Page 44 of When He Protects

Music played on the store’s speakers, and every few moments Esme would hum along to the beat. Damn if he didn’t find her hums oddly charming.

She grabbed bread.

Then some super, super sugar-heavy cereal that was covered in chocolate.

He stocked up on protein for them. Steaks.

“You grilling?” she asked with a bat of her lashes.

“You’ve never tasted heaven until you’ve sampled my steaks.”

She laughed and he smiled back and holy shit…this feels too real.Esme wasn’t pretentious or cold or…hell, he didn’t know what he’d really expected her to be. The woman had acted like an excited kid in a candy store when they’d gone to pick up the paint supplies. And, honestly, she was pretty close to acting the same way as they shopped for food.

A random and startling thought struck him. “Sweetheart, youhavegone to a grocery store before, haven’t you?”

Laughter sputtered out of her. “What kind of question is that?” She turned for the next aisle.

It was the kind of question she had not answered. She did that a lot. Evaded. Sneakily.

He caught her arm. Pulled her closer. “Let me rephrase.” A pause. “Sweetheart,haveyou gone to a grocery store before?”

“There are a lot of open markets where I used to live. But, FYI, yes, I have been to a grocery store before. Excuse me for enjoying myself.”

He considered her words. “I kind of think you might enjoy yourself everywhere you go.”

“Well, it’s better than hating every moment of your life.”

Uh, yes. He supposed it was.

They continued. She hummed. Stopped in front of a freezer. “What is your favorite ice cream?”

“Vanilla.”

More laughter rang from her even as she took out the vanilla ice cream.

“Care to share the joke?”

Two people had turned at the sound of her laughter. One looked like a college kid. The other appeared to be in his early fifties. Both let their stares linger a bit too long on Esme.

Tyler moved to block their view.

“Sure. I’ll share.” Her eyes danced. “If I had to describe you and your taste…well, I never, ever would have taken you for a vanilla kind of guy.”

She was talking about sex. It was Esme. Ofcourse,shewas talking about sex. In the frozen section of the grocery store.

“No handcuffs? No kink at all?” She clicked her tongue. “I am shocked. Especially considering the way you eagerly slapped those cuffs on me not too long ago.”

“Sweetheart.”

“What? I spoke in a whisper. No one heard.”

He’d heard.

And, blessedly, she was done with her shopping extravaganza. They wheeled toward the checkout. One lady was in front of them. A woman in blue scrubs who had her daughter seated in the buggy. The girl’s braids swung around her head as she twisted to take in everything around her. The girl was around three years old. Maybe four. She clutched a small teddy bear in her hands.

“Doctor Bear,” she announced.

Esme frowned at the child.

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