Page 339 of The Trouble With Bad Boys

“Will do,” Rally said with conviction.

Still, for the right price—or a strategic tug on the heartstrings of desperate people—anyone’s loyalty could be bought. Dominic admitted his own boundaries might be tested for someone as important to him as Lara. Fortunately, Isaac’s request had aligned him with a path of righteous action, sparing him from having to make any Faustian bargains.

Although…keeping her safe under his roof would present its own set of challenges and a different tradeoff. Impossible temptation versus honorable intentions.

He swallowed. “Thanks, Detective. Look forward to hearing from you.”

Forty-five minutes later—after taking a circuitous route toward his home to ensure no one followed them—Dominic pulled into the parking lot of a grocery store minutes before it closed.

“What are we doing here?” she asked.

He rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m a bachelor. I don’t make meals or buy food for two. I might have takeout from yesterday in the fridge. But we’ll need groceries for the week.” Or however long it takes to keep you safe and solve this case.

An upward tilt of her lips was the first hint of a smile he’d seen from her. “You weren’t kidding, when you said you were single.”

“I’m lucky if I don’t set the house on fire trying to cook noodles.” He shrugged sheepishly. “Think we can fill a grocery cart together in the next fifteen minutes?”

Smile lines appeared at the corners of her pretty mouth. “I happen to be a good cook. I’ll help you fill your bare cupboards.”

“I wouldn’t even know where to start.” He sent her a wink. “I’ll take all the help I can get.”

She accepted the challenge like a woman who’d been given an important mission. He suspected the chance to focus on something other than her terrifying day offered a distraction…and a much-needed sense of control and freedom. He smiled privately.

They strolled arm in arm through the sliding doors moments before a woman said over the loudspeaker, “The store closes in fifteen minutes. Please bring your purchases to the nearest register.”

“Are you a meat and potatoes guy?” Lara asked him. “Or more into salmon and asparagus?”

Were his tastes average or classy? he read into her question.

Arching an eyebrow, he slid her an inviting glance. “You tell me?”

Intrigued, she tapped her chin. He liked that she welcomed a challenge and enjoyed solving puzzles. Two points they had in common, considering he’d based his career on that skillset. She seemed absorbed in thought as he extracted a shopping cart from the stack, and she led the way down the aisles.

“I think, despite your obvious affinity for working out at the gym,” she said, glancing at his broad chest, shoulders and biceps, “you’re a fried chicken and mac n’ cheese kinda guy.”

Nailed it. He bit his cheeks to contain a grin. “You might be right.”

She smiled, pleased with herself. Then she rolled her eyes. “I can’t subsist on your diet for days. I’ll meet you halfway. We’ll stop at the premade meal section. And then I’ll grab some fresh produce and whatever’s on sale in the seafood department.”

“Deal.” Though it bothered him that she instantly considered cost, when he planned to foot the bill.

A woman as beautiful, talented and smart as Lara should be used to the finer things in life. Not cut-rate anything.

If she would ever consider their temporary reunion as something more, he’d give her an unlimited budget to spend at the grocery store or anywhere she wanted. While his wealth wasn’t on par with Isaac’s millions or the Atlas family’s billions, Dominic had made financial and career choices that provided him with the freedom to pursue his passions.

She’d figure that out once she saw the barn behind his home. After selling his father’s landscaping business to the highest bidder and fulfilling his military obligations, he’d left the service to pursue high-paying civilian opportunities where he could apply his skills. That had led to his barn housing two collector cars, a new Harley-Davidson motorcycle, and the boat he liked to take out to the nearest lake on the weekends. Colorado offered no shortage of options.

He wasn’t hurting for funds. Or toys. But what he really wanted—had craved for the past year—was someone to share his life with.

And when his mind conjured an image of the perfect woman for him, it always painted a picture of Lara. She’d never left his mind or heart, even though their lives had taken different trajectories.

Sure, they’d need to rekindle their intimacy—and damn, he looked forward to that—but some things couldn’t be replicated. Respect. Trust. Honor. Chemistry. Desire. He’d felt all those things with Lara ages ago, and he wanted to see if they still resonated.

Traveling down the grocery store aisles, he trailed behind her with the cart, inventing reasons to playfully argue over her choices. Sometimes he tossed in a random item they passed that would never go with their meal prep choices. Like a container of cake sprinkles, or a baby food jar, or a can of pickled herring, or a Cool Whip container from the freezer section.

She glanced at the ceiling with mock annoyance.

She snorted and elbowed his ribs.

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