Page 15 of Never Less

I stare at it for a second. It’s a nice, nude pink. “Yeah.” Straightening my shoulders, I push back Nate’s comments. “That’ll work perfectly.”

“And you should get the other one anyway because you like it.”

With a laugh, I roll my eyes. “I don’t really need another shade of lipstick just because it’s pretty. I have plenty at home.”

Marcus frowns as I put it back, but he doesn’t say anything.

“Okay! I’m ready.” I spin around and head for the checkout counter.

Marcus takes an extra second, but then he follows. There isn’t much of a line, so it only takes a few minutes before the cashier is telling me my total. I wince at the price. I can afford it, but it’ll have to come out of the money I put toward savings every month.

“I’ve got it,” Marcus says as I’m pulling my card out. He steps in front of me so I don’t even have access to the card reader.

“Marcus! What—”

“And add this on, please.” He places the lipstick I put back seconds ago on the counter.

“Sure thing.” The cashier rings it up. “Go ahead and swipe.”

I bat Marcus’s hand away just before he does. “What’re you doing?”

“Treating you.” He moves to swipe, but I grab his wrist, even though I know he’s strong enough to break my grip in a split second.

The cashier clears her throat, and when I glance at her, she gives me an unamused look. My cheeks burn as I realize we’re holding up the line.

“I don’t care who pays,” she says blandly, “but you should’ve had that figured out before you got up here.”

“Sorry.” My blush deepens as I release Marcus’s wrist. If he really wants to, I’d prefer to spend his money rather than mine. It doesn’t have to mean anything.

With a triumphant noise, Marcus pays and pockets the receipt. Then, just as I’m reaching for my bags, he takes them and loops his arm through them.

“You think anyone will believe that these bags are full of clothes for me?” he asks, striding toward the door before I can protest.

“Considering you’re always perfectly dressed, I’d say yes.” I look him up and down.

“Coming from you, that’s a high compliment.”

You deserve it. But I don’t say it out loud. It just feels like too much. So we walk to Marcus’s car in silence while I try to pull myself together.

He opens the passenger side door, the perfect gentleman, and my heart melts at the same time it breaks. “Marcus…”

“Get in, Liliana. Air conditioning and the rest of your smoothie wait for you inside.”

But I don’t move. No, I watch him watching me, and my stomach tightens at the tenderness in his eyes. “You don’t have to try to make up for what Nate did.”

“Make up for it?” He shakes his head. “No, little star. I’m just showing you what you deserve. Let me do something nice for you.”

“I don’t really have a choice, considering it’s already done,” I point out.

That earns me a grin that has butterflies coming to life in my stomach. God, this man. Why does he have to be everything his son isn’t?

“C’mon,” he says softly, and I finally relent. He hands me my smoothie before placing my bags in the backseat and getting behind the wheel. “You feel good about your outfit? We don’t need to make another stop?”

“I’m good. Thank you.”

“Of course.”

While he backs out of our spot, I discreetly watch him. His tan is deeper than the last time I saw him. I want to reach out and trace the laughter lines near his eyes, but I grip my smoothie and take a sip of it instead.

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