Found(91)

Lauren let out a stifled breath of relief. She loved Xairn as much as ever—more if that was possible. But it had been almost a week now and having him here on Earth with her just wasn’t working out the way she’d hoped.

To start with, she shouldn’t have invited her mom to go on their shopping trip. Her mother was a wonderful, caring women but she had very definite ideas on fashion. Whereas Lauren would have taken her new man to Wal Mart or Target to get some sensible clothes, her mother had insisted on taking Xairn on a tour of all the most expensive boutiques and department stores in Sarasota.

That was how Lauren learned that Xairn, while alien in many respects, did share one almost universal characteristic with human males. In other words, he hated to shop. Not that he said as much to her mother, but Lauren could tell by the impatient look in his eyes and the clipped tone of his voice as they went from store to store to store trying on more and more clothes.

He also didn’t like the fact that Abby was footing the bill for his expensive new wardrobe. Lauren had been forced to take him aside and beg him to let her mom pay. She was, after all, only showing her gratitude to him for saving Lauren’s life the only way she could. Xairn had grudgingly agreed but he hadn’t been happy about it.

Lauren had to admit that her mom had good taste—Xairn did look fabulous in his new GQ wardrobe. Fabulous but very unhappy. He asked her several times why they couldn’t simply find a few functional pieces and leave it at that. “I have never owned this much clothing in my life,” he protested near the end of the day when Abby tried to get him to try on just one more Armani suit. “Where will I wear all of it?”

“Mom, he has a point,” Lauren had said wearily. “He’ll probably just be helping me in my shop. That fancy suit won’t look too good once it’s coated in cake flour.”

“Oh, all right.” Abby had thrown up her hands and sighed. “We’ll just take what we’ve already got. You can take that off, Xairn.”

“Good.” Xairn’s voice had been almost a growl. Instead of going back into the dressing room, he’d ripped off the suit jacket and begun unbuttoning the Egyptian cotton shirt. Unfortunately, that put his chest on display. Lauren heard a muted gasp from her mother as the raised black lines of the brand came into view.

“My God,” she whispered to Lauren, her eyes still fixed on Xairn’s muscular chest. “What the hell did you do to him, sweetheart? Why did you tattoo your name across his chest?”

“I didn’t do it,” Lauren protested, feeling embarrassed.

“But honey, that’s your handwriting,” her mother protested. “I’d recognize it anywhere.” She gave Lauren a disapproving look. “He’s a very handsome man and I can understand you wanting to mark your territory, but did you really have to sign him like a Christmas card?”

“I didn’t—”

“Lauren did not do this.” Xairn came to stand in front of them, his bare chest still exposed. Other people in the shop were staring now and Lauren could feel her cheeks getting hot.

“She…she didn’t?” Abby faltered, looking up at him.

“No. Another did it, but I allowed them to do it willingly, so do not blame Lauren.” Xairn frowned. “She is burned into my flesh as she is burned into my heart. I love her.”

“You do?” Abby didn’t sound entirely happy about it.

Xairn’s eyes narrowed but Lauren was relieved to see that they didn’t flash back to their old color scheme this time. “Would I be here, allowing myself to be dressed and undressed like some sort of doll if I didn’t love her? What male needs such a ridiculous array of garments?”

“Xairn!” Lauren said helplessly. “Please, Mom’s just trying to get you the right clothes to blend in.”

“To blend in where?” Xairn looked down at the expensive slacks he had on with a sneer. “A male harem, perhaps?” He shook his head and looked at Abby. “I appreciate your generosity but I am through with this. I am going back to Lauren’s living space.”

And that had been the end of the shopping trip.

Lauren had apologized to both of them separately but the damage had been done. Xairn thought her mother was controlling and officious and her mother thought he was some kind of a nut who was willing to get himself tattooed with her daughter’s name after only knowing her for a short time. The only consolation, as far as Lauren was concerned, was that her mother thought it was a tattoo. If she knew that the signature was a brand, that Lauren’s name had actually been burned into Xairn’s flesh, who knew what she might have thought?