Page 40 of His Game (His Obsession 1)

He cocked his head, waiting, his eyes resting on my mouth for a moment before they rose to meet my own.

"I'll let you buy me stuff now, on the condition that I'll pay you back for it. Someday."

He started to shake his head, "That’s—”

"Stop," I said, holding up my hand before he could say anything else. Like how I would never have the chance to pay him back because I was never going back to my old life. "Just give me this one. Please.”

His eyes narrowed, but he surprised me again. "Okay."

"You agree?"

He gave me a nod.

I felt like I'd just taken a step toward my plan, small as it was, and I smiled. "Then let's go shopping."

His eyes traveled over every inch of my face, but I must've been pretty convincing, for the tension left his jaw. "After you," he told me.

Walking into the shop with Luca on my heels, I immediately went to the sales rack, as was my habit.

"You don't have to do that, Veda. Cost is no object."

"Shouldn't you be calling me Nicole?" I kept my eyes on the clothes in front of me, not daring to look at him as I pulled out a summer dress that was blush pink and laced down the back. Very much my sister's style. I blinked away tears as I imagined her in it.

He was quiet for so long I wondered if I'd already pushed it too far. Finally, he said, "No. Not here." And that was the extent of his explanation. "Try that on," he ordered.

I’d been about to put the dress back on the rack. Instead, I held it up and looked at it again. "This?"

He nodded.

"But I have nowhere to wear it."

"You will. Soon. There's a party I'd like to take you to."

"What party?" My stomach slightly nauseous, I laid the dress over my arm and continued to look through the racks as though it didn’t bother me at all that I would be taking on the identity of my dead sister “soon.”

"A birthday party for someone in my family. And I need you to go with me." I could tell he expected me to argue with him.

I glanced at him from the corner of my eye. "You mean you need Nicole to go with you." Somehow, I managed to keep my voice steady.

He stilled for a moment, then continued his perusal through the clothes rack in front of him. "Yes," he told me. "It's on Saturday. Two days from now."

I digested that piece of information. I would go with him, of course. I couldn't make him fall in love with me if I refused to spend time with him. Refused to play along in his game. But...carefully, Veda. "What if I don't want to go?" I pulled out a pair of pants. Checking them out, I made a face and put them back. "You can force me,” I answered before he could say it, “but then wouldn't you be afraid I'd tell everyone who I really am?"

His response was immediate. "No. Not at all. We made a deal, you and I. And I trust you will live up to your end of it."

Wandering over to another rack of clothes, I glanced at him from the corner of my eye. If he was bluffing, he was very good at it.

“Come on, Veda. You're an intelligent woman. You know what would have to happen if you tried something like that. Besides," he added. "You'll be surrounded by my family. You won't have an opportunity to rat me out, and even if you did, they wouldn't believe you. Or care.”

Good to know. I grabbed a few more things and headed to the dressing room. When I realized Luca was following me, I stopped and turned, frowning at him. "I'm going to the dressing room."

A smile teased the corners of his mouth. "So am I."

"Uh, no. You're not. You're not allowed in there with me."

"Sara!” Luca called to the single employee in the store.

The girl behind the counter hustled right on over, all knees and elbows in her shift dress and walking like a deer on her five-inch heels. "Yes, Mr. Morelli?"

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