War of Hearts (True Immortality) - S Young Page 0,68
higher temperature than humans was true.
Paying closer attention to the shop assistants, Thea realized that while there was definitely wariness emanating from them as they watched or interacted with Conall, there was also a heavy fascination from both men and women. When he gave a pretty shop assistant a brief smile, Thea felt something twinge in her chest. The same something that had bothered her back on the bus with the flirty woman.
She ignored the feeling because with it came with a vulnerability she feared.
After Conall had what he needed (she’d wandered away when he started looking at boxer briefs), he stopped in a public restroom and changed into his new clothes. He’d packed the other new shirt and old clothes in his backpack. When he came out of the restroom, he didn’t seem surprised Thea was outside waiting for him. It relieved her to realize he trusted her word that she’d stay to see this through with Ashforth.
Now it was time for her to buy a change of clothes. It was weird wandering around shops with Conall. One assistant had even mistaken him for Thea’s boyfriend.
Confused by the messy emotions roiling inside her, Thea grew impatient as they searched for clothes. She had basic requirements—jeans for bottoms and tops that covered her back. Somehow with Conall beside her, she couldn’t think, and the thirty minutes they’d been looking felt like hours.
Finally, she grabbed a pair of jeans and a black, long-sleeved Henley to try on. Conall insisted she pick out more than one shirt.
“I have a wardrobe of clothes to return to. This is all you have.”
“I don’t need you to buy me clothes.”
“I can afford a couple of shirts.”
Seeing his mulish expression, Thea picked up a silky black shirt for the warmer weather. Conall took it out of her hand, checked the size, and then exchanged it for the same shirt in forest green. She stared at him questioningly as she took it.
Why did he have to make her feel like she was the only one in the room when he looked at her?
He shrugged. “The color suits you.”
Thea felt a flush beneath her skin and accepted the green shirt. On the way into the changing room, she spotted a green T-shirt with a V-neck and grabbed it too. He was buying.
Her intention had been to get in and out of the changing rooms as fast as possible.
However, sometimes she had an issue with jeans fitting because she was small in the waist and legs but fuller around the ass area. The jeans she’d selected didn’t fit well.
“How’s it coming along?”
She jumped at the sound of Conall’s voice beyond the curtain.
“Uh … the jeans don’t fit.”
“Right …” His footsteps faded and Thea peeked around the curtain to see Conall had flagged down a store assistant and was bringing her to the changing cubicle. Thea closed her eyes in annoyance. She hated dealing with people and would rather figure shit out on her own.
“How can I help?” the German shop assistant asked in perfect English.
Thea shot Conall a look of irritation that seemed to fly straight over his head and then pushed back the curtain. Making sure her shirt was covering her back, she indicated the massive gap between her back and the waistband of the jeans.
“They fit everywhere but the waist.”
“Ah, yes, I see. These are the wrong jeans for your body shape. Your size? I’ll bring you the correct jeans.”
Thea glanced up at Conall whose eyes were currently glued to her ass in a way that left no doubt in her mind he was imagining her naked. When he dragged his gaze back up to her face, she raised her eyebrow at him. Instead of looking away, embarrassed for being caught like most guys would, he stared at her wolfishly.
Wolfishly.
Heat pooled in Thea’s belly and she snapped the curtain shut on his face, pressing her hands to her burning cheeks.
The next few days were going to be the longest of her life.
After a few tries, they found a pair of jeans that worked. The assistant, a born saleswoman, brought more shirts for Thea to try that she had no intention of buying. Thea handed a few shirts and jeans to Conall to go purchase while she changed. “I’ll meet you outside.”
He walked away, seeming lost in his thoughts, and Thea was left with the shop assistant.
“You must try this shirt,” the girl said, holding up a red silk blouse.