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Mila nodded and the woman swung the door open. Carter appeared in her vision. His impatient expression melted into admiration.

“You’re always beautiful,” he declared. “This shows off your beauty even better. We have to buy it!”

“I agree!” the woman said, slipping out of the room. “I have a few more outfits you should try on. I’ll go get them.”

Mila shook her head. “I really shouldn’t get anything more.”

“Ignore her,” Carter said. His instruction wasn’t necessary, as the woman was already moving around the boutique gathering items.

“Let me buy you a few things,” Carter said, stepping closer. With her jeans pooled around her ankles, Mila couldn’t move. Carter got close, then leaned over until his face was right in front of hers. “Would you wear this dress out of the store?”

“I guess,” Mila said, unable to look away from Carter’s gaze. He tangled his fingers in her hair to hold her still.

“But leave the underwear with the pants,” he ordered.

Heat flashed through her body. “Okay.”

“Good girl,” he whispered, then kissed her. She melted into the kiss with a moan.

“Sir?” The woman’s voice broke them apart. Carter winked, then let go of her hair and walked out of the dressing room. Hetook a spot in front of the door so he would see her the moment the door opened. “I’ll be right here. Waiting.”

“Calm down, wolf,” the woman muttered as she brushed past him and into the dressing room. After closing the door, she faced Mila and rolled her eyes. “You’re lucky but also brave to mate with an alpha.”

“Mate with an alpha?” Mila repeated, her passion turning into anger. “What do you mean? I promise Carter isn’t one of those alpha podcast-bros. He’s sweet and respects me.”

The woman’s eyes went wide. “Oh no, I didn’t mean that. I, uh, used alpha in the true definition. Someone who is driven to look after the people around them. They tend to be overprotective sweethearts.”

Mila blinked. “Oh, in that case you’re totally right. He’s an alpha.”

The woman held up a lilac dress. “Let’s try this one on next!”

It was weird that the woman called Carter a wolf. Maybe it was his intense eyes or overt sexuality? Either way, it was a relief to change the subject.

She tried on half a dozen outfits and showed Carter each one. The woman, whose name was Kimber, had great taste and a good eye for what would be flattering and comfortable on Mila. Carter insisted on buying all the outfits.

She left wearing the peach dress with her old outfit in the bag along with the rest of the new ones.

Her underwear was in the bag also.

“Have you ever been to a See’s Candy?” Carter asked. They were now at an outdoor mall that was crowded and a little confusing.

“Never heard of them,” Mila said.

“Then we have to go in!” Carter declared, stopping them in front of a store. Looking through the glass front, Mila saw a long counter with a glass display full of chocolates piled on little pedestals. The women behind the counter were all wearing matching black and white uniforms.

“I’d love that!” Mila said.

Carter suddenly stopped in his tracks and scowled at something over her shoulder. “Stay here, I’ll be right back.”

“What—” she didn’t get to ask because Carter was already stepping around her and striding off. Despite his height, he’d disappeared into the crowd before she even turned around.

She stepped closer to the storefront to get out of the way of foot traffic and kept an anxious eye out for Carter. The days had been steadily getting warmer all week, and she was thankful for the sundress as she waited in the heat.

“Mila?”

Looking over, she found Brad striding toward her with an excited expression on his face. She had the urge to turn and run, but it was too late. Between one breath and the next, he was trying to hug her.

Eww!