Mastered(42)

When the meals arrived, she’d stared at the small steak, shaking her head in disbelief.#p#分页标题#e#

“Just try it,” Justice coaxed. “It melts in your mouth. Best steak you’ll ever taste. Guaranteed.”

“Two hundred dollars good?” she asked skeptically. “Two hundred dollars more than feeds me and my roommates for an entire month.”

He’d just grinned at her and cut into his own steak, silently observing her as she gingerly cut a small piece almost reverently as if she hated the idea of consuming something that was exorbitant—to her—in price. But when she’d delicately chewed that first bite, her eyes closed and a low moan escaped her lips that had him clenching his jaw, his own steak forgotten as he watched the sheer enjoyment on her face.

“Oh my God,” she said with a groan. “This is amazing.”

“Told you,” he said smugly.

“It’s still not two hundred dollars amazing,” she muttered.

He merely grinned and resumed eating his steak, barely tasting it, which was a crime in itself because he was too absorbed in watching Evangeline’s first experience with the decadent beef.

After they’d finished, he’d announced they were going shopping, something that would delight most women. Certainly all of Drake’s previous women. Evangeline, however, had looked as if she’d just been told she had to clean toilets.

Now, they were nearly done. Only one more destination.

He nearly grinned when she realized their next stop was a lingerie store. And not just any lingerie store. One that dealt with decadent, sexy, alluring garments meant to drive men insane with lust.

Her cheeks flamed bright red and she turned pleading eyes to Justice, and he had to rub his chest to alleviate the discomfort over her obvious embarrassment.

“You can wait outside,” she whispered. “It’s not necessary that you be here. Drake has arranged an assortment of stuff in every other store we’ve visited, so I doubt this will be any different.”

And then she promptly blushed, likely realizing that Drake had called and given the saleslady what he wanted in exacting detail, and Evangeline would have to face the woman knowing that Drake had been explicit in his wishes.

He smiled gently at her and palmed her shoulders. “Sweetheart, there’s no reason to be embarrassed. You’re right in that there is a pile of stuff waiting at the counter, and I tell you what. I’ll go to the counter and wait while you look around and see if there’s anything that catches your eye. Bring whatever you pick out to the checkout and I promise not to give it a single glance. I’ll pay for it and then turn my back. But I can’t leave you in the store alone. Drake would have my balls for leaving you unprotected for one moment. He wants me with you at all times.”

Her flush deepened to the roots of her hair, and his heart softened when he thought he was incapable of such a feat. He briefly touched her cheek.

“You don’t have to be ashamed with me, Evangeline. You have nothing to be ashamed of. I’d like to consider us friends.”

He nearly choked on the words. Friends? Now he was certain he was losing his goddamn mind. He had no friends, save the men he called brothers, and he damn sure didn’t consider women of any kind friends. He either wrote them off as grasping bitches, or he took them to bed and made damn sure they both had a good time. And now he was spouting bullshit about platonic friendship with a woman most men would have had in their bed before she could blink. Drake owed him. Big.

“Now go do your shopping while I have the saleslady package what Drake has already arranged, and as I promised, when you are finished, I’ll give the saleslady the credit card and turn my back. All I will do is carry the bags to the car. No peeking. I promise!”#p#分页标题#e#

She gifted him with a smile that momentarily robbed him of breath, and suddenly he could see even more why Drake was so fascinated with this woman. She was the real deal. A rarity in the circles they traveled. Not a fake bone in her body. He was stunned by that revelation and not at all sure what to do about it. An unfamiliar emotion—jealousy—tightened his chest, and he swore violently to himself. Damn Drake and his luck to have found this one before any of the other men who ran Impulse with him.

He watched as she hesitantly browsed the racks, watching closely for the items that she paid extra attention to only to hastily drop when she looked at the price tag. He sent the saleslady a pointed look, and when Evangeline went to the next area, the saleslady promptly collected the items Evangeline had favored but had not chosen because of the price.