Page 47 of Djinn in Love

Veronica laughed as he snagged his cup of cold coffee and vanished back into the bedroom.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Veronica smoothedher hand over her dress. The slinky material was a combination of deep blue and purple, the color shifting depending on the light. The halter neckline plunged to the base of her sternum, low enough to make her feel scandalous but narrow enough that she wasn’t worried about a wardrobe malfunction. The skirt draped over her hips, gathered on each side. Despite the sexy style, the dress was surprisingly comfortable, which was the main reason she’d purchased it.

Her hair was styled in big, loose curls and she pinned it back on one side with a rhinestone clip in the shape of a crescent moon. When she went into town for her manicure and pedicure, the nail tech, Brenna, asked her what she was doing in Devil Springs. Veronica explained that she was staying at the Devil’s Playground for a wedding. They chatted for a while and Brenna asked her what she was wearing. The discussion moved from there to hair and make-up and Veronica admitted that she had no idea what she was going to do with her make-up. She explained that she usually kept her style simple and always went for understated looks to most of the formal events she attended for work. Now that she had the opportunity to wear something bolder, she had no idea what to do.

Her admission made Brenna smile broadly and say, “Oh, hon. I know just the person to help you out.”

Brenna made a call, and fifteen minutes later, a woman walked into the shop that made Veronica look twice. She wasn’t very tall, but she carried herself with a posture that made her seem taller. Veronica wanted to tell Brenna not to bother when she got a look at the woman’s outfit and hairstyle. She wore all black, her t-shirt torn and ripped in a way that was designed to show skin and look sexy. Her black jeans were faded and skintight, tucked into knee-high combat boots. Even her hair was black. The mass was cut in tons of layers and surrounded her face in messy, chunky waves.

It wasn’t until she was closer that Veronica saw her face and realized why Brenna called her. The woman’s make-up was gorgeous. Heavy enough to be noticeable, but not overly done. She looked like a model.

“Veronica Salt, this is Lilith Brightstar,” Brenna said.

Lilith’s smile was small as she shook Veronica’s hand. Her mental shields were locked down so tight that Veronica couldn’t feel any emotion coming from her.

“You told Brenna you were going to a wedding, yes?” Lilith asked. When Veronica nodded, she continued, “Do you have a picture of the dress?”

The saleswoman at the store had insisted on taking pictures of Veronica in her final three selections so she could decide which she preferred, claiming it would give her a realistic idea of how the dress looked. Veronica found the image on her phone and showed it to Lilith.

The woman’s smile grew a bit wicked. “Very sexy. And the color is a good choice for you. Do you mind if we keep this on the screen so I can look back at it while we’re doing your face?”

Once Veronica agreed, Brenna settled her on a tall stool next to the counter that ran along one side of the store. One end helda single-cup coffee maker with an assortment of pods and paper cups and the other held hair and beauty products the salon sold to their clients. The middle was clear and obviously used for seating.

Lilith went outside and quickly returned with a matte black train case. When she opened it up on the counter, Veronica’s eyes bugged out, drawing a genuine laugh from the woman.

“I like to play with make-up,” she said. “I find it relaxing.”

Lilith didn’t talk much as she brushed, smoothed, dabbed, and blended different products on Veronica’s face, but it was restful. Even relaxing. Though it was much longer than she ever spent on her own make-up, Veronica was still surprised by how quickly Lilith seemed to get it done.

It couldn’t have been more than twenty or thirty minutes when the woman stepped back and said, “All done.”

Brenna had just started a manicure on a woman, but she looked over and her mouth dropped open in awe. “Veronica, you look amazing!”

“Go take a look,” Lilith invited.

Veronica went to the mirror and nearly gaped at the woman staring back at her. It was her, but it was as if Lilith had played up her best features and diminished her weakest. She felt a little like the Photoshopped version of herself.

When she returned to the counter, Veronica thanked Lilith profusely. The woman accepted her compliments with the same small smile she wore when they were introduced, but her demeanor was quiet and aloof.

Veronica tried to pay her for the service, but she waved it off. “This is fun for me. As I said, it’s how I relax. Enjoy the wedding and the rest of your stay in Devil Springs.”

Fast forward to now, Veronica was fully dressed, her hair done, her make-up touched up, and she was standing in the hallway that led into the ballroom where the ceremony wasbeing held. Her heart was pounding in her chest because she was about to enter a room crammed full of people and she could already feel their emotions nudging and shoving her. Most of them were positive, which made it easier to deal with, but there were a few people whose bitterness, jealousy, and annoyance scrapped against her mental shields.

Veronica shut her eyes and took a deep breath, holding it for a long moment before she released it. As she did, she focused on rebuilding the walls around her mind. She’d been so relaxed with Jasper and Lilith that this sudden onslaught was almost overwhelming.

Gradually, the emotional “noise” faded away and her shoulders relaxed. When she opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was Jasper standing a few feet away, his eyes glued to her.

The expression on his face was the same one he wore when he’d made love to her the night before—intense, bold, and hot. Just as it had last night, his gaze made goosebumps break out on her body, racing down her arms and legs. Thankfully, the dress had built-in bra cups to hide the fact that her nipples were suddenly hard.

Unsmiling, Jasper moved toward her, practically shouldering his way past his family members when they tried to stop and talk to him. Everyone seemed to take his rudeness in stride, which told Veronica that he likely behaved like this a lot.

He didn’t stop until he was less than a foot away and Veronica could feel the heat pouring off his body. She tilted her chin up to keep her eyes on his, but his stare moved all over her face.

“You look beautiful,” he murmured. His hand curled around hers, tugging her closer until they were nearly touching. “I almost didn’t recognize you.”

She smiled even as she blushed. “Thank you. There was a woman at the salon who did my make-up after my appointment.”

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