Ava’s POV
I was arranging a display of sumr dresses when I heard familiar voices behind . Turning around, I saw Eleanor and Caroline walking into Grace’s Closet, deep in conversation.
"Ava!" Eleanor waved excitedly. "Just the fashion expert we need."
"Hey ladies," I smiled, genuinely happy to see them. Though our friendship was relatively new, sothing about Eleanor’s warmth and Caroline’s quiet strength made feel comfortable around them. "Shopping for sothing special?"
Caroline brushed her honey-blonde hair behind her ear. "Eleanor thinks I need a wardrobe upgrade for... reasons."
"Not just any reasons," Eleanor said with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "We need sothing that will make a certain Alpha regret every life choice he’s ever made."
I laughed, leading them toward our newest collection. "Let guess, revenge dressing? That’s my specialty."
As I pulled dresses in Caroline’s size, I couldn’t help comnting, "These Alpha males can be impossible, can’t they? All that power and authority makes them think they can toy with people’s feelings."
"You have no idea," Eleanor sighed. "They’re the worst combination of arrogant and alluring. Just when you think they’re different, they pull so high-handed dominance move."
"Speaking from experience?" I asked, handing Caroline a blue dress that would complent her eyes perfectly.
"Let’s just say I’ve learned to be cautious," Eleanor replied. "You should too, Ava. Don’t let those charming Alpha smiles fool you. They’re trained from birth to take what they want."
Caroline disappeared into the fitting room with an armful of outfits while Eleanor and I waited outside.
I said quietly. "What exactly happened?"
Eleanor glanced toward the fitting room to make sure Caroline couldn’t hear. "So Alpha didn’t trust her, called her a traitor, fired her, and threatened to blacklist her throughout Harbor Bay."
My eyes widened. "That’s horrible!"
"The worst part is, she really cares for him. " Eleanor shook her head. "Alphas think they can just—"
The fitting room door swung open, and Caroline stepped out in the blue dress. It hugged her curves perfectly, making her look both elegant and irresistible.
"Wow," Eleanor and I said in unison.
"Turn around," I instructed, and Caroline did a slow spin.
"Is it too much?" she asked uncertainly.
"It’s perfect," I assured her. "Any man would—"
"Regret losing you for the rest of his miserable life," a deep male voice finished my sentence.
My entire body tensed at the sound. That voice. Rich, smooth, with just a hint of arrogance. A scent hit next—cedar and spice with sothing wild underneath. My knees nearly buckled as I turned to face the newcor.
Joseph Garcia stood there, all six-foot-sothing of pure Alpha male wrapped in an expensive charcoal suit that did nothing to hide his broad shoulders and powerful build. His eyes were fixed on Caroline, but as I watched, they shifted to , and the full force of his attention made my skin tingle.
Caroline looked mortified. "Joseph! I didn’t know you were... I an..."
"Don’t stop on my account," he said with a grin. "You look stunning, Caroline. My newest employee deserves to shine."
Eleanor stepped forward. "What are you doing here, Joseph? Stalking your employees on their day off?"
Joseph’s smile didn’t falter. "Happy coincidence. I’m eting Antonio for lunch." His eyes slid back to . "Though I think fate might have had other plans for today."
My cheeks burned as I rembered my earlier comnts about Alpha males. Had he heard ? The way his eyes twinkled with amusent suggested he might have.
"You two have t before?" Caroline asked, looking between us with interest.
Eleanor laughed. "Ava, et Joseph Garcia, CEO of Puma Global and Alpha of the Nightbane Pack. Joseph, this is Ava Flynn, our new friend and shopping guru."
Joseph extended his hand. "We’ve t a few tis, though not properly introduced. It’s nice to finally make it official."
His hand enveloped mine, warm and strong. Electricity shot up my arm at the contact, and I had to fight the urge to pull away—or worse, step closer.
"Interesting," I said, withdrawing my hand. "I don’t recall making such an impression."
"You wouldn’t," he replied, his voice dropping lower. "But turning down my dinner invitation definitely stung."
Caroline’s eyebrows shot up. "So you do know each other."
"His nephew has been playing matchmaker," I explained, feeling trapped under Joseph’s intense gaze. "Apparently, the great Alpha Joseph doesn’t handle refusal well."
Instead of being offended, Joseph laughed.
"She’s got there," he admitted. "I’m not used to beautiful won turning down."
"Maybe you should get used to it," I suggested.
Caroline cleared her throat. "I’ll, um, try the red one next?"
Joseph didn’t even look at her. "Perfect. And Ava should try sothing too."
My eyebrows shot up. "Excuse ?"
"Well, Ava, you have great taste," he said, his eyes moving over . "If you were picking an evening dress from here for yourself, which one would you choose?"
"Are you buying a gift for your girlfriend?" I asked innocently.
"Sweetheart, I don’t have a girlfriend. But I’d love to give a gift to a friend." He smiled back, that breathtaking grin of his.
I went to get a dress, one I’d been eyeing in the store for ages. It was gorgeous and expensive, of course. A gold sequined mini dress, wrap style with a deep V-neck and thin straps that crossed in the back. Incredibly sexy. I also grabbed a pair of gold sandals with Swarovski crystals. When I showed him the dress, I saw his eyes light up.
"Could you try it on? That way I can see how it would look on my friend," he asked. I knew exactly what he was up to.
Custors sotis ask us to try things on, usually for wives, girlfriends, or daughters. I usually agree since it’s part of the job. But I wasn’t about to let this charming Alpha get his way so easily.
"Sorry, sir, I can’t. But if she’s my size, it’ll be perfect on her. I guarantee it!" I answered as politely as possible.
"Fine, I’ll take it," he said, surprising . "I’m also getting dresses and shoes for both of them. Don’t bla , I’m the boss! It’s just kindness because you’re all excellent employees, and Caroline helped close a great deal with Thorne Enterprises."
Despite my wariness about his motives, I had to admit his generosity was impressive. He handed a business card, gave that charming smile, then said to the two won, "We should find a nice place where you can wear these beautiful clothes and show them off."
The girls handed their things, and I went to the register. This sale was amazing for . I’d get a solid commission. I grudgingly packed everything up, still unsure what to make of this overly generous Alpha. I liked serving Eleanor and Caroline, though. They were friendly and gorgeous.
After making the purchase, Joseph insisted on taking us all to lunch. "My new employee needs to feel welcod, and I’m starving."
Eleanor said to . "Ava, would you like to join us?"
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