Page 50 of Ruthless Desires: Vol. Two
“I happen to think Wren is a very likable person.”
With a quiet laugh, Elliot puts his arm around my shoulders. “No shit.”
“Wren is in on this whole getting close to Aubrey thing, right?” I watch her face, noting how intently she’s listening to Aubrey. Her smile is sincere as she nods, adding in a comment here and there. “I don’t want to use her like that.”
Gently, Elliot squeezes me. “She is. Practically volunteered to do it, but it’s definitely making her uneasy.”
“Understandable,” I mutter.
When Aubrey and Wren head to the dressing rooms, Elliot and I stay back. I may have fallen in love with this place the second I stepped inside, but I wasn’t distracted enough to miss the man who walked past and spent just a second too long peering through the windows.
On its own, that’s not a big deal. Lots of people peer into windows, and this place is definitely eye-catching. What’s bugging me is that the man has made a second appearance. He crossed in front of the store again, and now he’s hanging out at one of the outdoor tables of the cafe next door.
“Did you text Rhett?” I ask in a hushed tone.
“He’s ready with the car just in case. We can leave this area and see if he follows.”
I nod, letting my gaze fall on Wren as she steps out of the dressing room wearing the romper. Since Aubrey is still getting dressed, Wren turns to us.
“I love it, princess,” I tell her.
Aubrey comes out in a pair of linen pants and a pastel pink shirt that she tucked in. Her and Wren take each other in, giving their opinions and such. It reminds me of shopping with my mom and Maria. No matter what, my mom was always supportive of us finding our own styles. Even her negative feedback was laced with kindness and encouragement.
Fuck, I miss them. I should make time to see them as soon as we get back. If we can plan it around her work schedule, maybe Wren can meet them, too. Or, if I have things my way, she’ll never go back to her job unless she absolutely wants to. We can take care of her—as long as she won’t find that stifling.
While the girls finish up trying on clothes, Elliot and I keep a close eye on the man outside. He finished his drink a long time ago, but he’s still sitting there even though he’s not doing anything.
“He’s not bothering to be very subtle,” I whisper to Elliot before realizing he’s smiling. “What? What are you—”
I follow his gaze. Wren is at the counter swiping Ell’s credit card. Based on the way she’s shifting from foot to foot, the total was more than she anticipated.
“You like it when she spends your money?”
“Ourmoney,” he corrects, still smiling. “And yeah. I like it when any of you do.”
Once all the clothes are packed up, Wren tries to hand the credit card back to him. “The total was—”
Elliot cups her cheeks and kisses her. “I don’t care about the total, love. Spend however much you want. And keep the card.”
With a surprised squeak, Wren puts the card back in her wallet. “You—you’re sure? It—what if—that’s—”
“I’m positive,” he says gently.
Aubrey watches the interaction with amusement before turning to Wren. “Okay, so I know we’re supposed to be shopping for clothes, but there’s a really cute bookstore over—”
“We have to leave the plaza, actually,” I say.
Aubrey frowns. “But I think Wren will really like the shop. It looks really nice, and they have this poetry collection I wanted to show her.”
“Oooh,” Wren gasps, “I’ve been wanting to start reading poetry again.”
“We can come back,” Elliot says. “But first we have to leave.”
Aubrey’s face falls, and her eyes dart to the windows. “Are we being followed?”
“Potentially,” I say. “But it’s nothing to worry about. We’re perfectly capable of keeping you both safe.”
That seems to help Aubrey relax some. We get a cab, and as we’re piling in, the man gets up from his seat and heads to an SUV. While Aubrey directs the driver to another boutique she wants to check out, Elliot texts Rhett.
