Chapter 20 #2
It takes me a minute to recover from my laughter as I step even closer to her.
“My sweet leannán, do you realize who I am? I’m not exactly known for my kindness or generosity.
I’m a wicked and vile man, compared to a demon from the pits of hell itself.
I take what I want and don’t ask nicely.
And you think you can take advantage of me?
Sweetheart, I’m the one who could take advantage of you.
I already have.” I cup her chin, stroking the soft skin gently.
“That’s what this marriage is, is it not?
Me making demands, me conniving to get what I want, ensuring my sweet little leannán can’t escape from me.
Demons like me only want the sweetest and purest souls out there, after all,” I practically purr as my other hand plays with a lock of her brown hair.
Her cheeks turn a pretty shade of pink, making me chuckle.
“So lovely…and yet, so innocent. You can’t take advantage of me, leannán, so toss that thought right out of your mind.
Instead, focus on all of the things I’m going to buy you, hm? Starting with these books.”
A meekness comes over her as she nods, her big, brown eyes looking up at me like I’m offering her the world and all of its glory. Perhaps that’s exactly what I’m doing.
I make her give me all of the books she picked out so I can carry them for her, and then force her walk to around the bookshop a second time to look at all of the books in case she wants any more. She adds a few more to the pile in my arms, and then we go to the cashier and check out.
“Where should we go next after this, hm?” I ask Amy as I lean against the counter of the checkout desk, not even paying attention to the woman scanning the books, or to the price that’s being racked up.
Amy, on the other hand, has her gaze glued to the screen, fidgeting nervously with her sleeve.
I sigh, gently placing my fingers under her chin and making her turn to look at me instead of it.
“It’s not your money, so it’s not your problem.
Do you understand? I’m a jealous man, leannán, I want your attention.
Not a screen, not some numbers. Me. Am I clear? ”
Her lips part slightly in surprise and she nods. “I-I understand.”
I let a grin slide onto my features. “Good girl.”
She flushes again, and the cashier awkwardly clears her throat and gives me the total.
I don’t listen, instead just handing her my weighted card, keeping my eyes on Amy.
It doesn’t take long for the books to be bagged and my card returned to me.
I carry the two hefty bags of books as I walk alongside Amy, feeling like I have a metaphorical skip in my step.
I made progress with my sweet little leannán today, and I’m quite happy with it.
Liam and Jack join us as we go over to the next room, which is the museum section of this historical library. Jack clears his throat. “I didn’t see any dogs outside.” A subtle way for him to tell me that Steffoff hasn’t been seen.
Amy’s eyes dart between us. “Do you like dogs, Jack?” She asks sweetly, making me chuckle, and my friend to stammer, unsure of how to answer.
Lucky for him, the ever-charming Liam cuts in.
“Ah, yes, we Irishmen love dogs. Jack most of all.” He grins, making Jack glare at him.
“In a city like this, you’d think you’d see lots of pretty dogs walking around, all groomed and fashionable!
Do you like animals, Amy?” He walks with her out of the bookstore as the two of them chat about dogs.
I chuckle and shake my head. Leave it to Liam to shift the conversation to his favor.
As we step outside, the sun is bright, and it takes a minute for my eyes to adjust. Once they do, my eyes scan the surroundings for any sign of Steffoff or other suspicious activity.
Seeing none, I step up to Amy, placing my hand on the small of her back.
“Now that you understand what to expect when it comes to shopping with me, can you better answer what stores you’d like to go to? ”
She turns to look up at me with those big brown eyes.
I can tell she’s searching my face to see if I really mean what I just implied, that I’d be paying for everything.
I give her as much time as she needs to search my eyes and see the truth, that I do mean it.
And I will continue to mean it for the rest of our lives.
She shifts on her feet. “I could use some new shoes,” she admits, and my heart soars. I feel like I just won her over. I look down at her shoes. They’re ragged and faded, the soles of her converse starting to separate from the rest of the shoe.
Could use is an understatement. She’s in dire need of new shoes.
I smile. She’s in dire need of someone to take care of her, which is exactly what I’m here for.
It’s the perfect way to earn her trust and build our bond.
The sooner she understands that I’m going to take care of her in every single way and cherish her, the sooner we can move forward into actually doing that. Something I’m very eager to do.
A wide grin spread across my face. “To the shoe store, then.”