She was right.
“Watch what you’re talking about,” Lucien hissed.
“I didn’t say anything,” Ryder protested.
“It was close.”
“Sorry. I’ll be careful.”
Caia retreated as she heard movement near the door and tried to look none-the-wiser as Ryder returned to join her up front. She was bemused when their conversation switched to movies.
Lucien was hiding something from her.
That meant he didn’t trust her.
Hopes she hadn’t even known she’d had deflated, and she had a feeling she was going to be depressed for the rest of the day.
Fifteen minutes later, just as Ryder was complaining of the need for lunch, the front door chimed. Alexa strolled in holding two brown-paper bags. She was wearing a figure-hugging short skirt and tight shirt, topped with a cropped leather jacket.
Gorgeous.
Hot.
Mature for age. At least in appearance.
Caia glanced down at her plain T-shirt and ragged jeans. Oh yeah, no comparison.
Alexa smiled sweetly at her, obviously for Ryder’s benefit. “Ryder.” She sashayed over to him. “Your mother said you would be here, so I brought two.” She handed him one of the paper bags that smelled of meat and then turned to Caia with a flash in her eyes. “I didn’t know you’d be here,” she lied and then smiled flirtatiously at Ryder again. “I’ll just take this through to Lucien.”
Caia watched in confusion—and annoyance—as Alexa swayed those hips out of the showroom and into Lucien’s workshop.
“Alexa comes by every Saturday with lunch for Lucien from my mother’s diner,” Ryder explained in a lowered voice.
Well, she hadn’t known that. “Oh,” was all she managed, curling her hands into tight fists. She had no reason to be mad, she knew that. She was the newcomer. But still, the girl was so obvious. She flinched at the sound of Lucien’s laughter. Alexa made him laugh?
Caia was thankfully saved from Ryder’s questioning gaze when a customer walked in. He was a tall guy, possibly in his late twenties, attractive in a human sort of way. His eyes lit up as Caia approached him.
“Can I help you?”
He appraised her, his grin slow and sexy. Even Caia the oblivious recognized male appreciation in that grin. She could actually feel Ryder’s tension at her back.
“Yes, you definitely can,” the guy replied.
“Is there something in particular you’re looking for?”
Another laugh sounded from Lucien in the workshop.
Caia’s hands curled into fists.
“Well.” The guy sighed dramatically. “My sister tells me I’ll never keep a girlfriend if I don’t update my apartment and it’s filled with crappy furniture. She recommended here for a dining set.”
“Okay.” Caia nodded, trying to focus. “Well,” she began, walking toward one of only three sets Lucien had on display. It was the least stylized and most solid set of straight-edged mahogany. It looked the most masculine. “There is this one.”
The guy nodded, running his hand along the back of one of the chairs. “It’s nice. Mahogany?”
“Yeah. If you have any particular questions, I can get the owner, Mr. Líder. He builds everything himself.”
“It’s all handcrafted?”
“Sure. If there is a design you would like to discuss with Mr. Líder, I can give you a copy of his portfolio, or, as I said, you can speak to him personally.”
The customer ran his eyes down her body. “That’s very cool. Mr. Líder is a lucky man to have such a competent assistant.”
Yeah, she was sure it was her competency he was ogling. He was as bad as Alexa. “Be sure to let him know that.”
“Oh, I will.” He leaned over the dining table. “You know, I’m not definite on the furniture, but I’ll certainly take your number.”
“Can I help?” The steel in Lucien’s tone rang through the store, like a sword unleashed from its scabbard. The hair on her nape rose. He only used that tone when he was seriously pissed. She glanced over her shoulder. Their gazes clashed, his hard and irritated, before he turned them on the customer.
Said customer raised an unimpressed eyebrow. “And you might be?”
Lucien stepped up the stairs from the doorway of his workshop onto the showroom floor, and Caia watched as the guy’s expression changed when he saw how huge Lucien was. His eyes flickered warily to Ryder and then back to Lucien.
“I’m the owner. Lucien Líder.”
The guy smiled, this time nervously, and indicated the room with a sweep of his hand. “Your furniture is well crafted.”
“Thank you,” Lucien replied stiffly. He glanced at Caia, and she frowned at his obvious anger. What in Hades was wrong with him? Alexa stood directly behind him, looking less than amused that his attention had been diverted.
“Oh.” The guy followed Lucien’s gaze. “Your assistant has been very helpful.”
“Is that right?” Lucien murmured, still looking at her.
Caia narrowed her eyes.
“Lucien?” Alexa’s questioning voice drew the customer’s attention and he treated her to the same lascivious once over he’d given Caia.
“Another assistant?” He smirked at Lucien. “You certainly know how to draw people to your store.”