Page 65 of Colton

A small, teasing smirk tugs at the corner of my lips. It’s not the time or place to start messing with him, but I can’t help it. Since there’s no one around us right now, it’s the perfect opportunity.

“I could still just end things with you after this.” I glance through the section of clothes, my eyes falling onto a very cute blouse. Colton stiffens beside me, and I suppress a laugh. “I mean, are you going to ask for it back?”

“Never,” his response comes quickly, and I turn to look at him with a raised brow. “I’m not doing this because I think you don’t have clothes, or because I expect anything in return. I’m merely spoiling you because I want to. I want to purchase everything you set your eyes on, and if you leave me afterward, well, it means I wasn’t sufficient, and it’s entirely my fault.”

I believe someone has to pick my jaw off the floor, because I can’t seem to pick it up myself. Grace’s words replay in my head, and how she was able to read him so clearly, so precisely, is beyond me.

“What if I resell everything?”

“It’s a gift. You’re free to do as you wish with it. For all I care, set it on fire. I’ll buy more things for you to destroy.”

My heart flutters. This isn’t how it should be, how I should be feeling. Colton being so devoted to this — to me — should scare me. Yet, it doesn’t. If anything, it makes me want to test it all, to see how far I can push before he snaps.

I shake my head, trying to bury the thoughts. No, no, Avalon. You’re not like that anymore, the days of you using men are behind you. Colton is different, he’s genuinely treating me like I matter, like he wants to give me the world.

“You’re really going to let me waste your money like that?”

“Yes.”

A small frown appears on my face, and I breathe out. Let’s test that theory, too. I turn around, then point to the far left of the store. “From there,” my finger glides across the store, reaching the far right side. “To there. I want everything.”

Colton smirks, his top lip quirking upward, a small chuckle falling past his lips. The store worker approaches us, as if she’s approaching a wounded deer. She glances between Colton and me.

“Uh, the entire row?” She asks, her tone polite, though full of confusion.

“No,” Colton speaks before I can utter a word, and I snap my eyes in his direction. “She meant the entire row on the third floor, too. That’s where all the jewelry is. And all the shoes, too. Matter of fact, I want the entire store.”

“Wait, no, Colton, that’s not what I meant!” I try to defend myself, but my plea falls on deaf ears. Neither he nor the employee hears me; they're busy having a conversation of their own.

“I’m unsure if we can have everything in the store tailored on such short notice,” the woman says.

Colton nods. “I understand. How fast can you get everything done?”

The woman ponders, pulls out a notepad from behind the counter, then returns and writes something down. “I’d say three weeks. However, if you have anything you’d like done immediately, we can have around ten items of clothing ready before Sunday evening.”

“That works,” Colton says. “Send everything to the manor, and send the bill with it.”

“Dare I ask how much the bill is going to be?” I ask, but neither is hearing me.

A single blouse is priced at around forty dollars, and that’s for one that doesn’t seem to be made of a high quality as the rest. I haven’t even gotten to see the shoes properly, but most boots are made from real leather, and they do carry designer pieces, too. I think I’ve seen a pair of Louboutins, and it’s one of the newer pairs. Sophia has them, and she keeps complaining that they’re only pretty to look at.

“May I interest you in purses, too?” The woman asks, and I almost snort.

She’s milking him entirely, offering everything and anything, as if it’s not enough that he quite literally purchased every item in their store. Colton mentioned jewelry, too, and I doubt he meant costume jewelry. God, did I just create a monster?

“What kind of purses?”

“We offer a variety, though they are yet to be on display. We make them of the highest quality, and they’re very unique, one-of-a-kind creations.”

“Perfect,” Colton nods. “We’ll take them all.”

“Fantastic. We’ll be ready to take her measurements in about ten minutes.”

After what feels like an eternity, the woman leaves to make a phone call, undoubtedly to her boss to tell her she just sold an entire store. If it were me, I’d ask for a bonus, or a raise.

Colton finally turns his attention back to me. I’m still frozen in place, baffled, and entirely bewildered by what’s just become my life. Not only am I going to be set for life with this many clothes, but I don’t think I’d have enough time to wear them all.

“I was joking when I pointed to the entire row,” I say. I was kidding, more or less, and just wanted to see if he’d be insane enough actually to buy it. “You really don’t have to do this.”