Page 49 of Suddenly Mine
“And isn’t he supposed to be, you know, a bit of a knob?” Merry asked. “That’s what all the gossip says.”
“He’s an acquired taste,” said Christian. “But not a bad guy when you get to know him. Anyway, I actually saved his life once.”
“Really?” said Merry.
“Really,” he said. “I helped him out in the mountains after he’d injured himself.”
It was the truth, although he wasn’t going to tell Merry everything that had happened. It had been a couple of years back, during a fundraiser in Colorado. The day after the actual event, they’d organised a cross-country trail, and he and Devlin had taken part. Devlin had been fitter, but he’d overstretched himself and while climbing a rocky slope in the middle of the mountains in the dead of night he’d slipped and fallen. Christian had carried Devlin back through a half-mile stretch of rocky wilderness to the club house, where he’d been treated for hypothermia and a snapped tendon in his knee.
“You saved Devlin Storm’s life?” Merry shook her head. “That’s just too weird not to be true.”
“Anyway, he told me he owed me, big time,” Christian said. “And that if I needed anything at all, I just had to call him. Well, call histeam.” He smiled at her. “So I did, this morning after we talked. I kind of guessed that not being able to afford an outfit was the main reason you didn’t want to say yes to my invite. I hope I wasn’t wildly off the mark?”
Her eyes darted away, embarrassed. “I didn’t want to make a big thing of it.”
“I know, that’s why I didn’t make a big thing of it either.”
He had, after spending half the day wondering how he could buy Merry a new outfit for the ball without blowing his cover. He knew he could have taken her to any store in the city, and bought her absolutely any outfit she desired. But he would have had to tell her the truth, and more than that, he didn’t think it would impress her. He had the funny feeling that if he threw money at her she would turn around and walk away. It was one of the things that drew him to her. Doing it this way was, ironically, much more honest.
“You literally tannoyed me through the whole of Carroll’s.” Merry laughed.
Christian grinned, pushed the door open and led Merry inside, where a smiling assistant swept over and offered Merry a glass of Prosecco.
“Go wild,” he said. “Pick anything you like.”
“Seriously?” Merry was breathless with excitement.
“Seriously. Merry Christmas!”
Merry squealed as the assistant led her away to the back of the store, and Christian laughed as he heard her gasping over the dresses and shoes.
He was still smiling when he heard the voice behind him.
“Well, well. If it isn’t the janitor prince.”
Christian turned to see Devlin Storm leaning against a marble pillar and eyeing him with his steely blues. He was wearing a sharply tailored black coat over an open-neck shirt and slacks, his golden hair swept back like he’d just walked out of a photo shoot — which he probably had.
“Devlin, man.” Christian pulled his friend in for a hug. “Didn’t expect to you to be here tonight. It’s so good to see you.”
Devlin glanced past him towards the dressing rooms. “I wasn’t going to stand by and let you shop here and not come say hi. Especially when there was a chance I could see Merry in the flesh. Plus, I promised the guys I’d report back.”
“She doesn’t know who I really am yet,” Christian said. “Or how I really know you, either, so maybe keep mum, yeah?”
Devlin arched a brow, amused. “Relax. I’m not about to blow your cover.” He paused, folding his arms. “But how on earth does she think you’re affording something from here?”
Christian shrugged, a grin playing at his lips. “I told her I saved your life.”
Devlin blinked, then let out a bark of laughter. “You what?”
“I mean, I did. Technically.”
“You dragged me half a mile through the snow because I was too stubborn to admit I’d torn something.”
“You tried to jump a ravine and failed. That’s on you.”
Devlin shook his head, amused. “So, let me get this straight. You used our little misadventure as a cover story to explain how a janitor gets VIP access to my store?”
“Exactly.”