Good going, jackass. Humans. He'd never understand them. But then, they were weak, especially their females.
She handed him the receipt.
Aggravated at himself for making her even more uncomfortable, he signed his name and handed it back to her.
She compared his signature to his card and frowned. "Katta"
"Kattalakis," he said. "It's Greek."
Her eyes lighted up just a bit as she returned the card to him. "That's very different. You must have a hard time spelling it for people."
"Yeah."
She tucked the receipt into her drawer, then placed the wrapped box in a small bag with corded handles. "Thanks," she said quietly, setting it on the counter in front of him. "Have a nice day, Mr. Kattalakis."
He nodded and headed for the door, his heart even heavier than before, because he had failed to make her happy.
"Wait!" she said as he touched the knob. "You left your necklace."
Vane looked back at her one last time, knowing he would never see her again. She was so beautiful there with large, amber eyes set in the pale face of a goddess. There was something about her that reminded him of a Rubens angel. She was ethereal and lovely.
And far too fragile for an animal.
"No," he said quietly. "I left it with the woman I wanted to have it."
Bride felt her jaw go slack as his words hung in the air between them. "I can't take this."
He opened the door and headed out into the street.
Grabbing the bag from the counter, Bride ran after him. He was heading quickly down toward the center of the Quarter and it took her some serious rushing to catch up to him.
She took hold of his arm, amazed at the tautness of his biceps as she pulled him to a stop. Breathless, she looked up at him and those beguiling hazel-green eyes. "I can't take this," she said again, giving the bag to him. "It's way too much."
He refused to take it. "I want you to have it."
There was so much unfathomable sincerity in those words that she couldn't do anything more than gape at him. "Why?"
"Because beautiful women deserve beautiful things."
No one unrelated to her had ever said anything so kind. Today more than any other, she needed to hear it. She'd never thought any man would ever think of her that way. And to hear it from this gorgeous stranger meant the world to her. Those words reached so deep inside her that that She burst into tears.
Vane stood there feeling completely at a loss. What was this? Wolves didn't cry. A she-wolf might tear out a man's throat for pissing her off, but she never cried and especially not when someone had complimented her. "I'm sorry," he said, completely confused by what he'd done wrong. "I thought it would make you happy. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings."
She cried even more.
What was he supposed to do now? He looked around him, but there was no one to ask.
Screw the human in him. He didn't comprehend that part of himself, either. Instead, he listened to the animal part that only knew instinctively how to take care of someone when they were hurt.
He scooped her up into his arms and carried her back toward her store.
Animals always did better in their native environment so it only stood to reason that a human might, as well. It was easier to cope with familiar things around.
She latched on to his neck as he carried her and wept even harder. Her hot tears raised chills on his skin and he ached for her.
How could he make this better?
Bride hated herself for breaking down like this. What the hell was wrong with her? Worse, he was carrying her!