And found myself staring into the crisp, blue eyes of the most gorgeous man alive.
Gasping, I curled the dress up like it was a wet washcloth I was wringing out. The stranger’s dark eyebrows crinkled, his smile hooking into my heart. I was torn between being charmed and humiliated.
“I—um—hi!” Coughing, I hurried over to turn my radio down. “Can I help you?”
He didn’t speak, the woman behind him did. “Oh. My. Stars.” Wheeling my way, she grabbed at my wrists with unwieldy gold nails. Her sapphire eyes were stuck on the dress I was holding. “That is the cutest fucking dress I have ever seen!”
The guy glanced her way—had he been watching me this whole time? “Good,” he said. “If you can find a dress you like that fast, we can get this over with.”
A flicker of disappointment made my mood settle. Of course he’s engaged to her. How could a guy as hot as him be single? In my head, I stopped living my brief, imaginary wedding to Mister Stranger, and instead I focused on the young woman. “So you’re looking for a wedding dress?”
“More like looking for my fifth,” she laughed. Winking, she offered her hand. “Francesca Badd—with a double d.” She wiggled her chest to drive home the joke. “It’s a pleasure, doll.”
Had I heard her right? Her last name was Badd? Smiling, I shook her hand and watched the giant gold hoops in her ears shake. I could smell a difficult bride from a mile away. Five dresses? Jeez. “I’m Sammy. I’d be happy to show you a few things, do you know what you like?”
Francesca pointed at the gown in my arms. “That. I like that. I want that.”
Over her head, the guy cleared his throat. “The brat is used to getting what she wants.”
She twisted around, her piled-high hair flopping. “Please ignore my brother, he’s a little bit of a dick.”
“Don’t use the words ‘little’ and ‘dick’ in the same sentence with me.”
“Watch your damn mouth, Kain!” She pointed at me. “You’re being rude in front of this nice lady!”
I was blushing, but not because of the swearing. I’d grown up here, bluntness and foul mouths had numbed my ears years ago. What I was freaking out about was one thing:
He’s her brother? Not her fiancé?
For the second time, I ate the man up with a casual glance. The dark-gray shirt he had on was hugging his broad chest. It vanished into his belt, highlighting his slim hips while his tight jeans showed off his muscular legs.
His perfect skin was enhanced by the twisting tattoos that coiled along his arms. I could even see one peeking near his collarbone. I didn’t normally go for inked men, but for him, I’d make an exception.
Feeling incredibly silly . . . and incredibly relieved, I moved toward the changing stall. “I’m glad you like this dress! Here, come try it on. It’s not finished, but it shouldn’t take me more than a week. When is your wedding?”
Francesca slid the curtain open, taking the gown. Before she ducked inside, she gave me her sweetest smile ever and said, “It’s the day after tomorrow.”
The curtain shut, and my stomach fell into my knees.
The guy—Kain?—stood next to me, his hands in his pockets. “That’s how our family does things. ‘Spontaneous and messy’ should be our motto.” His chuckle warmed me, but not enough to shake off the reality of the situation.
“Francesca,” I said carefully. “Maybe you should look at some of my finished work.”
Spinning out of the curtain, she held the corset closed behind her with one arm. The gown sparkled in the light through my large windows. I’d designed the tulle to hang and flow like snow from a mountain, the top half extra-creamy white against her tan skin.
Admiring herself in the mirror, she laughed. “Why bother? This is my dress! This is it right here! Kain, how does it look?” He opened his mouth, but she cut him off. “Isn’t it beautiful? Ah! I love it!”
Breathing faster, I struggled to keep smiling. I hated letting people down. “Francesca . . . listen. It’s gorgeous on you—”
“I know, right?!”
“But two days is just not enough time to finish this.”
Picking at her teeth in the mirror, she made a low humming sound. “I don’t understand.”
Kain put out his hand, resting it on the small of my back. His touch was scalding; I was too aware of it. “Make sure you check out the ribbons, Francesca.”
She spun, eyeballing the corset with glee.
Confused, I let Kain push me toward the front of the store. When he let me go, I still felt his phantom fingerprints. “Listen,” he said. “How much money do you need to make sure that dress is ready in time?”
I shook my head. “It’s not money that’s the problem. I’d need to stay up all night and some of tomorrow to finish it. And even then I’m not sure I could do it.”
Digging out his phone, he started tapping it. “Just tell me the magic number.”
“There is no magic number. Are you listening to me? I’d have to kill myself to get it done!”
His steely eyes scraped upward from my toes to my raised brows, the force of them as strong as being gripped by his thick fingers. “I haven’t stopped listening since you opened your pretty mouth, sweet thing. If you don’t want to give me a price, I’ll give you one.”
Clenching my hands, I braced myself. I was ready to snap at him—who had the balls to talk down to me like that?
Kain spun his phone, showing me the screen. He read the number out loud, which was good, because my vision went blurry at the sight of it. “Will twenty grand be enough?”
My tongue was too heavy, I was slurring. “Twenty . . . grand?”
His silent smile said he wasn’t kidding around.
Twenty grand. With that, my money worries would be gone. I could pay off my mother’s growing medical debt and still keep my business afloat. Who are these people? I’d never heard of the Badds, but were they so rich that throwing twenty grand at their daughter’s dress was nothing?
In the back of the store, Francesca called out, “Sammy! Do you have any veils that match this gown?”
I leveled my eyes on Kain. He looked and smelled like a predator, all crisp pine and silky musk. This was a man who always got what he wanted. If I’d been wondering why Francesca would bring her brother along to shop for dresses, now I knew. Who could say no to her with Kain around?
Spinning away from him, I shouted, “I have just the one!”
I wasn’t watching Kain anymore, but his expression was imprinted in my mind. It was the strangest thing, that look he’d given me. He’d acted like we’d been facing off. More than that, he’d acted like he’d won.
In that moment, I understood him. It didn’t matter how handsome Kain was, or how fit . . . or how he moved like water through a river; this guy was arrogant as hell, right down to his core.
Kain was bad news.
And believe me, I know bad news.
My life has been full of it.
- CHAPTER TWO -
SAMMY
I stayed up all night, just like I’d said I would have to.
First I used coffee.