Page 28 of Accidentally Mine
Heat rose to my cheeks as I tried not to smile.“Fine,” I said, turning to the entrance of the store and grabbing a basket.
We walked down the aisles of the market as I tried to remember at least a few of the things on my list for Aunt Marie.But I could barely think of anything except this remarkable specimen of human hotness beside me.
It was clear I wasn’t the only one who thought he was good-looking.Women in the midst of their shopping, pushing their carts, seemed to stop what they were doing and gaze after him.He didn’t notice.Probably happened to him all the time.
He moved along with that chiseled, brooding face of his, looking so out of place as he picked up a carton of almonds and looked at the contents.I had to laugh.
He raised his brows at me in question.
“Nothing,” I said before pressing my lips together.I guessed even the gorgeous people had to go shopping too, but he looked more like an advertisement for a supermarket.A hip, hot model, perfect in his white dress shirt and dark slacks, who made shopping seem glamorous and cool so people would want to do it.He was succeeding.Suddenly, shopping had a whole lot more allure to it than it once did.
And honestly, the furthest thing from my mind was shopping.The list my brain was ticking off was a little dirtier than heads of lettuce.
So, maybe I wasn’t as good a girl as I thought.
It was totally his fault.
After what felt like an interminably long time, I gathered some semblance of what I hoped my shopping list contained, and we went to the fifteen-items-or-less checkout line.As we waited our turn, he scanned the magazines and newspapers in the racks.I did too, hoping I wouldn’t see anything more about the Markin case.
The man at the checkout rang my order up, but before I could pull out my cash, Brent swiped his card.
“Hey!”
He had a wicked, devious glimmer in his eyes.“I told you I wanted to buy you dinner.”
I lifted my chin.“And you always get your way?”
The grin grew wider.“Well, my way is usually best.”
I glared at him as the cashier handed him the receipt.Driving me was one thing, but I couldn’t let this go too far.If I entangled myself with another man—especially now—it could turn out to be very, very dicey.“I’m not letting you pay for my groceries.”
He stuck his card in his wallet.“Already done.”
The elderly lady behind us had begun to place her purchases onto the conveyor.She gave him a flirty wink from beneath her granny glasses.“He can pay for mine.”
The way she was checking him out broke my exasperation, and I couldn’t help but smile.She actually licked her lips and eyed him like a piece of meat in the butcher’s case.Were all older ladies in this town horny?
I turned back to him.Tiptoeing, I tried to glimpse the receipt total so I could pay him back.I reached into my wallet and pulled out a few twenties, shoving them at him, but he stepped away from me, plunging his hands into the pockets of his slacks.
“Your money’s no good here.What did I tell you about stubbornness?”
My gaze dropped to the tan commercial tile floor, embarrassed.I couldn’t let him pay for my groceries.I barely knew him.And the last thing I wanted to do was be in debt to a man.
He leaned over and whispered, “You’re sexy when you say no.But I think you’d be even sexier if you’d just say yes, for once.”
The low rumble of his voice just about seeped into my every pore.I couldn’t help but relax into it, wanting to bathe in it…for about a split second.Then I stiffened.“But—”
“Relax.It isn’t a marriage proposal.It’s just groceries.”He reached for the bags.“Come on.Be a rebel,Rebel.”
Right.Stop overreacting, Rebecca,I scolded myself.It’s a nice gesture.But nice gestures led to first dates, which led to kisses, which led to losing my heart to him, which led to…entrapment.
I frowned and went to pick up three of the recyclable grocery bags I’d brought with me that were now stuffed full.He reached over and took two of them, threading his hand through the handles.To my surprise, he reached into his wallet and pulled out a hundred-dollar bill.“For the lady’s order,” he said, winking at the old biddy as he laid the bill down on the counter.
She beamed at him while my poor, wounded heart loosened just a little from its shackles.
He strode to the automatic doors, me at his heels, trying to wipe the obvious admiration and glee off my face.Right then, as impossible as it was, I had this need to stay with him.Bring him home.Have his babies.
What an idiot you are, Rebecca.You barely know him!You’d think a girl would learn!
