Page 39 of Dark, Forbidden, & Taboo

“Accessorizing for tonight. What about you? Finding a gift for your next great senior conquest?”

He laughs as he takes the bag out of my hand and looks at it before tossing it onto the display.

“Nah. Interestingly enough, I was looking around, trying to find you a little something for later,” he states with a shrug.

“How about that?” I ask quickly, nodding toward the purse he just tossed like garbage.

Rock smirks as he retrieves it, then motions for me to follow him to the front of the store, where he plops it down in front of Tessa.

She turns around to grab a box, some gift paper, then scans the purse before she wraps it up and tells us the total.

“That’ll be one-thousand, eight-hundred, and fifty dollars,” she announces brightly.

Rock gives me a withering stare as he pulls his wallet out of his back pocket and hands her his black Amex card. “I better be seeing some skin tonight, Emily,” he growls.

“Yeah, yeah,” I say as he signs the receipt, then slaps the box toward me. “You’ll get your visual. Though, I don’t know what good it’ll do. Wearealmost the same age, after all.”

Rock smirks as he hands the pen back to Tessa, then rests an elbow on the counter. “She your type?” he asks, nodding at her and I turn crimson. He immediately capitalizes on my obvious discomfort and glances at the poor woman. “We’re heading to the Bahamas next month. All expenses paid. Wanna come?”

Her eyes dart from Rock to me in confusion before she smiles tightly and politely declines. “Thank you for the offer, but no.”

“Uptight bitch,” he grumbles as he stands up and rakes a hand back through his hair. Crossing his arms over his chest, he gives me his undivided attention. “Anyway, what time am I picking you up?”

“Seven?” I suggest with a shrug.

He nods as he drops his hands and glances at Tessa one more time. With a chuckle, Rock grins at me. “That’s one of the reasons, by the way. The older ones don’t say no.”

I force a smile onto my face as he turns around and walks out of the store, shaking his head.

Why couldn’t we have thrownyouto the dogs instead?I wonder as the front door sensor dings on his way out of the store.

Chapter 9

Davina

“Does this still look okay on me?” I ask Mimi nervously as she helps me put the dress on. My arms are out to my sides as she begins to cinch the corset bodice, then fluffs out the bottom hem of the skirt.

“Honey, you looked like you walked straight out of a fairytale,” she assures me with an approving nod as she meets my eyes in the mirror.

“Yeah, Grimm’s Fairytales,” I reply dryly.

Mimi laughs as she walks around me once, then comes to stand in front of me, taking my hands in hers.

“You’re a beautiful girl, Davina. You’re going to knock them dead and leave them wanting for more.”

I smile down at her.

The best mother I ever had was the one that didn’t give birth to me.

“Oh!” I say, suddenly remembering that I want to give her the keys to the apartment back.

Hopping down from the top step, I crouch down and begin ruffling through the pockets of my shorts until I find them and hold them out.

“Thanks for letting me stay up there. It was definitely a nice change.”

Mimi looks at the keys for a moment, then shakes her head. “I don’t use the apartment, honey. You’re welcome to stay there if you’d like.”

“Um … Mimi?”

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