too hard.”
She laughed. “He hardly works.”
Alice waved as her mom crossed the street, and then she leaned her head back inside the studio. “I’m going to prop the door open. It’s nice outside.”
“Good idea.” Megan returned to soldering her bird statue, and Alice grabbed the concrete-filled bucket, which looked like a flowerpot with a metallic daisy growing from it, and positioned it in front of the open door.
As she bent over to slide it into place, her new amulet swung forward, catching the sunlight like a prism, scattering it onto the ground in a sparkling green-tinted rainbow. She straightened, and her eyes locked on Donovan Drake. He stood across the street, shielding his eyes from the sun as he looked right at her.
Her breath caught, and she walked backward into the store, tripping over the doormat and nearly falling on her butt. Luckily, she caught herself on a multi-media mermaid statue before she could eat tile, but as she jerked on the plastic faux-seashell top to straighten herself, the statue’s left boob came off in her hand. “Sorry. I’ll fix that.” She couldn’t let the poor fish-girl go around lopsided.
“What’s got you so spooked?” Megan scurried around and took the taillight-turned-teat, setting it on the counter.
Alice swallowed hard before daring to peer out the open door. “Holy mermaid mammaries. He’s coming this way.”
“Who?” Megan sidled next to her, cocking her head. “Well, hello, handsome. Is he who you’re scared of?”
“That’s Donovan Drake.” Alice gripped the amulet, dropping it down the neck of her shirt as she stepped to the side, out of view. “Why is he coming here?”
“To buy some art, of course. He looks like a man who could appreciate what we do.” Megan tapped a finger to her lips. “The more pertinent question is: Why is he carrying a purse?”
Alice dared another glance. “It’s not a purse. It’s a satchel. He has to have somewhere to put his mongoose in public.”
“Most men keep them in their pants.”
Alice grabbed her arm, dragging her away from the door. “I’m talking about his familiar. What are you talking about?”
She grinned. “His dick, of course.”
“You’re impossible.”
“For him, I’d be easy. You didn’t call dibs, did you? Otherwise, I might get really familiar with him.”
“I did see him first.” Alice bit her bottom lip and leaned so she could see out the window. Donovan paused to let a woman pushing a baby stroller pass before continuing his trek in her direction. Her stomach fluttered. He was even more attractive in the daylight.
“Okay, you can have him.” Megan sounded reluctant, until she winked. “I’m holding out for a Rainecourt, anyway. You better hurry up and find one.”
“I’m working on it.” She straightened her spine as Donovan paused in the doorway, wiping his shoes on the welcome mat before adjusting his satchel and stepping through the threshold.
He wore a dark blue blazer with matching slacks and a light blue button-up. Like the suit she’d seen him in before, it appeared custom-made, fitting his broad shoulders and muscular thighs perfectly. Every lock of his wavy, light brown hair lay in just the right place, and the set of his dark eyes gave him a mysterious, brooding appearance. Yum.
A wad of paper knocked Alice in the back of the head, and she blinked, turning to see where it came from. Megan made a face, gesturing at Donovan. Crap on a cracker. How long had she been staring at the man?
She cleared her throat and stepped toward him. “Hi…” The tip of her tongue touched the roof of her mouth as she started to say his name. Luckily, her jaw clamped shut as he made eye contact, her thickening throat not allowing her to commit the faux pas. She sure as heck didn’t want to explain why she already knew his name when he’d just arrived in town yesterday.
I watched you unpack from your balcony railing until your mongoose tried to eat me. Then I went to city hall and asked every person in the building until someone told me your name, but I promise I’m not a stalker! Yeah…that would go over really well.
“Hello.” He grinned, and the corners of his eyes crinkled. That was good. Crinkles meant he smiled a lot.
“Welcome to Shifted Treasures. I’m Alice. Can I help you find something in particular?” She returned the smile, and his widened, commanding her crow’s attention. Oh, boy. If her bird had taken notice, she was in a mess of trouble. That damn mating instinct better not