Page 23 of Bargains with Benefits
She and Skye hugged goodbye, and I stood stupefied as Luna strode down the sidewalk, slipping on a new knee-length jacket as she went. My wind raced to catch up, and her lip tilted in amusement when it reached her. “Come on, Vincent, we’ve got work to do.”
“I don’t know what you’ve gotten yourself into, Vincent, but I am quite sure you’re not ready for it,” Skye said. “I like her, though.” She gave me a soft shove that sent me stumbling out of the shop to meet the fate I’d bargained for.
11
Luna
Wind whipped around my hair as I worked to calm down before Vincent caught up. “What was that?” I mumbled to myself. Vincent’s wind swirled in…pleasure, if I didn’t know any better. That wasn’t helping.
Skye had been so charming. She’d helped me find things that met Vincent’s requirements for the fae, but didn’t completely dismiss my style.
Then she’d barged into the area where I was changing, her face pale. “She wasn’t supposed to be here,” she had said in quick, whispered tones. “You have to help him, Luna.”
I might not have known what that entailed, but I’d heard the desperation in her voice. When she’d asked me to pretend that Vincent was mine, I’d done so without much thought.
It was all I was thinking about now.
His hand had wrapped possessively around the bare skin at my waist, and the way he had pulled me close and…smelled me…it should have been odd, not hot.
I shook my head again, attempting to free my thoughts as Vincent approached.
“I’m sure I should simply thank you, but I’m also horrified to know what Skye said to you about Kristin,” he said quietly.
Of course he was.
“She didn’t tell me anything, Vincent. All she said was that Kristin wasn’t supposed to be there, and she shoved me out to play your lover.”
Our gazes locked even as we kept walking. Something charged swept between us before my glance returned to the path. “Where are we going?” I changed the subject.
“You don’t want to know who she was? Why did you do that? You were willing to help with no information?”
“I guess we’re not dropping this,” I said under my breath.
Wind pushed my hair back playfully as we walked. “I’m confused, Luna. That wasn’t exactly part of our bargain.”
“Not everything has to be part of our bargain,” I said with exasperation. “Sometimes when someone asks for help, you just…help them.” I shrugged.
I could feel him sneaking another glance at me, though I didn’t meet it. Was accepting help with no strings attached so foreign to him? Maybe it was if I’d overheard that female correctly. She’d been demanding a lot from him, all for the cost of her company. The juice didn’t seem worth the squeeze to me, but they clearly had history. So, it had been worth it at some point to Vincent. I couldn’t imagine someone demanding so much from me. She’d seemed to target the power of his recommendations and what I could only assume was the power of his family name. Her goal had been clear, and it couldn’t feel great to be so blatantly…used.
My cheeks flushed. Hadn’t I wanted to blatantly use Vincent for his recommendation?That’s different. We aren’t together.I wasn’t sure if that made it better.
“Have you tried the Sweet Solstice Sip?” he asked, changingthe subject and ushering me to the entrance of a grand tavern. We hadn’t walked far, but we’d crossed Central Circle and entered the Suden District.
I nodded, unwilling to cop to the fact that I’d read all of his articles and tried most of the items he recommended.
“Today, we’re reviewing my recent successes to help us plan how to attack your problem.” He spread his arms wide as we walked into the tavern. It was much nicer than Parkview. Thick gold fabric covered the bar stools and chairs. The wood of the bar and tables was a warm brown hue. The walls were covered in vines on the inside. The owners’ Suden nature must have been at play; it was stunning. I didn’t know where to look until I felt Vincent’s hand lightly on my back again, directing me toward the bar.
“This is the tavern that started the craze,” he said. It was shortly after midday, in the middle of a work week, and there were nearly no empty seats. My eyes widened.
“That piece came out a week ago and it’s this busy?”
He nodded. “I think this was one of my best ideas, although I didn’t come up with it alone.”
Two stools opened. The man behind the bar smiled as we sat down. “Hey, Vincent.”
“Hello, Markus,” Vincent replied. “May I introduce Luna?”
He smiled at me in welcome. “Two Solstice Sips?”
