the situation. “We’re here to teach a lesson, not have fun.”
