I blinked again.

“Um, n-no. I think the…” I swallowed thickly, pointing to the nightgown. “That will do for now. Thanks.”

“Of course,” she said, and dipped out of the room.

I stood there for a second, rooted to the spot with my cheeks flaming, staring absently after her in slight mortification. I was no prude, not really, but the idea of anything “spiked” going near my asshole made me want to die a little.

No judgment, but what the fuck?

I gave a full-body shiver before making my way up to the counter and fishing out my coin purse. Hopefully she’d return quickly and without any more offers so I could leave and never have that image in my head again.

Any mentions of pear of anguish butt plugs, and I might just faint.

* * *

With my purchase neatly wrapped and safely stowed in my pack—sans any torture devices—I left the shop. Cair was outside as I had predicted, propped against the shop wall, casually scoping out the area and looking as handsome as ever.

His dark eyes flicked over to me as soon as he sensed my approach. “Was there nothing of interest, my heart?”

“There was, actually,” I said, barely suppressing my smile or the blush warming my cheeks. “I got something for you. Well, for me, but…” I waved a hand. “You’ll see what I mean when I show you.”

I brushed off my shirt sleeves to distract myself from devising a script in my head for how I wanted things to play out later. After a moment too long with no reveal or explanation, Cair asked, “Am I to guess?”

“No, you’ll have to wait. Until we’re, um, alone.”

He tilted his head, noticeably intrigued. His eyes dropped to my bag before returning to me. “Alone?”

I nodded, and under that hot, assessing gaze, the same one I imagined staring back at me as I undressed, I began to regret my life choices. Not because I thought the whole thing was a mistake—those feelings would come later—but because now that I’d given them air time, I wouldn’t be able to ignore the sexy scenarios whirring through my head. I’d be boiling inside with a mix of apprehension and horniness until tonight, and that would be a bit inconvenient.

Trying not to get a hard-on in the middle of a busy market was going to prove a challenge, but surprising absolutely no one, it wouldn’t be the first time since meeting my mate that I’d unintentionally edged myself in public.

First time surrounded by a crowd of monsters with super senses, though.

Gotta remember to tick that off the bucket list.

A small smirk tugged at Cair’s lips, and I only hated his knowing smugness the tiniest bit. “I’ll look forward to it.”

Bastard.