Page 51 of Untouchable

“Better?” I ask, looking at them.

“Yeah, I don’t know. They look the same from the front.” Mikey gives up and I laugh, looking at Ace. I raise a brow, requesting another opinion simply to keep him involved.

“I don’t know, Reaper. I like it better when nothing is covering your eyes.” His words come out so casually, it almost feels silly that my heart starts beating two times faster at them.

“You go look, Kat. We’re just a bunch of dudes,” Bodine says, making me roll my eyes behind the glasses.

“Hopeless, all of you,” I tease, looking around for a mirror. The only one I see is right by the exit, so I make my way over there, but before I can even check to see if I like them, an associate steps in front of me. My head snaps back as I stop myself mid-step to keep from running into her.

“You can’t leave the store with merchandise on.” The sour look on her face pisses me off.

“I wasn’t going to. I was trying to look in the mirror behind you since you don’t have mirrors at the sunglass stand.” I point to the mirror behind her and she gives me a tight-lipped smile. God, she looks like she’s trying to hold an anchor with herasscheeks. I step around her and look in the mirror, taking my time tilting my head side to side as she hovers in my space.

“Do you mind? You’re blocking my light.” She crosses her arms over her chest, but her intimidation tactics are lost on me. I face her directly, crossing my arms over my chest to mirror her stance.

“If you’re not going to buy them, you can just hand them to me and I’ll go put them back for you.” I pull the sunglasses off and put the end of the temple in my mouth, biting them.

“Hmm. That’s a tough one. I just don’t know if I love the blue or not.” I notice three large bodies approaching us from behind her and I grin. “What do you think, boys? Should I stealtheseglasses or the ones with the…what’d you call it?” I snap, turning my head to look at Bodine.

“The purple shits.”

My smile is saccharine as I look back at her. “The purple shit, that’s it.”

“I’m calling security,” she threatens, turning around to see Ace, Mikey, and Bodine blocking her exit.

“No, seethat’swhat you do when there’s actually a threat to your store. Not chase someone down at the door and insult them by assuming,out loud,that they’re trying to steal.” She turns back to face me and her expression is no longer as bitchy as it was before, it’s…a little terrified, actually. “I’ve made my decision. I think these lookmuchbetter on you.” I place the glasses on her face and smile at her. “Don’t forget to pay.” I wink at her and nod to Bodine who shoves a ten-dollar bill into her cleavage.

I turn around with my head held high and walk back out into the mall.

“Holy shit, Kat. That was fuckingcrazy.” Mikey laughs.

“Did you see her face when I put that money in her titty? I thought she was gonna explode.” Bodine adds, the two of them sandwiching me in a congratulatory side hug.

“Well, it’s probably the most action she’s seen in some time. She looked rather…tense,” I tease, my cheeks still red from the adrenaline of being so catty to a store associate.

Ace walks up and wraps his arm around my shoulder. “That’s brutal, Little Reaper. I see malls are where you wield your confidence.”

My eyes cut up to his and I get an idea. “It seems so.” I stop walking, causing the three of them to stop as well. They face me with waiting expressions.

“I forgot to pack underwear. I’ll be out in a jiff.” Mikey and Bodine look at each other—as they usually do—but Ace has this intense look in his eye that makes me want to act absolutely recklessly. I turn around to walk into Victoria’s Secret, knowing I’m about to make some very questionable decisions.

Man, I wish Tabitha were here.

I pull my phone out of my shorts pocket and look at the work schedule she sent me earlier this week, cursing under my breath when I see she’s probably already on her way in. Okay, I can do this on my own. She always tells me I don’t wear enough color, and when I look up I see that I’ve already gravitated towards the black lace sets hanging on the wall. I look outside the window to see the three guard dogs I’ve wound up on a road trip with, sitting on a bench watching me. I run my hand along some of the items hanging on the wall as I stare back at them. Then I pull down a bright red bra, holding it up to my chest while keeping eye contact with them as I pucker my lips, pretending to mull it over. Mikey and Bodine make the mostneedylooking faces as they nod their heads up and down. Ace slaps them on the back of their heads and I give it a no, putting it back on the rack. I walk around, holding up different pairs of underwear, bras,and nighties—putting on a whole ass show while they act like absolute animals. While I’m slightly embarrassed over Mikey and Bodine’s behavior, it’s Ace’s intense gaze I’m locked in on the most, whether he realized it or not. Which is why I notice when a new flame lights behind his dark eyes. I look down at the navy blue lace set I’m holding, that has baby blue silk ribbons embellishing it, and when my eyes meet his again, completely void of any playful antics, he gets up and walks away.

Sold.

I pick up a travel-sized bottle of my favorite body spray, grab a bundle of underwear, and one little lace number that drives Ace to walk away from the window and check out. We’ll just call it Katarina’s secret.

Bless this store for wrapping your things in tissue paper, because the amount of times Mikey and Bodine have tried looking in this bag to see what I got just to piss me off, is astronomical.

“Food court then back to catch a little bit of sleep before we head out again?” Bodine asks, making me frown.

“What? We’re not staying here longer than today?”

“I mean…there’s not that much todohere. Is there?” Mikey looks at the other guys for an answer.

“No. Not really,” Ace answers simply.

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