I let out a shaky breath, feasting my eyes on him, letting my gaze trail down that fitted suit.
“Hey, baby, you look lovely,” he said softly. “I brought something over for you earlier, if you’ll honor me and wear it.”
Mr. Tom picked up a long package off the table by the wall, wrapped in white with a red bow. He brought it to me on two flat palms, his nose up, his demeanor at its stuffiest. That meant this was an occasion.
I flashed Austin a smile before gingerly taking the gift and peeling off the paper to reveal a black velvet box. I opened the lid slowly, gasping when I saw the necklace nestled within it: an intricate design of rubies, diamonds, and pearls, the stones smaller on the outside and bigger in the middle, which would hang against my chest. There were earrings and a bracelet to match.
I pushed it at Mr. Tom, thinking about dropping it and backing away.
“No, Austin.” I shook my head, unable to take my eyes off the set. “I can’t accept this.”
“Of course you can.” He stepped into the house and took the box. “It’ll go perfectly with your dress.”
I shot a suspicious look at Mr. Tom. He’d told me not to wear any jewelry because he’d known this was coming. The sneaky dog. Austin had even matched the crimson with his tie and pocket square.
Austin extracted the necklace. “An alpha’s lady must look the part.” He laid the necklace against my chest and hooked it in the back. “Every time you wear a nice set of jewelry, you can’t stop touching it to make sure it’s still there. I figured this was better than flowers.”
“It’s too much,” I whispered. “This is way too much.”
Austin fastened the bracelet before handing me one earring at a time. “Nothing is too much for you. I will give you the world if it will make you smile.”
Tears clouded my vision. My lower lip trembled.
He softly brushed his thumb across my throat. “It suits you.”
I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him, knowing I’d get lipstick on him but not able to help it. Instead of backing away, like my ex might have, he deepened the kiss. By the time he backed off, I was breathless and my heart ached with wanting.
“Thank you,” I murmured.
“It is my infinite pleasure, milady,” he responded, his eyes so deep and blue.
“Mr. Steele, let me just allow you to…” Mr. Tom stepped forward with a tub of baby wipes he’d retrieved from God only knew where. He opened the flap for Austin to grab one out.
“Thanks.” He wiped the lipstick from his lips and asked me, “Good?”
A tear slipped down my cheek. My ex had liked seeing my face done up, but he’d always refused to kiss me when it was. And if I forgot and kissed him anyway, he’d get cold. This easy, no-big-deal approach nearly undid me.
“You okay?” Austin asked. Time was ticking, but you wouldn’t know it from looking at him. He was in no hurry.
“Yes. Sorry, I’m good.” I beamed at him and gave him a tight hug. “Really good.”
Austin turned and cocked an elbow, and I slipped my hand through his arm.
“Miss, we’ll refresh your lipstick when you get there,” Mr. Tom said, grabbing my clutch.
“Thank you, Mr. Tom.” I laughed for no reason.
With a stupid smile, walking on air, I headed for the door. Mr. Tom fell back, taking his place between Jasper and Edgar. Sebastian would meet us there, hanging around the edges, hopefully invisible. Only my crew and Austin’s crew should be able to see him. I’d made plenty of potion to go around. It had taken most of the day.
“You’re going to knock ’em dead,” Austin said as we slowly sauntered down the walkway.
Parked at the curb was an incredibly sleek sports car in metallic midnight blue, low to the ground, the tires large and wide, the price tag probably enormous. Behind it waited a black stretch limo, and another sat at the curb in front of Niamh’s house.
“What’s…” My eyes followed the smooth curves of the sports car. “Is that…?”
“It’s a McLaren. I just got it. It goes very fast.”
“What happened to the Jeep?”
He stopped by the passenger door. “It’s at the house. If I’ll be escorting you to fancy parties, I better look and drive the part, right?” He opened the door for me and held out his hand.
“Or I could drive? I have a beat-up old Honda that kind of matches the speck of dirt on your shoe.”
“I have no dirt on these shoes.” He winked and handed me into the car.
After he closed the door he crossed to the other side, his hand still in his pocket, his shoulders swaying, his vibe smooth and debonair. I just stared in mute fascination for a moment. I knew he was playing a part, but holy crap, he was playing it well. That raw, primal quality of his was still there, but the rough edges had been smoothed away into a glossy exterior. His power pulsed in waves, heady and tantalizing, and his swagger mixed with his rock-solid confidence nearly caused me to combust.