Page 71 of Heart of Thorns

“They’re good parents, but being an only child and middle-class comes with certain limitations.”

After shrugging the vest on, I smooth out my hair. Thorne’s finger hooks around the black curtain, and he pulls it back slowly to make eye contact with me in the mirror. “Like?”

I glance at my bumpy leg. I’ll need tights if I wear this.

“They want what’s best for me, but to them, that means no more hockey, and they’re not really a fan of my art degree either.” A sadness lingers. “They’re disappointed in me, I think.”

Thorne comes up behind me and places his hands on my shoulders. He gives me a light squeeze and shakes his head. “I don’t know them, but I don’t know how they could be disappointed in you.”

I half roll my eyes at his sweet comment.

Thorne isn’t what I thought he was. I judged him too harshly.

That doesn’t mean I’m in love with him or anything, but he’s just…good.

“We’re going to have to lie to my parents, though,” he adds, stepping away. He sits on the bench in the dressing room and stares at me.

“About?”

He seems uncomfortable. “About your parents’ jobs. That won’t be good enough for Andrew and Helena.”

I laugh sarcastically. “Too poor for their liking?”

Thorne is deep in thought. He taps his finger on his chin. “Instead of your mom working as a receptionist at a doctor’s office…let’s make her a Physician’s Assistant? My parents won’t follow up on that, and it’s still in the same field.”

I nod.

“And your father…”

“An architect?”

Thorne’s lip twitches. “Close enough, I guess. But let’s make it to where he designs medical buildings or something. I don’t want my father to get a wild hair up his ass and think he can contact your father to build some skyscraper somewhere for his business.”

“Got it.”

I put my arms out and gesture to my new clothing. “Well? I’ll need tights, but is this expensive enough for your parents?” I mentally add up the prices and the fact that he’s about to spend almost five hundred dollars on one outfit is beyond me.

Thorne drags his gaze over every inch of my body. He takes his finger and spins it in the air. I act unbothered and do as he says, turning around.

He clears his throat, and I glance at him in the mirror.

A wave of lust hits me. He’s staring at my butt while flexing his jaw.

“Like what you see?” I tease.

He snaps out of it and catches my attention. The look in his eye is that same one he had yesterday morning when he lifted my shirt up and saw at my breasts.Hunger.

“We need shoes.” he grunts, standing and leaving the dressing room.

I quickly undress and put everything back onto the hanger. It doesn’t take me long to find him near the shoes. He’s rubbing his hand against his chin as he stares at the shelf lined with boots.

“I like those.” I come up beside him and point to the shiny Doc Martens calling out to me.

Surprise flickers over his features. “Yeah?”

I nod happily, like a kid in a candy store.

Or better yet, a girl in an expensive store with a credit card that doesn’t belong to her.