Page 74 of In Good Company

Lucy gestures to the bags I’m holding in the hand not holding hers. “Cal, you’ve already bought me plenty. You don’t need to buy me anything else, even if it is something as special as a Chanel bag.”

I take a step toward the landmark house. You typically need an appointment to get a private shopping experience, but last time I came here with my mom to pick out a gift for her, they gave us the private experience upstairs with no need for an appointment. I doubt today will be any different.

“I want to,” I tell her, tugging on her hand to pull her closer to the store. “Let me.”

Lucy shakes her head. “You already bought me an outfit for tonight, plus three new pairs of shoes, and let’s not forget the cooking set youinsistedI needed.”

I squeeze her hand while lifting my shoulder in a casual shrug. “You did need the set. The green matches the apron from your mom perfectly. It was kismet we found them since they were limited edition and all.”

“And it was so thoughtful of you to get them for me, Cal. Truly.” She takes a step closer to me and cups my cheek in the hand that isn’t intertwined with mine. “You’ve already spoiled me more today than I’ve ever been spoiled. I don’t want you to think you have to buy me anything else.”

I lean into her touch. Feeling her skin against mine is now something I crave. Even when she stepped away from me this afternoon to try on clothes or when she was sitting across from me at the restaurant, I hated every second our bodies didn’t have some sort of connection.

I’ve never felt like this about someone. I’ve never even come close. It’s so new and foreign to me I can’t even fight it. I don’t want to fight it, despite all the reasons I know I probably should. She’s my brother’s ex-girlfriend, she’s under my employment, and she hasn’t shied away from the fact she’s leaving at the end of this summer and isn’t interested in anything more than a fling.

It’d be best for me to fight the feelings I’m developing for her, but I can’t bring myself to do it. I think it’s too late, anyway.

“Do you want a Chanel bag?” I ask, savoring the feeling of her fingertips against my skin.

She sighs and gives me a timid smile. “That’s a silly question. Everyone wants a Chanel like everyone wants to win the lottery. Of course I want it, but it’s not something I ever actually saw myself having. And I’m okay with that.”

“Then let me buy one for you. We have time to kill before we need to get ready for tonight, and buying you something here is the perfect way to do it.”

She laughs and shakes her head at me. “I can’t believe you just said that. You don’t just kill time by shopping at Chanel.”

“Today, we can. C’mon, baby.” I drop her hand and point to the purse she’s always carrying around. “You’ve retied the strap of this one because it keeps breaking.”

She raises her eyebrows defiantly and gives me a sly smile. “Maybe I did it on purpose.”

“It wasn’t broken at the start of the summer.”

Her lips part in shock. “How do you know that?”

I don’t tell her I’ve noticed everything about her for a while now. She lays her purse on the corner of the counter every morning before bringing the farmer’s market bags to the island and taking out the contents. Twice, I’ve seen her fuss over retying the strap of her purse together so she can still use it.

I’ve also noticed that every time she unloads her farmer’smarket haul from the mesh bags, she narrates everything she’s doing. It’s like she’s recording a video that isn’t even there. I could go on about the things I know about her, but I choose to not go into detail at the moment.

I lift a corner of my mouth in a side smile. “I just noticed your purse was broken. It’s probably a sign you need a new one.”

Lucy huffs as she dramatically rolls her eyes at me. “You know you really don’t have to do this, right? I don’t even want to know the price tag on them, and I really am happy with the bag that I have.” She lets out the most adorably nervous laugh. “Can you tell I’m not used to expensive things?”

“I know I don’t have to do anything. But I want to, baby. I like buying you expensive things.”

She shakes her head. The movement causes a stray piece of hair to fall from the clip and into her eyes. “You’re ridiculous, Callahan Hastings. You know that, right? I don’t think anyone else but you would ever insist on spending this much money on me.”

Good. I hate the thought of anyone else seeing the way her entire face lights up when she’s getting spoiled.

I use my free hand to push the stray strand of hair from her eyes. Leaning in, I press a kiss to the tip of her nose. “I’m only ridiculous for you, Lucy Rae Owens.” I wink at her before grabbing her hand and leading her to the Chanel boutique house.

Lucy stares at me with a determined look in her eyes. Her eyebrows are drawn in, and her lips are puckered in the most adorable of scowls. “Absolutely not,” she clips, trying to keep her voice hushed.

“Absolutely,” I immediately respond.

“No.”

“Yes.”

The private shopping attendant clears her throat nervously from a few feet away as Lucy and I argue on the couches of the second-floor private shopping room.

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