Page 45 of A Ruthless Arrangement
Amy chews on her cheek a bit before giving a soft shake of her head. “No.”
“Good.” I smile, my eyes searching hers, drinking in her brown eyes like I’m a coffee addict and her gaze is the finest of brews. “And do you really think I’m going to let you get just one? Especially when you want more than one?”
She sighs and looks down for a moment. “I hear what you’re saying, I just…I don’t want to take advantage of you and your kindness.” There’s a moment of silence as I stand there in shock, and then laughter bursts from my chest. She frowns. “What’s so funny?”
It takes me a minute to recover from my laughter as I step even closer to her. “My sweet leannán, do you realize who I am? I’m not exactly known for my kindness or generosity. I’m a wicked and vile man, compared to a demon from the pits of hell itself. I take what I want and don’t ask nicely. And you think you can takeadvantageofme? Sweetheart,I’mthe one who could take advantage ofyou.I already have.” I cup her chin, stroking the soft skin gently. “That’s what this marriage is, is it not? Me making demands, me conniving to get what I want, ensuring my sweet little leannán can’t escape from me. Demons like me only want the sweetest and purest souls out there, after all,” I practically purr as my other hand plays with a lock of her brownhair. Her cheeks turn a pretty shade of pink, making me chuckle. “So lovely…and yet, so innocent. You can’t take advantage of me, leannán, so toss that thought right out of your mind. Instead, focus on all of the things I’m going to buy you, hm? Starting with these books.”
A meekness comes over her as she nods, her big, brown eyes looking up at me like I’m offering her the world and all of its glory. Perhaps that’s exactly what I’m doing.
I make her give me all of the books she picked out so I can carry them for her, and then force her walk to around the bookshop a second time to look at all of the books in case she wants any more. She adds a few more to the pile in my arms, and then we go to the cashier and check out.
“Where should we go next after this, hm?” I ask Amy as I lean against the counter of the checkout desk, not even paying attention to the woman scanning the books, or to the price that’s being racked up. Amy, on the other hand, has her gaze glued to the screen, fidgeting nervously with her sleeve. I sigh, gently placing my fingers under her chin and making her turn to look at me instead of it. “It’s not your money, so it’s not your problem. Do you understand? I’m a jealous man, leannán, I want your attention. Not a screen, not some numbers.Me. Am I clear?”
Her lips part slightly in surprise and she nods. “I-I understand.”
I let a grin slide onto my features. “Good girl.”
She flushes again, and the cashier awkwardly clears her throat and gives me the total. I don’t listen, instead just handing her my weighted card, keeping my eyes on Amy. It doesn’t take long for the books to be bagged and my card returned to me. I carry the two hefty bags of books as I walk alongside Amy, feeling like I have a metaphorical skip in my step. I made progress with my sweet little leannán today, and I’m quite happy with it.
Liam and Jack join us as we go over to the next room, which is the museum section of this historical library. Jack clears his throat. “I didn’t see any dogs outside.” A subtle way for him to tell me that Steffoff hasn’t been seen.
Amy’s eyes dart between us. “Do you like dogs, Jack?” She asks sweetly, making me chuckle, and my friend to stammer, unsure of how to answer.
Lucky for him, the ever-charming Liam cuts in. “Ah, yes, we Irishmen love dogs. Jack most of all.” He grins, making Jack glare at him. “In a city like this, you’d think you’d see lots of pretty dogs walking around, all groomed and fashionable! Do you like animals, Amy?” He walks with her out of the bookstore as the two of them chat about dogs. I chuckle and shake my head.Leave it to Liam to shift the conversation to his favor.
As we step outside, the sun is bright, and it takes a minute for my eyes to adjust. Once they do, my eyes scan the surroundings for any sign of Steffoff or other suspicious activity. Seeing none, I step up to Amy, placing my hand on the small of her back. “Now that you understand what to expect when it comes to shopping with me, can you better answer what stores you’d like to go to?”
She turns to look up at me with those big brown eyes. I can tell she’s searching my face to see if I really mean what I just implied, that I’d be paying for everything. I give her as much time as she needs to search my eyes and see the truth, that Idomean it. And I will continue to mean it for the rest of our lives.
She shifts on her feet. “I could use some new shoes,” she admits, and my heart soars. I feel like I just won her over. I look down at her shoes. They’re ragged and faded, the soles of her converse starting to separate from the rest of the shoe.
Could useis an understatement. She’s in dire need of new shoes. I smile.She’s in dire need of someone to take care of her, which is exactly what I’m here for.It’s the perfect way to earn her trust and build our bond. The sooner she understands thatI’m going to take care of her in every single way and cherish her, the sooner we can move forward into actuallydoingthat. Something I’m very eager to do.
A wide grin spread across my face. “To the shoe store, then.”
21
Amy
I’m on a dopamine high of shopping and this is only the second store we’ve gone to. But looking around this store and seeing all the possibilities makes my heart race. I have to keep myself calm so my thoughts don’t race off and overstimulate me.
It’s quiet in the store, which I’m thankful for. Liam and Jack stay outside, leaving me alone with Ke—, I mean Mr. Alasdair. His hand is still on my lower back as we enter the department store, which I have mixed feelings about.
I’m starting to see why Jack, Liam, and Mr. Alasdair call themselves brothers. They bicker and joke around like they are, and tease each other relentlessly. Jack is a bit more reserved and less talkative with me, but still really nice. Liam, on the other hand, has no problem talking my ear off. It’s kind of a relief, honestly.
But now I’m alone with Alasdair in this fancy store, and I’m reminded why I find him so intimidating. He looks around like it’s his domain, and I can see why, since he could buy the whole store out if he wanted to. Anything in this store can be his with a simple swipe of a card.
His eyes fall on a section of men’s wear, mainly suits, and he gives my arm a little squeeze. “I’m going to look over there. Go have fun, pick out whatever you want. Shoes, purses, clothes, whatever. Find me if you need anything, leannán, but enjoy yourself, all right?” He leans in and pecks my cheek with a kiss, leaving me stunned. Before I can even reply, he walks off, and I watch him weave his way through the store, able to see his taller form over the racks of clothes and display shelves.
I lift my hand to touch the skin he kissed. That shouldnothave felt as intimate as it did. Now my entire body feels hot, a tingle running down my spine and straight into my panties. That man is way too damn hot for his own good. And formygood, too.If I was misunderstanding the whole shopping thing, could I be misunderstanding other things, too? Like maybe his lack of desire and attraction to me? Could I be assuming things incorrectly?
I exhale slowly and look around, feeling a bit lost. How is it that being left alone in a place like this is more intimidating than being aroundhim?I’ve let my guard down around him, enough to trust him to take care of me and keep me safe, and I’m not sure how I feel about that.
Being out in public alone has always been a little unnerving for me, but I manage to push through. But doing it since the whole…situationwith my grandfather feels like an entirely different thing. My eyes have been opened to the darkness and danger of the world, with evil lurking around every corner. I suppose that’s my grandfather’s intention, but instead of hardening me to prepare me for my future life with Alasdair, I just feel weaker and more vulnerable.
Everyone says “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,” but I’m not so sure trauma works like that. It leaves you scarred and trembling, with phantom pains and fears that may never go away. I’m looking at this store like it has the potential to becomea warzone, when before I just had to worry about it being too loud or busy. I’m not stronger, I’m more frayed and terrified. And I feel like that makes meweaker.
I turn around to see Jack and Liam sitting outside the front doors of the store, sipping on boba teas they must have gotten from nearby. Jack gives me an encouraging nod, and Liam grins and gives a big thumbs-up. It makes me chuckle, enough so that I break out of the spiraling thoughts I’ve fallen into. I take a deep breath and turn around, walking through the sections of clothes to find the shoe section.
