Lily pointed to the shoes. “You wanted shoes.”
Denae was shaking her head before she finished. “No way. Let’s look at clothes. Shoes and jewelry are last.”
Lily almost couldn’t remember the last time she felt so carefree as she walked through rack after rack of clothes. Before she had time to find anything, a store employee was beside her. It took just a few items that Lily pointed out before the employee put her in a dressing room and began to bring outfit after outfit to her.
Lily shed the long skirt and shirt, wadding them into a ball. She stood in her bra and panties when the employee walked into the dressing room. Lily handed the hated clothes to the woman. “Burn those.”
The young woman with a blond pixie cut eyed the clothes. “Are you sure?”
“I’ve never been more sure of anything.” Just before the woman walked back through the curtain, Lily said, “I’m also going to need new bras and panties.”
“I’ll see to it,” the woman replied with a bright smile.
Lily looked at herself in the mirror. Staring back at her was a hint of the girl she’d once been. She thought being on her own would give it to her, but she realized it was Rhys. He embodied the strength and fortitude she wished for herself. He gave her the courage to take a stand for herself.
It wasn’t until she put on the first outfit of a pair of dark jeans and a red long-sleeved shirt that accentuated her breasts and her waist that she knew she would find the person she’d been before Dennis. The confident person who made her own decisions and didn’t let anyone push her around—or hurt her.
*
Rhys hated waiting. For anything.
It didn’t matter how long he lived, he hadn’t mastered the art of patience. So the longer he had to wait for Ulrik to arrive at The Silver Dragon, the angrier he got.
He drummed his fingers on the hood of his Jaguar even as thunder rumbled in the distance. The first drops of rain were an annoyance, but he didn’t budge even when the droplets became a steady downpour.
His thoughts turned to Lily. He wondered what she was doing and if she was having a good time. Her safety never factored in, because Rhys knew Kellan would move the heavens if he had to in order to protect Denae. Since Lily was with Denae, Kellan would protect her as well.
That’s the only thing that kept Rhys from losing his mind with worry. He kept going over in his head the look on Lily’s face when he reached her flat and when he took her home. Something was bothering her, and he wished she would tell him.
Not that he was one for sharing. He had yet to tell anyone about what was going on inside him with not being able to shift. It was tearing him in two as he sank further and further into a pit of despair. The only thing that kept the desolation from taking him was Lily. Her light, her smile … her kisses. She alone pulled him back from the edge simply by him thinking about her.
Rhys debated with himself whether to go after Lily as he wanted, or to be content to just look at her. Each time they kissed, it became more and more difficult for him to keep his distance. The fact he couldn’t touch her without kissing her spoke volumes.
But he was no longer the Dragon King from before. He was … less. All because of Ulrik. Anger burned through Rhys. Ulrik had damaged him, ruined him. Never mind that Rhys still wouldn’t think himself good enough for Lily even if he could shift again. Ulrik prevented him from protecting her as he should be able to.
Two hours later, Ulrik finally pulled up in his ice silver McLaren 12C Spider. The supercar rumbled to a stop on the opposite side of the street from Ulrik’s antiques store. The door opened and Ulrik stepped out with his long black hair held in a queue, uncaring that rain soaked him and his expensive tailored suit instantly.
Ulrik shut the car door and walked away, locking the car with his key fob. He was halfway across the street when he suddenly halted. Then he slowly turned his head and looked at Rhys.
A distance of fifty feet separated them, but Rhys still saw the spark of anger in Ulrik’s gold eyes. Rhys wasn’t going to wait for an invitation. He pushed away from the Jaguar and strode toward his enemy.
Ulrik continued on to his shop and unlocked the door. It shut behind him, but Rhys didn’t care if it was locked or not. He was going in.
Imagine his surprise when he tested the door and it opened. He walked inside to find only a few lights on.
“I doona suppose you’d leave if I told you to,” Ulrik said as he walked from behind a wall to his desk at the front. He had removed his suit coat and released his hair, but remained in the wet shirt and slacks.
“Nay.”
Ulrik gave a bored expression and pulled out his chair before he sat. “Then get on with it.”
“With what?” Rhys asked skeptically.
“Whatever you came to say or accuse me of. The sooner you get it out, the sooner you can leave.”
“As if you doona know why I’m here,” Rhys stated.