Total pages in book: 98
Estimated words: 95712 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 479(@200wpm)___ 383(@250wpm)___ 319(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95712 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 479(@200wpm)___ 383(@250wpm)___ 319(@300wpm)
He grinned, and I ignored the way it made my heart speed up.
“Caden, you know Moreen, of course,” I said, as I motioned to my friend.
“How’s it going, Moreen?”
She smiled. “Going good. I’m just headed out. I’ll lock up, Lilibeth. You kids have fun!” she called out as she headed toward the register.
“Thanks, Moreen,” Lilibeth called out after her. Looking at me, she added, “I decided to close a little early tonight.”
“Caden, this is Lilibeth Asher. She owns the store.”
I watched as my brother took in Lilibeth. His gaze moved quickly over her body before landing back on her face. Before he could say anything, Lilibeth came around the counter and stuck out her hand, smiling from ear to ear.
“It’s nice to meet you, Caden. Emeline has told me a lot about you.”
He looked at her hand, then slowly reached out and shook it.
“I hope you’re ready for a fun night of mixing and finding your special scent,” she said with a wink.
Caden looked at Levi with an expression that could only mean one thing—he hated his best friend in that moment. Then his gaze moved to me, and I grinned.
Caden sighed, then focused on Lilibeth. “You can turn off the sales pitch, sweetheart. I’m already in the door.”
Frowning, she slowly shook her head. “Sales pitch? And I’m sorry, but did you seriously just call me sweetheart?”
It was the first time I’d ever heard Lilibeth have a bit of an attitude, and I wasn’t surprised it was Caden who’d brought it out in her.
“I did.”
She plastered on a smile once again, this one with a sharp edge. “Like your sister said, it’s Lilibeth, and I would appreciate it if you called me by my name. Not sweetheart.”
The corners of my brother’s mouth twitched with a hidden smile. His gaze moved past her to the bottle of whiskey she’d placed on the counter at some point. “Thank fuck. Whiskey.”
“Please, help yourself,” Lilibeth said before looking at Levi. “Thanks for coming, Levi.”
“I’m looking forward to this.”
She grinned. “Then let’s get going! You can pick up to five notes.”
“Notes?” Caden asked.
“The scents for the perfume.”
I quickly made my way around the counter and started smelling different oils. “How in the world am I going to pick?”
Glancing to my right, I saw Levi totally getting into it.
He picked up a bottle. “Leather…okay. Fresh Dirt?” Taking a smell, he pulled back. “Very…earthy.”
Lilibeth and I both laughed.
I pulled down the Jasmine, Lemon, and Rose. Then I grabbed the Magnolia, Cinnamon, and Cedarwood.
Lilibeth walked up and smiled. “These are great combinations, Emeline.”
Peeking at my brother’s picks, I saw he had White Musk, Amber, and Sandalwood. He’d also grouped Bergamot, Birch, and Oakmoss. Looking to my other side, Levi had pulled down Cedarwood, Sandalwood, Orange Blossom, Bergamot, Tonka Bean, and Patchouli.
Lilibeth stood in front of us with a wide smile. She placed small, thin round cotton pieces in front of us, along with a small jar of strips, as well as jars of coffee beans.
“You can do this two different ways. Dip the strips into your oil, then smell them as you build your scent. Or you can put one drop on the cotton pad, then smell that, as you add your additional scents. As you go, you can add more of something if you like. Play around with the different scents you have and the amounts you use. Be sure to write down what you do, though, using the notepads next to you. That way, you won’t forget what combinations you used.”
As we began, she observed, stepping in when we had questions.
“Levi, looks like you’re more of a woodsy kind of guy,” she observed. “And, Caden, you’re clearly into musky smells.”
“Musky?” he asked, a smirk on his face.
“Yes,” she replied. “You picked deep, sultry blends that will give you intriguing, bold pairings.”
My brother stared at Lilibeth for a long moment before he cleared his throat and got back to mixing his scents.
“What do my scents say?” I asked.
Lilibeth grinned. “You’re a fan of sweet scents and florals that are romantic.”
“Totally see that from her,” Caden mumbled.
I glared at him. “Says the man who went with deep and sultry.”
Caden shot me a dirty look.
“Levi,” Lilibeth continued, “went with earthy, nature-loving choices. Very nice, rich scents you picked there.”
Levi winked at Lilibeth, and a surge of jealousy ripped through my body. I snapped my head back to my little cotton circle. Of course, why wouldn’t he be attracted to her. She was beautiful, close to his age, and her personality was infectious. Everyone loved being around Lilibeth.
I knew she wouldn’t flirt with Levi, not after I’d shared my feelings for him. That didn’t mean Levi wouldn’t flirt with her.
I suddenly felt like a teenage girl, jealous of the head cheerleader who had the star quarterback’s attention.
“I can’t believe I’m doing this,” my brother grumbled as he put two drops of the White Musk on his circle.