“For everyday wear,” he said.
I snorted. “My everyday wear does not consist of diamonds.”
“No?” He gave me a charming smile that wreaked havoc on my brain. “I thought diamonds were a girl’s best friend.”
“Not this girl,” I muttered. “Give me books over diamonds any day, thanks.”
“I can do that too, you know. But perhaps we can find something that’s a bit more you.” He stopped in front of a case that had a matching set including an emerald necklace, earrings, and a bracelet. The gems were exactly the color of Lucas’s eyes.
I held up a hand. “They’re gorgeous, but—”
“Yes, these are perfect,” Lucas said with an air of finality. He looked from the jewels into my eyes. “Emerald is your favorite, isn’t it?
My breath caught. First the coffee, now this. Was he stalking me? “How did you know?”
He gave me a devilish grin. “Consider it a lucky guess.”
“But where would I even wear them?”
The hunger in his gaze made my heart race. “You can wear them for me in my bed, with nothing else on.”
“That’s not going to happen,” I said with a very unconvincing laugh.
He gestured for the salespeople to wrap the set up for him, but then he caught sight of something behind me that made his eyes narrow. “Excuse me for a moment.”
He rushed past me and out the door like he was going to battle, and the swift change in his demeanor made my head spin. I watched the Tiffany employees pack up my things in cute little blue boxes and bags, wondering how this was my life.
“Should we put this on Mr. Ifer’s account?” a salesman asked.
“I assume so.” I glanced behind me. No sign of Lucas anywhere.
I poked my head out of the shop door, searching around for Lucas, and spotted him down the hall. He was talking in a low voice with another man with red hair, and their body language told me it was not a friendly conversation. Then suddenly Lucas grabbed the man around the neck and lifted him up into the air and slammed him against the wall.
No. Into the wall.
Plaster went flying and the man left a body-sized dent in it. Meanwhile, Lucas’s hand was still around his neck, holding him there with impossible strength. I could only see his back, but it was enough to send a cold wave of fear through me.
Lucas dropped the man in the rubble at his feet. “Do not cross me again, or I won’t be so lenient next time.”
“Yes, my lord.” The man kneeled on the floor and nodded, keeping his head low. He didn’t appear injured, even though he’d just been sent through a wall.
Lucas brushed plaster dust off his hands and turned toward me, leaving the man kneeling there. He spotted me watching with my mouth hanging open, and gave me a dazzling smile, like everything I’d just seen was totally normal.
He joined me in front of Tiffany’s and rebuttoned his suit jacket. “Sorry, darling, demon business. Now where were we?”
“How?” I gestured at the man, who got up and ran out of there as fast as he could.
“Don’t worry, he’s a shifter. Fox, if you must know. I barely scratched him.” He took my elbow again, his fingers strong and possessive as they dug into my skin. “Shall we continue? I have one more shop I’d like us to visit.”
I dimly nodded, my throat tight, as Lucas led me down the hall, leaving the plaster rubble behind, to another shop—Alexander McQueen. I had to practically pick my jaw up off the floor as we walked inside past all the beautiful clothes, shoes, and purses. There were actual runway gowns here on display in this secret back room, with capes and feathers and jewels. Real jewels, not tacky sequins. It was almost enough to make me forget what I just saw.
Lucas had picked that man up by his neck and thrown him into a wall. How did he have that kind of strength? And how had that man walked away without a scratch?
Could all this stuff about demons actually be true?
No. Impossible.
I had no explanation for it, but what I saw did confirm one thing—Lucas was more dangerous than I’d thought.
“I need a gown fit for a queen,” Lucas said to the salesman. “One of a kind. In her size.”
“I have the perfect thing,” the smartly dressed man replied in a respectful tone. “I’ll bring it out immediately.”
Lucas nodded and the man disappeared. I stared at Lucas with fear trailing down my spine, wondering how he could look so casual after such an act of violence. And so disturbingly gorgeous. Fuck, maybe he was the devil. Or at least the closest thing to it.
The salesman returned carrying an ethereal ball gown that was all black except for tiny crystal stars trailing down to the different phases of the moon along the bottom hem. At the shoulders, silver moon clasps held on a long, sheer black cape with more crystal stars running down it. Everything about it was soft and billowy except for the bodice, which was low-cut and form-fitting. It was the most beautiful gown I’d ever seen in my life.
Lucas nodded. “Have it fitted for her.”
I instantly reached out to touch the crystals on the gown, but then pulled my hand back. “It’s lovely, but I can’t imagine I’ll ever have anywhere to wear it.”
He pinned me with his dark gaze. “On your final night, you’ll be attending the Devil’s Night Ball as my guest.”
I counted the nights in my head. That was the night before Halloween. “What’s the Devil’s Night Ball?”
“It’s when the demons honor me as their King.”
I had
