Page 267 of The Spider Queen
“Damn, that’s so good,” she said with a sigh after a quick sip of the amber liquid.
“Of course it’s good,” Charlie said, laughing.
She chuckled, her eyes meeting mine. But I wasn’t in on the joke. Clearly.
The woman reminded me of a star. Her light was all encompassing, and yet…I detected the faintest trace of regret. Why? What did this woman have to regret? It wasn’t just regret I sensed but also a feeling of being incomplete.
“Hello,” she greeted. The bar lighting was a bit brighter than that of the restaurant, and I was finally able to see the color of her hair. Auburn, with traces of copper.
“Hi.”
“What’s in the box?”
“I already asked her and she wouldn’t tell me,” Charlie said.
“Why not?” the woman queried.
“I don’t know. Ask her.” Charlie gestured with his thumb and sent me a teasing grin.
They acted like we were old friends. It was disconcerting. Herron was my only friend. I had neither the time nor the bandwidth to cultivate new friendships. Still, their easy camaraderie made me yearn for relationships that I’d never made the effort to develop.
“It’s a gift,” I said.
“For?” the woman pressed.
“For you, hen,” Flynn Campbell said, his Scottish brogue thick and delicious. He glided next to the woman, his arm stealing around her waist.
I hadn’t seen him walk across the restaurant and was a bit surprised by his sudden presence.
The man was no less striking than the first time I’d seen him when he entered my shop. Bold, commanding features that didn’t belong to this era. He wore a suit, yet he looked like an ancient warrior, one who should’ve been wearing animal pelts and well-worn armor. Flynn Campbell belonged on a sensual, violent period TV show.
“Stella, I’d like you to meet my wife, Barrett.”
“Stella,” Barrett said, her smile wide, her hand reaching out. “A pleasure.”
I looked at her outstretched palm. “Ah, sorry, I think I’m getting sick.” Fibbing about being unwell was easier than asking for personal space because people didn’t seem to understand my necessity for it. Thankfully, she didn’t think much about it and tucked her hand back down to her side.
“Sorry to have kept you waiting, Stella,” Flynn said.
I shook my head. “Not a problem. I wasn’t waiting that long.”
While Flynn ordered a drink from Charlie, I leaned closer to Barrett and whispered, “Ask him for what you really want. He’ll give it to you.”
Startled, her hazel eyes widened as her shaking hand reached for her glass of scotch. She downed her drink in one long swallow and then set the crystal glass down with far too much force, drawing her husband’s attention.
“You all right, love?” Flynn asked, his brows drawing into an expression of concern.
“Right as rain.” Her smile was stilted, and something passed between the two of them. They spoke the language of two people who had been together long enough to know what was said in the silence.
I wondered if I was destined to have that, or if I was doomed to being alone. Not only did I have an issue being touched, but I also had never met anyone that had interested me on a romantic level.
Maybe I tried to fix others because I was the one who was broken.
“Stella?” Flynn asked, his cobalt eyes questioning.
“Sorry, what?” I blundered, realizing Flynn had said something and I’d been tuning him out.
“We were wondering if you’d like to have a later dinner with us.”
