Page 42 of Fearless Protector

They held hands as they walked down the street. That’s who they were now... at least right now. They were a couple, the hand-holding kind who strolled down the sidewalk toward an address on a business card, shopping for clothes for a formal event tonight. This might as well have been a date for a married couple on vacation.

“Pablo sent us,” Nick said, eyeing the tiny shop closely before relaxing his shoulders. “We have a dinner party tonight.”

“Perfect,” the man—Elton, according to the card—said in a heavy, unfamiliar accent as he paced around the two of them, sizing them up. “You will be in a blue suit. Navy. Brown belt and loafers. A shirt underneath with some pop. No tie. You have a great chest. We’ll leave the top buttons undone.” Elton was wearing a sleek green sweater with slim black slacks. His long silky hair was a shocking bright blond.

“You,” he said, turning her around like a ballerina. “You’ll be in a champagne mini dress with a deep neckline, tulle skirt, and floral appliques. I have a spike heel that will make those already gorgeous legs look magazine-ready. I’ll give it a little sash that ties in with his suit. Give me twenty minutes.”

“Twenty minutes?” Cleo asked, her eyes wide. “Are you a magician?”

“Better,” Elton said whimsically. “I’m an artist. And Pablo called me after you checked in and gave me the rundown on you. I think he got your sizes mostly right. He was a bit off about your eye color.”

He leaned in and peered more closely at Nick’s eyes. Cleo had spent enough time lately getting lost in them to know. “They’re way more green than blue. But not quite a sea glass.”

Elton agreed. “Right. I’d call them cyan, and that still pairs great with the navy. Ditch the baseball hat for me. I need to see what we’re working with.”

Nick pulled off his ball cap and tucked it under his arm.

“You’re six two?”

“Six three,” Nick replied.

“Your biceps are bigger than I thought,” Elton said, tilting his head.

“I like this place.” Nick winked at Cleo.

“You two shop around to see if there is anything else you like. I’ll have everything packaged up for you.”

“We’re not trying it on?” Cleo asked, worried about finding out too late it didn’t fit.

“Have some trust, lady,” Elton said, looking mildly insulted. “It’ll be perfect. You’ll be the belle of the ball. And with this guy on your arm, I bet you’ll be magnetic. Every guest will be circling around to see what this power couple has to say.”

Nick cleared his throat. “They might be sorely disappointed when they realize all I have to talk about is last night's baseball game and my favorite locally brewed beer no one has ever heard of. I’m not one to rub elbows with the fancy folks.”

“Oh, son,” Elton said, though he was only a year or two older at most, “you can just stand there and look pretty. I have a feeling this young lady here knows her way around a high-brow conversation.”

“She does,” Nick said, a twinkle of pride in his eyes. “I’m happy to be her arm candy for the night.”

“And I’ll make you look sweet as hell,” Elton said, disappearing into the back of the store to get to work.

“Don’t sell yourself short,” Cleo said, running her fingers over a blue sequined top, something she’d love to own but would never wear.

“What do you mean?”

“You can hold your own in any conversation. No matter what suit you’re wearing, people gravitate toward you.”

“I don’t wear any kind of suit.” Nick chuckled.

“You do something most people are desperate for.”

“I know,” he smirked. “I just did it to you.”

“Not that,” she said, the memories sending a shock through her body. “I’m talking about the way you make people feel. You put people at ease. You let them be themselves. People need that, and it’s rare. I spend a lot of time with some very academic stuffy folks, and they mostly try to be the smartest in the room.”

“No risk of that with me.”

“You’re incredibly smart. Street smart. Emotionally intelligent. Intuitive. You’ve got what people are drawn to.”

“I’ll do my best not to embarrass you tonight. I don’t know that I’ve read a whole book since school.”

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