“Sure.” I smiled sweetly. “I’ll just ask.”
Fucking bitch. I’ve got you now.
ChapterTwenty-Four
Xander
Ineeded some privacy and quick.
“Excuse me. Can you show Charlotte where the changing rooms are please?” I grabbed a couple of the dresses off the clothing rail, not caring if they were ones of my woman’s taste or not. I needed to talk to her without anyone overhearing us. “When the other lady returns also, can you just let her know that we’re busy trying a couple options out?” I winked, knowing that Charlotte would have to leave the woman a huge tip for her silence but I’m sure other people have done much worse. This was important.
“Of course,” she replied, indicating where the rooms were. I’d never been so thankful that they were in the complete opposite direction of the restrooms and where Cass had headed.
Without drawing too much attention I hurried Charlotte along and entered the end solo cubicle. I flung the dresses on a chair in a crumbled mess and pushed myself into the room, pulling her behind me and locking the door.
“Hey, they’re worth a fortune,” she admitted in a shocked tone while throwing her hands into the air at the audacity of the move. “Xander, what are you doing? You can’t be in here.”
I placed my finger against her lips, hoping that Charlotte got my cue that she needed to be quiet. I watched the movement of her throat as she swallowed and nodded at me. I pulled out a set of wireless headphones and passed her one of the earbuds. She slid it into her ear as I repeated the motion with the other one. I watched her mouth open and close but no sound left. I knew she was desperate to ask me what I was doing.
I pulled out my phone and scrolled down to the bug I’d installed to follow Cass’s tracker and loaded the screen before turning on the sound. I was ecstatic when the muffled sound and static began to clear and each word came through strong and unfazed. I dared to gaze up into Charlotte’s eyes and saw the adoration marked with a tinge of fire. She was angry that I’d kept it from her. I knew that from her body language but I’d overwhelmed her as I’d promised to protect her. It was a pity that we could only hear one side of the conversation.
She’s having a birthday party and the stupid bitch invited me, even showed me the guest list.
Don’t worry. I’ve checked who will be there.
I’ll see you on Saturday. I guess. Keep yourself out of trouble.
Better go before she gets suspicious. Her and the dreamboat are here.
I watched Charlotte as she pulled the earpiece from her ear and slumped back into the chair in the corner, sitting on top of the perfect clothes she should’ve been showcasing for me.
“I want to go and confront her now,” she seethed. “I mean, I should be angry with you but I’m not… I’m strangely calm. I know you did it from a place of love.”
“Kitten… that’s because I do love you.” I blinked quickly, realizing that I hadn’t planned to admit my undenying feelings in a changing room for the woman I cared for, when someone who had been threatening her all this time was just outside that door in the other room. After listening to Cass, it concerned me that she may harbor feelings for me after her ‘dreamboat’ comment. “I do… I know this isn’t perfect but it doesn’t change that my heart beats just for you.”
“I love you, too.” Charlotte sighed as if she was letting out all the anger from her pores. “It’s just…”
“I know. We can’t act now. The thing is, after that conversation it got me thinking…” I let the anguished pain that had hit me escape. “Cass is obviously talking to someone about what she’s doing or she’s helping someone else get to you…”
“You’re right. Whoever this is…” she started.
I snarled, cutting her off and hating the fact that there was still someone out there wanting to hurt her. “It’s one of those two hundred guests on that sheet of paper you are planning to invite later today.”
“Well, I guess I had best invite them then, hadn’t Idreamboat?”She giggled.
I pulled her up into my arms and crushed my lips against hers before pulling away breathless. “I’m nobody but yours. Okay, my jealous kitten? She can want but she’ll never have me.” I growled into the cupse of her ear.
“Damn straight you are. Now I need to tell Francine which dress I’m picking.” Charlotte shivered in my hold as I trailed my fingers up and down her bare arms.
“That’s easy,” I said. “The one with the hidden daisies on the front.”
“Perfect.” Charlotte smiled at me. “It has to be daisies; it really does.”
* * *
Chagtyrlotte gathered the dresses over the crook of her arm and played the ever devoted actress as she shook her head at Francine and the other woman, apologizing for the length of time that we’d taken in the changing rooms and handed the pile of dresses back. I didn’t miss the shared look between the two of them as they wondered what we had been up to, but it wasn’t like I was about to correct them when I saw Cass sitting in the place I’d been before, enjoying the spread of food that had been left for us.
“How did you get on?” she asked Charlotte as I snickered and went over to the clothing rail. I picked up the dress with the daisies on I’d mentioned to her in the dressing room. “Didn’t anything work out?”