I make my way back to the spa building and find the coffee shop tucked into a corner of the atrium. It’s quiet, sophisticated, the kind of place where people conduct business over expensive lattes. I order black coffee and sit at a corner table with a view of the elevators, the jewelry bag safe at my feet.
And I wait.
My wolf paces restlessly, unhappy about being separated from her. Even though I know she’s safe, know she’s just upstairs being pampered the way she deserves.
I order a second coffee. Check my watch. The minutes crawl.
Finally, I see her step out of the elevator.
She looks different. Softer somehow. Her skin glows, her hair falls in loose waves around her shoulders, and there’s a relaxed set to her features that wasn’t there before. She spots me and walks over, her movements almost floating.
She slumps down in the chair across from me, a dreamy smile on her face. “That was amazing.”
Warmth spreads through my chest. “I’m glad you enjoyed yourself.”
“Enjoyed?” She laughs softly. “I think I left my body for a minute during the massage. Is that normal?”
“It means they did their job.” I pick up the jewelry store bag and slide it across the table. “I found these for you while you were upstairs.”
Uncertainty crosses her face as she peers into the bag. She pulls out the first box with trembling fingers. Ruby earrings catch the light. The next box reveals an emerald necklace. Then, diamonds that will wrap around her wrist like moonlight.
“Darius!” Her voice is barely a whisper. “These are—” She swallows hard. “They’re on loan, right? For the gala?”
“They’re yours.”
She’s silent for a full minute, gaping at the pieces I chose for her. Finally, she sighs, looking up at me. “You’re a liar.”
I just smile at her.
“I’m not stupid.” Her fingers trace the edge of the diamond bracelet with longing. “This is thousands of dollars’ worth of jewelry.”
I lean forward, reaching across the table to touch her cheek. The contact sends electricity through my palm. “Just pretend for me.”
She closes her eyes, her breath shuddering out. When she opens them again, there’s a look of defeat in them.
“I knew,” she says regretfully. “The whole time, I knew there was no company budget covering all this. In the back of my head, I knew.”
“And you still went along with it,” I murmur.
“Don’t get me wrong.” She glares at me. “It’s not because I want these things. I initially thought there really was a budget, until you bought all those dresses. That’s when I began to figure it out.”
“There is a budget.” I keep my voice light, trying to ease the tension that has crept back into her shoulders. “I spent it on coffee.”
A surprised laugh bursts out of her, and I can’t help it: I grin.
She stares at me like I’ve grown a second head. “You just smiled.”
“I’ve smiled before.”
“Not like that.” Her cheeks flush pink. “That was different.”
I reach for my coffee to hide my own reaction. She noticed. She pays attention to me the way I pay attention to her.
“I can’t accept any of this.” She pushes the boxes of jewelry toward me.
“No one has to know.” I meet her eyes, pushing them back. “It’s just between us.”
She looks so defenseless in this moment, her guard completely down. “Why?”
