Page 131 of Perfume Girl

Astor’s gaze held mine. “Maybe he’ll be our first dog?” He leaned toward me and grabbed my waist, pulling me into him. “Maybe we can give him a forever home.”

“Don’t get too attached. Someone might claim him.”

“I’m already a goner.”

He kissed me and I smiled against his lips. “Umm… let me think of what might suit him. He looks like a Pooky-Boo.”

“Let him keep some of his pride, at least.”

“Wouldn’t it be wonderful if he does become ours?” I rested my head against Astor’s shoulder. “And the way we found him, too.”

He agreed with a nod. “He looks hungry.”

“I’ll go find something for him to eat.”

Astor pressed his lips against my throat, making me tingle, and making me feel reluctant to break away from him. But I hurried up the staircase and found some chicken that would be okay for Caine to eat. It wasn’t perfect but it would tide him over until we could buy some proper dog food. I chopped it up into little pieces and carried it downstairs in a cereal bowl.

When I made it back to the front of the store, I placed the dish on the ground and looked around for Astor and the dog.

They were gone.

I looked for them in the lab and when I didn’t see them I wondered if Astor had taken Caine outside to use the bathroom. I didn’t like the idea of them being out there and hurried into the front of the store to check on them.

Oh, God…

I stared at the open drawer of the corner cabinet and my flesh chilled with the realization, hurrying over to see that the small ampoule of my perfume was missing.

Astor had found it.

I bolted toward the front door and felt a stab of fear when I saw Astor putting Caine in the backseat of his Range Rover.

“Astor!” My heart shattered into a thousand pieces when he looked back at me with a stricken expression.

I ran out not caring about the door being left open. “Where are you going?”

“The worst is over.” He gestured around him. “Time for me to get going.”

I held his gaze. “You found my bottle, didn’t you?”

He dropped his gaze, and when it rose again to meet mine I saw the accusation in his eyes. His look of pain was too much to bear…it was as though his agony was mine.

“Astor. It’s the same formula that was stolen from me.”

“I let you in.”

“I need more time to prove—”

“I wish you all the best.” He opened the driver’s door.

“Wait, please, give me the chance to prove what I’m saying is true.”

Astor shrugged. “You had me there for a while, Raquel. God, you’re good at this.”

“I need to add the Orris oil.”

“From the bottle you stole from me?”

Stunned, I realized I’d just given away the final ingredient of the scent’s formula. Astor’s expression became unreadable.