Page 22 of On the Double

“You’re fired.”

“Fired?” I gasped. “But I didn’t cause the stampede! I was just doing my job!”

My muscular hero sighed heavily, turning to the manager. “She’s not lying. My…friend has a bit of a problem controlling his eating habits.” He motioned behind him to a second cart filled with Funyuns.

“I don’t care! Enough is enough! First, you show up late?—”

“I’ve never been late once.”

“You’re insubordinate and make a mockery of this establishment?—”

“How can I mock a grocery store?”

“And you’ve now caused a run on toilet paper!’

“Which will bring in excellent sales for the rest of the day,” I pointed out.

He was practically fuming, but I could tell he knew he didn’t have a leg to stand on.

“Now, see, that just pisses me off,” Edu said, taking a menacing step toward my boss. “She’s only doing her job and instead of having her back, you’re firing her?”

“It’s my job to maintain law and order in the grocery store.”

I gasped as my man stiffened, seeming to grow taller as he stood before me. A light appeared behind him at the same time that a dark air swirled around his avenging spirit. Stars twinkled in my eyes as he yelled at my boss, threatening him with all sorts of lawsuits and otherthings I didn’t hear because all I could see was the way he stood up for me and defended my honor.

I was going to marry this man.

“Harper.”

The permanent smile etched on my face couldn’t have been removed with a chisel. Not even when my handsome prince stared at me, clearly annoyed with the fact that I was spacing out again as I pictured what dress I would wear as I walked down the aisle on the day of our wedding.

“Edu,” I said dreamily.

Sighing, he walked around the counter and scooted me over, taking over scanning the avocados. I probably should have been a little embarrassed, but he was standing right next to me. He smelled amazing, and the way his arms brushed against mine had me shifting so I could slide my hand up to squeeze his bicep.

He stopped and stared at me, then his eyes flicked to my hand still curled around his arm. “Do you mind?”

“Not really. You smell amazing. That’s not grocery store body spray.”

Again, he just stared at me.

“Would you like me to finish?”

“Well, it is your job, and I did just save it.”

“Because you’re my hero.”

Grunting in frustration, he stepped away from me. “I’m not your hero.”

“You just said you saved my job. That makes you my hero.”

“It does,” Fox agreed, now eating an avocado that he had someone peeled right in the line. His lips were covered in green mush, but he didn’t seem to care in the slightest.

“Fox, now isn’t the time to encourage my stalker.”

“Oh, I’m not a stalker. I haven’t followed you anywhere. In fact, you showed up at my place of business.”

“She’s right,” Fox agreed, pointing a Funyun at me. “If anyone’s stalking anyone, it’s you.”

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