“Whatever you have is fine by me.”
Of course it is. Avily straddled the fine line between anger and guilt. In the end, guilt won out. Leena was obviously going through tough times, and family was family. “I’ll see what I can do.”
“Thanks.” Leena started to back up. “I’ll stop by again in a couple of days, okay?”
Avily maneuvered to block the aisle’s exit. “Have you seen our mother?”
Leena’s gaze skittered sideways. “Not yet. I was planning to go by the house later in the week.”
Sure. Not bothering to hide her skepticism, Avily stared her sister down. “It’d destroy her if you disappeared again without at least making one token appearance.”
“Sis, I said I’d stop by, all right?” Apparently realizing the shrillness of her voice outed her true colors, Leena tugged on a quick smile. “I don’t want her to see me like this. Not looking my best.”
“Why? She wouldn’t care about that.”
“But I do. I don’t want her to think I’ve become a complete failure. Even if I have.”
“Don’t talk about yourself like that.”
Leena dropped the soap back onto the shelf and sighed. “You don’t have to defend me. Especially to myself. I’ve not always been a good person, Avi. Maybe this is all my penance.”
Before an automatic denial could spring to her lips, Avily’s thoughts shifted to Jerrick and the pain and turmoil her sister had inflicted on him with her lies and cheating. If Leena was paying some penance, it would never equal the level of her betrayal.
Leena returned to fidgeting with the end of her braid. “I have to get going, or I’ll be late for my next job interview. But I’ll be back in a few days.”
“I’ll try to get you some money. I can’t promise anything, though.”
“I know you’ll come through for me, baby sis. You always have.”
Nothing like shoveling the pressure on extra thick. Avily escorted her sister to the front door and watched Leena vanish into the crowds, her chest heavy. Despite how frustrating Leena could be, it didn’t sit well on Avily to see her sister this downtrodden. Leena had always been beautiful and radiant. No small wonder Jerrick had fallen hard for her. What male with functioning vision wouldn’t lose his heart to Leena?
Yeah, but she also stomped on his heart and left it to wither and die. Reminded of that fact, another twinge of guilt shuttled through her for her previous irritable thoughts regarding Jerrick. Until she remembered the cruel way he’d laughed at her virginity offering.
It’d taken almost a full case of Larry the Fairy to screw up enough tipsy courage to invite him over that night. Nerves and queasiness had nearly gotten the better of her, but the instant he’d strode through the door, looking like her every dream brought to life, her resolve had been sealed. There was no other for her. Jerrick was her everything, and no one else stood a chance of measuring up. For gods’ sake, she’d inked herself with his fae symbol, essentially branding herself as his.
Squeezing back tears, she pressed trembling fingers to her lips. If she closed her eyes, she could pretend the phantom remembrance of his long-ago kiss still lingered, along with the sweet warmth of his breath and the intoxicating graze of his tongue along hers. She could even fool herself that for one blissful, shining second in time he’d been swept up in the moment too.
The fantasy lasted a millisecond, before she crashed back to reality with a harsh jolt.
He’d pushed her away. Both physically and emotionally. Because she’d been a virgin. The precious gift she’d saved for him, he’d viewed as nothing but a terrible anvil around his neck. She’d stupidly envisioned a happily ever after that he wanted no part of.
The true curse in that picture was her own, for being young, naïve and foolishly in love with someone who didn’t want her and never would.
She was far from being that girl anymore. She’d learned her lesson the hard way. Once they were done with this job, she’d tell him goodbye. For good.
Jerrick Hunter wouldn’t be the thief of her heart. Never again.
Chapter Six
Liquid lust competing with the trickle of foreboding crawling along his spine, Jerrick surveyed the provocative garments hanging on the end rack in the back room of Passion’s Pleasures. The outfits left little to the imagination. Considering his imagination was already fully stocked with raw, explicitly raunchy thoughts of Avi, his sanity held no prayer of surviving the sight of her in any of the alluring getups displayed in front of him.
“Gotta admit, I wouldn’t have taken you for a member of the lifestyle. Or is this for business?”
He tore his attention from the garments and glanced at the male beside him. Torrance Passion had assisted Jerrick a time or two with certain jobs requiring a specialized look. Overall, Jerrick trusted the man as much as he did anyone within his close circle of contacts. Given the sinister nature of this particular assignment, keeping with his cover was the only option. “The scene has always intrigued me, and I’ve recently met a woman who’s game for giving it a go.”
“Lucky lady.”
Choosing to ignore the appreciative glint in Torrance’s eyes, Jerrick snatched the closest outfit. It consisted of a series of shiny black leather strips that banded over a female’s breasts and pussy, leaving a whole lot of the rest of her completely bare. He immediately hooked the ensemble back on the rod. No amount of wheedling would coax Avily into the getup. Just as well. It’d save his brain from detonating.
He fished through the rack until he came to a short red leather dress with an eye-popping slit up the thigh. Heavy boning lined the strapless bust, and the low cut ensured maximum plumpage of the wearer’s breasts. He stroked the supple leather, imagining it molded to Avily’s creamy, delicate flesh. Desire fired his blood to the boiling point. Despite knowing the torture he’d be putting himself through, he draped the dress over his arm and searched for his contribution to their cover. He located a pair of breeches fashioned from the same red leather as the dress.
Torrance strode to a nearby bin and began pawing through its contents. A moment later he came up with a black leather crisscrossing harness. “And for the lucky lady…” He held up a matching collar and leash.
Realizing he’d be the one wearing the damn leash, Jerrick smothered a grimace.
He’d known Avily wouldn’t give in to his request without finding a way to make his life miserable in the process, but he’d never expected her to stoop so low. Her diabolical evilness was scarier than shit. Still, a part of him couldn’t help admiring the creative lengths she’d go to in order to make him suffer. Avi’s mind in the wrong hands…hell, talk about a terrifying prospect. He resisted a shudder.
“Interested in adding any toys to your playtime?”
That went without saying. Intrigue getting the better of him, he followed Torrance to the adjacent room where the racier products were kept out of sight of the few customers possessing delicate sensibilities. Sex toys of every type and purpose lined the shelves. There were also edible oils, body paints and candles designed to provide a wicked edge to intimate encounters.
“Does your lady care for a bit of pain with her pleasure?”
Jerrick eyed the crop in Torrance’s hand. No way in hell he’d let that anywhere near Avi. Resisting the urge to rub his ass, Jerrick surveyed the other implements on display. A small flogger with ultrafine leather strips and toggles nabbed his attention. He freed the loop from its hook and tested the whip with a sharp flick against his arm. The resulting sensation was more enticing tingle than sting. Promising. He shifted his focus to the collection of furred mitts nestled in a nearby basket. He picked up the black one and inspected it.