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“Something catch your eye?”

“Not really.”

“You sure?”

“Yup.”

“Verity.” I lean down, brushing my lips against the shell of her ear. “Don’t lie to me.”

She shivers in my arms, and I can feel her abdomen tightening at my words.

“Cullen, I—”

“Verity?”

She inhales sharply, abs contracting even further at the voice interrupting us.

“Oh no.” She turns her head to the side, worry bleeding into her eyes. “Do not turn around,” she begs.

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

VERITY

Fuck my life.

This cannot be happening right now.

I stay stock-still in Cullen’s arms, silently praying that I hallucinated the voice.

“Verity, that you?”

Nope. That voice is very much still here.

I want the ground to swallow me whole. I want to dive forward into the clothing rack and have it transport me to Narnia or literally anywhere that is not here.

“Seriously, do not turn around,” I hiss at Cullen.

His brows wrinkle, the greens in his hazel eyes wavering with uncertainty, but he nods all the same. I take a steadying breath, contorting my face into one of ease and slip from his arms to greet the woman standing behind him.

“Imani, hey.”

“Iknewit was you.” She gives me a massive smile, capturing me in a hug even with the six different clothing hangers in her hand.

I give her a stilted laugh, mind whirling as I try to keep myself together.

“What are you doing here?”

“Oh, you know.” She flicks a few of her box braids over her shoulder. “Just a little bit of retail therapy. After Celine chewedJay’s ass out yesterday for losing the Fiori Diamond deal to the ACE Agency, I ended up working until eight p.m. making sure my deck for Monday is spotless. What about you?”

“Oh, same same.” I wave an airy hand around the store. “Just a little shopping.”

“With company, I see.” Her sly eyes move behind me, a feline smile gracing her lips.

“Hm?”

“Verity, do not try to act like there isn’t a six foot three hunk of man behind you. I have eyes.”

I swallow, desperately trying to come up with some sort of excuse. While I know that Imani wouldn’t recognize Cullen, that she has no idea Celine had previously been married, it doesn’t mean I can risk her seeing him. It will just be a matter of time until someone at the company spills the beans to her, just like Jenna had with me.