Cashmere Cruelty - A Mafia Romance

stubbornness. I could have really used an extra pair of hands around the shop, especially

ying liar. And Elias, bless his soul, even

ge of the whole shebang, whic

he waistline on Ms. Forrest's skirt, sketch out a pantsuit for Dr. Brown's conference, count the change in the regist

id: I can

finishes explaining the concept behind the corset's elaborate decorations. I give he

the back, the new customer

bad

his tongue in annoyance. "I was starting to

ake that sass and stick it where it rhymes. However, in

you can't just ask the customer to kindly fuck off. You

my middle fingers holstered for the time be

im off is that, as soon as he tu

eing-like the surface of a frozen lake. Being on the receiving end of that stare, I feel like I'm

es are d

th.

ead. "Sorry,

to me. Slowly, like

the word you we

y. I'm a bit out

otic

mmediately brings me

ell does this

with?" I say instead,

makes me feel exposed. Like I couldn't

Now, this I can work with. "What k

f fabric. You've hear

t this job. "Why, yes, I have heard of those. A

to make it your business to know about, Ms...." He

like a mantra. If you stab this customer, you'l

rap of your drea

, knuckles whitening behind my b

nt. I pick out three vintage jackets that look roughly the customer's size, e

d go stunningly with those blue eyes, his black hair, his fair skin. He may be a

ensive one third, and the costly but fairly-priced vintage one in the middle. Whenever I want to

n: while he was insulting me and I was trying to remind myself of all the good reasons not to end up i

his watch is the brand-new Rolex they've been advertising non

ould never settle

dition, but still extremely rare to find." He barely glances at it, moving on to the second before I've finished. I pick up the pace. "Versace, 1991. E

is

Never

e reflections. A pioneer work: Vuitton would only get there in the late 2010s, with its Oriental collection, but in much brighter

r the floral pattern, barely distinguishable from a simple arabesqu

e in his entire collection-he hi

at made me fall in

personal space entirely, taking his hand like that, but

murmurs, something close to awe in hi

it moves across the design. "To be used." His skin is warm; I don't know why that surprises me, but it does. I guess I thou

dly, I realize how wildly inappropriate the air

d pry my fingers gingerly from his grasp with sheer

try

. "Pard

eady, but there's an undercurrent of impatience in

d help