“Will do.” He waves without looking as I stride back to my car.
I sit and grit my teeth, trying to decide which way to go. I can retrace my steps back to the venue to look for clues or I could call on some other favors. Closing my eyes, I picture her, my woman, the way she moved, the way she looked in that dress. My eyes pop open.
I dial Mrs. Pettyford.
She picks up on the first ring.
“Did the dress have any tags in it?”
She chuckles. “Took you long enough.”
“Where!” I start my engine.
“The department store over on Fourteenth Street--the one with the big silver statue out front.”
“You could’ve mentioned it over breakfast.”
“Where’s the fun in that?” She hangs up mid-laugh as I maneuver through morning traffic.
When I get to the store, I park in a no-parking zone and jump out. I’m about to dash to the front doors when I hear the sweetest sound in the world.
“Gaines?”
I turn and find my treasure, her hair bright and soft in the sun, her lips in a surprised pout, last night’s dress draped on her arm. Before she has a chance to escape, I stride up to her, take her in my arms, lift her off the ground, and kiss the ever-loving hell out of her.
13
Pandora
How does he keep doing this to me? His lips must have some special power. I sigh into his mouth and let him kiss me.
I kiss him back of course, because he can’t beat me at this seduction game. One thing is for sure. He seems to be really good at tracking things down. How did he find me so quickly? He doesn’t even know my real name.
“You ran.” He pulls his mouth from mine.
We’re both breathless.
“I didn't run.” I hadn't. I haven't run since high school gym class.
Once again my fingers are digging into his shirt. Yeah, this is totally not running. “I’m busy. A girl has things to do. We can’t all sleep in like you.”
His lips twitch into a smile. “You missed Mrs. Pettyford’s waffles.”
My stomach growls loudly, making him laugh. Me, not so much. My face heats with embarrassment. I can’t believe my stomach just did that. I try to wiggle away from him. It’s then I realize my feet are not on the ground.
“I’ll take you to breakfast.” He slowly puts me back down but doesn’t release me from his hold. The dress is squished between us.
“I have to--” I need to think of a lie. Why would I be taking the dress back? “See about getting my dress fixed.”
“Mrs. Pettyford didn’t get the stain out? I find that hard to believe.” He starts to take it from my hand to inspect it. I pull it back, not wanting him to see there’s nothing wrong with the dress.
I need to get away from him for now. I have to get this dress back before I wind up having to pay for it and subsequently eating Cup of Soup for the next year of my life. Plus, he’s too close. He has me off kilter.
“No, the stain is out but you broke the zipper last night.”
His hold doesn’t loosen on the dress. “Let me go inside and pay for whatever needs to be fixed. I insist.”
I know he knows I’m not telling the truth by the way his lips twitch again. But I’m not a quitter, and I’ve started down this path and I’m going to stay on it. Yet, it feels as though I’m only digging myself in deeper.
“I can meet you wherever you want to have breakfast.” I give it one last try.
“And risk you running again?”
“I’ll show up. I always come for food.”
“You do come rather sweetly.” His hand goes to my back to usher me into the store. It takes me a minute to get what he said.
“You have a dirty mouth.”
“I remember you liking my mouth.”
My own mouth falls open, and I stop walking to look up and gape at him. I close it because he’s right. His mouth is quite wonderful.
“You have freckles.” He swipes his thumb across the top of my cheek. “I didn't see them last night.”
“Makeup.”
Gaines isn’t turning out anything like I thought he was going to be. He’s sweet. That was the last thing I thought he’d be. I was sure he’d be ruthless and cold. Nope. Just the opposite. He’s even got a cat and a sweet old lady that lives with him.
“Pandora. I was wondering if you were coming back this morning.” I turn to look at my fairy godmother, Deborah, from yesterday. Her gaze darts between Gaines and me and finally settles on him.
“Yes. I wanted to bring this to you.” I step away from Gaines and hand her the dress.
She takes it. “Okay, wait here.” She scurries off.
“Pandora?” Gaines asks, lifting an eyebrow at me.
Double crap. I should’ve known I was never going to pull this off.
I cough into my hand. “Yeah, she thinks that’s my name and I went with it and now I can’t correct her. Don’t rat me out.” I level him with a hard stare that does nothing.
He keeps on smiling at me as Deborah returns.
“Okay, I’ve gotten it all taken care of.”
I can tell Deborah wants to ask questions. Her eyes keep going to Gaines. Could she know who he is? Everyone at the event last night did. For a man that never goes anywhere, he’s rather popular.
“When can we pick the dress back up? I want to pay for it,” Gaines offers.
“No, I got it.” I rush to say.
I give Deborah a look begging her not to blow my cover. I’m not even sure what my cover is at this point. All I’ve got so far is that I must come from some kind of money to have been at the event last night. To be able to afford the dress and everything that came with it. Though my current attire of yoga pants and an oversized sweater don’t really live up to that.
“Well, you know. I think we should return the dress. You already wore it once.” She looks at Gaines. “You should buy her a new one.”
“That’s a great idea. I was the one who broke the zipper.” He smirks.
I smack his chest. “Ouch. What are you, made of stone?” I pull my hand back.
“Careful, love.” He snatches my wrist and brings it to his mouth to kiss it.
My skin tingles where his lips press. Yes, he has some voodoo weird magic with that mouth of his. Probably got it in a lost tomb in Egypt or something.
He keeps his grip on me. “Show me where we can try on some dresses that would suit my treasure.”
Deborah’s face turns into a giant smile. She’s going to make a killing off him. I should come up with a reason why we have to go. I am hungry. Then again, she did help me. The commission could make her month.
“Right this way.” We follow her over to a giant fitting room with oversized chairs.
Gaines makes himself right at home. This place is bigger than my studio apartment over the laundromat.
“Can we order food? My Pandora is hungry.” I warm at not only hearing him call me by my real name but that he remembers I’m hungry.
“We sure can. I’ll get that taken care of and start bringing some dresses in.”
“Not just dresses.” Gaines leans back in the chair stretching out. “I feel terrible about what I've done to her beautiful gown from last night. Bring anything you think she’ll like.”