Page 46 of Unlock My Heart

“Silver-tongued devil.” The old woman shoos away my flattery. “If it’s bobbins you want,” she tells Sienna, “I’ve got an entire collection at home you can have.”

“Really?” Excitement dances in Sienna’s eyes.

“See these gnarly fingers.” The old woman holds up her arthritic hands. “Lacemaking is for the young.”

“And you’re sure your family won’t mind?” Sienna worries.

“I’m all that’s left of my family, so I’m sure.”

The women exchange information, and I usher Sienna to the checkout.

My phone buzzes, and I see it’s Nic. “I’ve gotta take this call,” I tell her, grabbing a stack of hundreds from my wallet and handing it to her.

“But I have cash⁠—”

“And now you have more.”

Before Sienna can argue, I slip outside, answering the call. “What’s up?”

“Ringer is at the lounge bar,” my cousin whispers.

“On my way. If he tries to leave, stall him.”

“How am I supposed to do that?”

“Have the bartender slow walk service. Barricade the door with your body. I don’t care how, just fucking stall him.”

Sienna exits the shop pushing the buggy, and I end the call and hustle over, grabbing the bags into my arms and giving the buggy a push back to the return.

“Fabien, I can carry one of those⁠—”

“Keep it up, and I’ll carry you too,” I promise her.

“That’d be a neat trick with no free hands.” With a smirk, Sienna starts walking toward the car. I shift the bags to one hand and catch up with her, and with my free hand, I scoop it beneath her ass. “Ahhh!” Sienna squeals as I lift her feet from the ground.

“What was that?” I taunt.

“Alright, you’re strong, but how are you going to open⁠—”

The key fob is in my hand with the bags, and I press a button. Voila, the doors open.

Sienna giggles as she sticks her tongue out at me, and I playfully snap at it with my teeth.

I get her and the bags in the car before shifting into gear and making our way across the city. “Will we have time for me to look at apartments?” Sienna asks.

“Sure, we’ll have plenty of time for you to look at my apartment, because you’re not going anywhere.”

I brace myself for an argument, but she surprises me by saying, “Okay.”

“Okay?” I glance at her.

A playful glint in her eyes, she says, “You want to see how this plays out as much as I do.”

A grin stretches across my face as I pull into the alley of the hotel.

Damn right I do.

“Why are we here?” Sienna notices where we are.