Both men looked up and grinned as he entered the ring of showcases and stood beside Lily. He normally stayed out of the ladies’ “domain” because Tabitha had seemed more comfortable that way, but he enjoyed spending time with Lily in the store. She’d left her copper-tinged brown locks loose that day so they flowed in long, shimmering waves to just past her curvaceous derriere. Sometimes he had to restrain himself from running his fingers through the silky, abundant strands. His cock tingled as he indulged a brief fantasy of how the soft strands would feel as they slid over his chest or his thighs.
Down, boy!
He shook hands with both men and asked, “So is it time to barter for an engagement ring?”
Duke snorted. “We’ve already moved on from that point with Lily. We’re just haggling over price right now. Looks like you’re getting a new website.”
Clay grinned, not a bit surprised that she’d taken the bull by the horns.
She smiled at him and added, “Of course, you have final approval, boss, but I’m planning a full overhaul of everything, the custom jewelry site and the personal jewelry site. When I visited Emma while she was still in the hospital, she told me they could help us out.”
Emma Guthrie had found herself in the crosshairs of a woman who’d had an online obsession with Gage Randall and had nearly died when the woman had shown up on her doorstep with a loaded gun. Clay was reminded again how short and risky life was and was happy to see Duke and Gage making plans for a life with Emma.
“Little did Emma know that we’d both have something the other needed,” Gage said as he pointed out a ring for Duke to look at.
Clay glanced out the window and noticed the sky had darkened. “Looks like we have some rain coming.”
Duke nodded. “There’s supposed to be a big storm system headed our way overnight, too. Lily, how about I put something together for you and Clay to look at in the next day or so and we’ll go from there.”
“That sounds good. I’ll put your name on this one and hold it for you.” She showed them the ring again. “If this is the one you’ve decided on, that is.”
Duke and Gage looked at each other and nodded, slight smiles on their faces. Gage said, “Yeah, that’s the one, Lily. That’s Emma’s ring.”
Clay glanced up as Tabitha came in through the front door. She took in the scene with the two men looking at the one ring, and her face screwed up like someone had stuck a corncob up her ass. She schooled her expression before they glanced her way, and Clay rolled his eyes.
Here it comes. At least wait until they leave, Tabitha.
Duke and Gage nodded at her before making their exit, looking slightly amused at Clay’s expense as Tabitha slammed the drawer she kept her purse in, mumbling to herself.
“Something on your mind, Tabitha?” Clay asked, figuring it was better to get it out in the open while the shop was empty, rather than let it simmer.
“It just a shame. Two perfectly eligible men, to one woman. It’s not fair to the other women of this community.”
Lily looked like she wanted to be anywhere but there. Clay shrugged and met Tabitha’s hellfire and brimstone gaze. “Not fair how? They fall in love, they make a commitment to each other. It’s not like we’re assigned mates or anything.”
“It’s shameful,” she said as she reapplied her pink lipstick. She must’ve gone home for lunch because her beige wool cardigan was covered with black cat hair. “One woman with two men earning two incomes is greedy.”
The irritating tickle started in the back of his throat again. “If they’re happy, we should all be happy for them. I want no complaints from customers, Tabitha.” He had his handkerchief ready when the sneezing started.
Using her familiar martyred tone, she replied, “You won’t hear any complaints about me, Clay. I know you’re friends with them. But you know I have to stand for what’s moral, too.” Looking expectantly at Lily, she asked, “Time for more training?”
Clay nodded, and Lily followed him to workroom. She’d been so enthusiastic with the personal jewelry business that he’d begun showing her how to craft the basic pieces. She’d blushed at times as he’d explained how to size and create the pieces because that involved explaining how and where the jewelry fit, but she’d taken to the work with little trouble.
Her delight in crafting something he could sell was evident. He’d been busy at his workbench one day when she’d held out a new piece for him to inspect. It was a cloverleaf-shaped clit clip unlike anything he’d created. He could tell she had a natural knack for jewelry design, and when he told her so, her face had lit up with happiness. The one concern that she’d voiced was that she didn’t have as much time to work on them as she’d wanted to because of her other responsibilities in the store and schoolwork. It pleased Clay that she wanted to be involved and enjoyed the work.