Page 74 of The Curse of Indy Moore
We both laughed, and he squeezed my hands.
“Today, do not hide any of your wants. Embrace them freely and without guilt,” he said with power trickling from his fingertips.
“You ask for too much,” I replied.
“And you ask for too little, which I intend to fix. No matter how long it takes.”
21
Where Indy Can't Deny
Thesummoningcircletookus to the transit hall, where Mr. Hawthorne bid his good wishes. We departed in less than a minute; I counted and would have joked about being impressed if I believed my voice could work. The sensation of my arm in his held more weight than ever. Being by his side, having his full attention so that he would even ignore his adoring fans made my heart flutter in ways it shouldn’t.
Mr. Hawthorne called for a carriage while Slate took off to further torment the city with his thievery, no doubt. Mr. Hawthorne opened the door, playing the perfect gentleman, one I never had. Baxter never offered a hand to guide me into a carriage. He didn’t bow when opening a door or offer a charming smile. All of that had been so ridiculous in my mind when I watched others, but as I sat in the carriage beside Mr. Hawthorne, I couldn’t deny that I was excited for the day to come.
“Please, tell me we aren’t shopping all day,” I still said, if only to hold on to a sense of normalcy.
“Would that be so bad?” he countered.
“I have acquired more clothes and jewelry these past few weeks than I have in my lifetime.”
“And that is such a sad admittance.” He clicked his tongue in disapproval. “We are making amends in more ways than shopping. First, we will find a place to grab a quick snack, a new experience for you, and you will not look at the menu.”
“How will I know what I want?”
“I will read it to you.”
“You are trying to hide the prices from me.”
His wink could make anyone swoon. “You catch on quick.”
The confines of the carriage made it impossible to avoid contact. When the wheels jolted, our sides pressed firmly together, and a flare ignited in my chest. I gazed out the window to distract myself, but nothing could truly prevent my breath from catching after every caress of his arm against my shoulder. The autumn day, neither hot nor cool, became sweltering in that little box fit for two.
When the carriage came to a halt, we arrived at a quaint diner, where a carved star on the sign fluttered about the name. Constellations twinkled in the windows containing various displays of space-themed confections. Peering in that window, however, put a damper on my mood.
I pivoted away and tripped over Mr. Hawthorne’s shoe. He made a surprised remark, soon silenced by my body falling against his. We stumbled before his elbows fell on either side of me, trapping me against the storefront, then enveloping me in his scent that overpowered all else. These damn senses of mine would be the death of me, causing my heart to palpitate in a most obscene manner.
“I would like to apologize and emphasize that I am not making any advances toward you, Miss Moore. I was merely catching you, us,” he said, and the words were a punch when they shouldn’t have been.
“Yes, of course, I know that,” I muttered with my eyes firmly focused on his chest, although I wasn’t entirely sure that was a better place to look than his face.We were practically touching, and I pressed myself harder against the glass, lest I do something foolish like reach out and touch him just to know what it would feel like.
“What troubled you?” he countered but didn’t move.
I didn’t want him to move, even if I really needed him to. “Huh?”
“Do you not wish to dine here?”
The door opened, and what I sought to avoid exited. Poppy clung to the arm of a stranger, her eyes the same dazzling hazel hue I remembered and black hair combed into a viciously curled ponytail. She wore a wide-skirted dress as blue as water and enchanted to move like one too. If one stared long enough, they would be memorized, as I had been when we were teenagers. Her smile had me at a loss for words, and when she braided her hair, I couldn’t stop myself from admiring how her fingers moved. Now, she stunned me in a far less pleasant manner.
“Indy?” Poppy’s confusion morphed into elation. “Oh, my, it is you!”
Poppy and her companion approached. The woman on her arm wore a pinstripe suit fitted to her thin frame. Her blonde hair was beautifully braided, draped over her shoulder to her waist. Though they both smiled, my stomach wretched.
“What are you doing here? I never thought you’d leave Westshire, let alone make it all the way to the capital! Have you finally decided to expand your horizons?” Poppy laid her head on her partner’s arm. “My ex-girlfriend from Westshire that I mentioned before.” She took a longer look at me and went slightly pink. “Oh, are we interrupting?”
“No. I tripped, that’s all.” I abruptly stood, nearly hitting Mr. Hawthorne’s chin in the process. He stumbled away. “My partner and I were about to head inside.”
Mr. Hawthorne stared. Poppy stared. Her partner smiled.
