Page 27 of Stalked

“Let’s go. I need some clothes and you’ll need some other stuff.”

“Can’t this wait until we get to Miami?” Why would he want to buy clothes here when he’d be back to his own home and stuff in just a couple of hours? His scrubs were unusual, but not overly so.

“No. Let’s go.” He got out of the car and went around to her side. “Bring your bag, everything.”

She left the sweater in the seat and got out.

“No, bring that too.”

“But I’m not cold.”

He grabbed it out of the seat. “Bring it all anyway. Let’s go.”

She barely resisted rolling her eyes at his gruff tone. What had happened to the man who had been talking to her so kindly—trying to understand everything about what had been happening to her over the past year—a few hours ago at her run-down hotel room?

This gruff stranger had replaced him. He didn’t seem to want to talk to her at all.

Maybe it was the two near-death experiences in one night since hanging around her. She couldn’t blame him for that. Whether he was in law enforcement or not, it looked like Rosalyn might be back on her own again soon.

His actions inside the store didn’t reassure her. He grabbed a cart, then kept her right next to him as they went through both the women’s section, where he told her to grab jeans and a shirt, and men’s, where they did the same for him.

He even grabbed underwear for both of them. When she tried to protest that she’d had a spare set in the tote bag, he ignored her and grabbed a set anyway. He pulled her to the dressing room, which was thankfully empty of everyone, including an attendant, since it was nearly six o’clock in the morning.

“Change all your clothes.” He turned and walked toward the men’s changing room.

Rosalyn had had just about enough of the manhandling.

“Look, I don’t know exactly what your problem is, although honestly, I can understand if you’re upset because of both the drunk-driver guy and the fire. But let’s just talk about it, okay?”

Steve looked at her for a long time, then finally just turned away again. “No, not right now.”

She could actually feel her eyes bugging out of her head. “Not right now? What is the matter with you?”

“Just go put on the other clothes.”

“Maybe I’m just fine in the clothes I’m in. Have you thought of—”

The air rushed out of her body as he grabbed her by the arms and walked forward—forcing her backward into the dressing room. He went in right along with her and didn’t stop until her back was up against the wall and he was pressed all the way up against her.

She would’ve thought he’d lost his mind if she hadn’t been so turned on by the feel of him pressed against her. His mouth was just inches from hers and she couldn’t stop staring at it.

But his lips didn’t kiss her. Instead he dipped his head right next to her ear.

“You’re bugged.”

At first all she felt was the delicious heat from his breath on her earlobe. Then his whispered words made their way through her desire-addled brain.

“What—?”

She barely got the words out before his lips were on hers. She realized it was a kiss to stop her from saying anything that would give away the information about the bug, but she still couldn’t stop her arms from circling up around his shoulders.

His lips moved back down her jaw until he was at her ear again.

“It’s important that we not say anything that gives away that we know. I’ll explain more later, but right now, we need to ditch everything.”

Rosalyn nodded.

“Ahem, excuse me, mister. Men aren’t allowed in the ladies’ dressing room.” A young store associate peeked his head into the room. “I’m afraid you’ll have to change in the men’s section.”

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