“Do you live nearby?” I asked.
“No.” He shook his head. “I don’t know how you can tolerate the noise level outside.”
Only then did I notice a car alarm going off. “You get used to it. After a while, it’s just white noise.” I crossed the room and offered him a glass. “I haven’t heard from you since that night at Howlers. I’ve been thinking about you. How have you been?”
He gulped down a large swallow and lingered by the window. “I came by to apologize for abandoning you the other night. It was rude.”
“No apology needed. You were injured.”
A small drop of wine splashed on his grey button-up, and he brushed it with his hand before setting down his glass. “Rude isn’t even sufficient a word. Unforgivable.”
“Half the men in that bar took off,” I pointed out. “Not everyone’s animal can stand up to a grizzly, especially one on a rampage. I’m just sorry that we didn’t get to finish our… um… Well, whatever it was.”
“Date?”
I furrowed my brow and drifted past him. “I’m still not sure.”
After setting my wineglass on the end table, I took a seat on the pink sofa. Dutch remained by the window, gazing down at the street. His pants fit him snugly, as did his shirt, but in an agreeable way. I guessed they were tailored, and I wondered how much money he spent on his wardrobe. Did he have one of those fancy walk-in closets?
Dutch strode over and gestured to the small gap beside me. “Mind if I sit?”
I scooted to the center.
He stretched his arm over the back of the sofa, fingers lightly touching my right shoulder. “Who was that man you were speaking to at the bar?”
“Tak? He knows my brother.”
“For a man you’re barely acquainted with, he behaved a little possessively. Do you two have something going on?”
Dutch didn’t need the full story. I smiled coyly. “It’s a wolf thing. We get territorial.”
He winked. “Never trust an evasive woman.”
I cocked my head and gave him a pointed look. “And never trust a man who doesn’t make his intentions clear.”
“Touché.”
“Could you hand me my wine?”
He reached for the glass. “I couldn’t help but notice the ostentatious display of necklaces you had in your counter were priced considerably high. Do you actually sell those, or is it a tactic to make everything else in the store look like a bargain?”
I swallowed a mouthful of heady wine. “Those are harder to sell since my art has to speak to the buyer. Each piece tells a story, each stone unique. Buying a showy piece is a personal decision and rarely has anything to do with the price tag.”
When I passed him my glass, it slipped through his fingers and splashed red wine all over his shirt and pants.
Horrified, I fumbled for the stem before it rolled to the floor. “I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to do that.”
Dutch stood up and slowly unbuttoned his shirt, working his way from top to bottom before stripping it off. I tried not to stare, but he had a fine physique that resided somewhere in the middle of perfection. It was as if Greek gods had carved him in their likeness, what with his golden locks and aquamarine eyes. He was so different from the men I’d known—men who were physically strong and abrasive. Dutch had clout and a sophisticated aura about him. He walked as if clouds were beneath his feet, and he spoke as if every word would be etched in stone.
“Let me try to clean that,” I offered, rising to my feet.
“Don’t trouble yourself. It’s not worth fussing over.” He wadded up the dress shirt and tossed it into a small wastebasket. “So how much do those feather earrings go for?”
I set the glass on the table and strode to the window. “For the opening, we ran them fairly cheap as a test. If I can secure a deal with the seller, I’ll have a steady supply. It won’t be difficult to move the merchandise. We’ve never sold such a buzzworthy item. As quickly as they went for a hundred dollars, I’m quite certain a price increase won’t impact the demand. You can’t buy those anywhere else. That might change if a bird Shifter decides to open up shop, but I have the edge with all the other merchandise we sell. Clothes, shoes, purses—Mel’s even thinking about mittens for winter.”
He pinched his chin. “You’re a clever businesswoman. All that hype over feathers.”
I swept my tresses behind my shoulders. “People pay good money for things of monetary value, but you underestimate how much they’ll pay for items with a personal connection to something they care about. Customers value my gems because my dealer’s tribe handpicks only the best. The feathers connect them with Shifters. Each purchase supports the Breed community. Can you say the same about your collection?”
