Page 40 of Every Promise Broken

The market is at a huge, covered stadium. If I’m not mistaken, this is where a lot of bigger concerts take place. Once we’re inside, Conrad and I basically spend the entire time following Nana around as she stops at all the booths. It remindsme of the stuff you’d see for sale at rodeo events. Lots of homemade jewelry, clothing, pens, knickknacks.

“Conrad, this hat would look lovely on you,” she gushes, picking up a chocolate brown fedora. “Try it on.”

“I don’t need a new hat.”

“Nonsense,” she scoffs, shoving it into his hands. “Try it on. I want to see how it looks.”

Jaw clenched, he sighs, placing the hat on his head, and I have to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing. Irritation is etched into his features as he gives her an unamused expression. It’s at least a size too small for his giant head, and he looks ridiculous. I can’t help but snigger, which only earns me a scowl.

“You look so cute,” I tease. “Very Indiana Jones.”

“Connie, you have to get it,” Nana adds in. I choke on a laugh as he rips it off his head.

“I’m not getting the damn hat.”

Glancing at me, Nana rolls her eyes. “Well, he’s no fun.”

“What a party pooper,” I scoff jokingly.

Conrad’s lip tips up into a smirk that screams trouble as he sets the hat down on the table, then wraps an arm around my shoulder. It’s a step up from the hand holding. My entire body tenses up, having him this close to me. His scent, body heat, the sound of his breath…all of it is too much.

Leaning down, his lips right beside my ear, he drawls under his breath, “Relax,husband.”

A gasp catches in my throat as goosebumps pop up all over my flesh, my body reacting to the growly tone and the hot breath fanning the side of my face, full of possession. Turning my head, I peer up at him, which is a mistake. With the way his arm is wrapped around me and he’s still leaning in, our faces are entirely too close.

Close enough that I can see the faint smattering of freckles across his nose and the apples of his cheeks, see the gold flecks in his dark irises, and the wrinkles around his eyes that deepen when he smiles.

Close enough that I can smell the mint on his breath.

Close enough that my heart catapults in my chest. Beating so fast and so hard you’d think it was trying to break out and cling to him.

“Conrad…”

A whisper from my lips. A harsh breath. A plea.

But for what, I’m not sure.

All I know is that he’s so close to me, all my senses flooded withhim, and there’s a part of me that knows I need to put some distance between us, but there’s another, larger part of me that doesn’t want to. A part of me that’s reveling in the nearness. In the possessiveness.

Looking back, I don’t think I’ll ever understand what caused me to do what I do next. Maybe it’s his proximity getting to my head, clouding my vision, maybe it’s me deciding to throw caution to the wind and say to hell with it, and fully immerse myself in this lie we’re living in, but I wrap my arm around Conrad’s lower back, holding him as close to me as he’s holding me to him. His eyes widen, grin growing in size, clearly as surprised by my actions as I am.

“Come on, boys,” Nana calls out, pulling us out of the moment we’ve blocked ourselves in. “I’m hungry. Let’s get a snack.”

Eyes dipping down to my mouth for a split second before they meet my gaze again, Conrad asks in a low rasp, “You hungry?”

My mouth is dry, throat tight. I couldn’t form words even if I wanted to, so instead, I nod. Like an idiot.

“Well, then let’s feed you, kitten,” he drawls, and I swear my heart stops working for a second.

Kitten.

It’s part of the act, Whit. Calm down.

He doesn’t mean it.

My lungs have forgotten how to work. I can’t breathe.

By the time we—somehow—make it to the food court, Conrad has Nana and I sit down while he goes and orders the food. My mind is completely blank, nothing but fog. I couldn’t even tell him what I wanted to eat. I couldn’t say anything.

---