Page 12 of His Haunted Desire

“I can help if you'd lik?—”

“No,” Aurora says quickly. “You need to recover, and I need to stop letting those Goliath assholes put me in a bad mood.”

I feel a weird pang in my chest at her words, but brush it away. I head back downstairs not wanting to get caught. Maybe that’s why she’s in a bad mood. If Goliath is poking around her grandma’s store, it would make sense. They’ve been trying to buy up half the town, and they’re not shy about using underhanded tactics.

While I wait for her to return, I daydream about Aurora on my arm at the Retreat, holding me tightly as the rain whips around us and she leans close for warmth.

I know one thing. Grandma would love her.

The creaking of the stairs breaks me out of my reverie.

“I have something I need to say,” she murmurs.

I wave a hand. “Go ahead.”

CHAPTER 5

AURORA

He waves his hand at me as though I’m his assistant and he’s giving me an instruction.My command is your wish, he said earlier, and that triggered something in me.

He said it in a husky low voice, his pale blue eyes fixated on me. He’s a tall, broad man. Even with his suit hanging somewhat loosely off him, I can see the outlines of his muscles, the power in his body.

He has a playful glint in his eyes, like nothing matters because he’s so rich, and he’s got no problems. I try to think about what Grandma said, how I’m seeing things that aren’t there. The Goliath idiot put me in a bad mood, and now I’m blaming this stranger.

“I’m sorry,” I say after a long pause. “I’m mortified that I spoke to a customer that way. I promise you, it’s not how we usually do business. My grandmother is sick, and we’re having some other trouble. That’s no excuse, but I hope it helps explain why I?—”

“Apology accepted,” he cuts in.

I blow out a grateful breath. “Thank you.”

“Shall we carry on?”

As I approach him, I wonder if I imagine his gaze flitting up and down my body. It’s happened a few times–I think. Maybe he just doesn’t like eye contact. His cologne washes over me when I’m within touching distance again.

“So, how has your day been?” I ask as I take more measurements.

“We don’t have to make small talk,” he says.

He seemed pretty keen to make small talk before. Is he sulking now?

When I measure his waist, my hand brushes too close. I’m sure I feel the heat of his skin through the material, the hardness of his abs.

“Careful, that’s close to the skin.”

I look up at him. “Don’t worry. If I wanted to hurt you, I would’ve done it already.”

We look into each other’s eyes for too long. He’s got a full-on smirk again. I’m smiling too. I can’t help it.

“You must be busy in the run-up to Halloween,” he says.

I thought you didn’t want to make small talk, I almost reply, but I stamp down the pettiness.

“People in this town love our costumes, thankfully,” I reply. “So yes, we’re busy.”

“You design the outfits, too?”

“Yeah,” I tell him. “I have ever since I was a kid. Christmas work used to be my favorite-outfits for the Nativity, elf costumes, stuff like that. But then…”