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“Let's sit down,” Allie moans, staggering under the weight of her shopping bags.
She went to town at a shoe store and has the boxes to prove it.
We head up the escalator to the food court but there isn't a single spare chair, never mind three. And all the adults are outnumbered by mall rug rats tearing around causing mayhem.
“Hallo, planet Carina come in please,” Allie says, waving a hand in front of me. “What are you looking for?”
“Me? Nothing.” I answer, way too fast.
Busted.
From this vantage point, above the crowds, I couldn't stop myself scanning the throng below for a glimpse of Jared Helmsley, man of my dreams.
“You've been distracted all afternoon. Is something going on?”
“No, it's the crowds of people.” I lie.
“My legs won't take much more. Can we get a drink?” Rachel huffs.
Then a stroke of genius, or call it an evil plan if you will, blasts into my brain.
“There must be a hotel close by we can luxe out at,” I suggest.
They both look at me like I've suggested we take a shuttle to the moon.
“A hotel? With all the old farts?”
“There's that cool new one. The Art.”
A three year old tearaway with sticky goo fingers comes too close and seals the deal. We head back down and push through the masses, out to the street.
It's a little further of a walk than I envisaged. Just as Rachel and Allie start whining that we should stop at the next bar we see, even if its full of bearded bikers, the futuristic looking hotel building comes into view.
“I'm going to collapse if I don't get some refreshment like yesterday,” Allie pants, echoing my own thought.
We pile through the glass door, Allie getting all caught up with a family heading out. Her multiple bags crash into the mother's legs and the teens with all their attention entirely phone-focused pile on into her. She staggers into me and as I help her right herself, the weight of the shopping bags sends me tumbling against the closing glass door. I flail around to find a handhold but it appears I'm heading for a face plant when the door is suddenly tugged back and I fall straight into six three of solid muscle. I grab at the hooked arm like it's the last lifebelt on the Titanic.
A cacophony of thrusting adrenalin, my body gearing up to crash into the floor, mixes with the frisson of pleasure from the wool clad powerful bicep. I cling like a limpet before I come to realize I'm perfectly safe. Two huge strong hands are circling my waist and holding me steady.
As I come up for air, I'm still gasping and then the oxygen hoovers out of my lungs as my eyes meet Jared Helmsley.
“Oh,” I squeak. “Hi.”
“Hi,” he replies, the epitome of cool, calm and delicious.
His face up close is even more gorgeous and it takes all my resolve not to throw my arms around his neck and drag him down to press my lips onto his full firm mouth. Which is starting to twitch at the corners.
“What are you doing here?” I bumble, knowing damn well what he's doing here.
This is where he's staying. I know it and he knows I know it.
He doesn't respond, merely gores his eyes into mine so I feel butt naked beneath him.
We're blocking the entrance and forcing people to maneuver around our blockade but I don't care and he doesn't seem to either.
He keeps me pinned immobile in his huge palms that nearly meet as they encircle my waist so that I feel bolted into the ground. His gaze burrows deeper into me. And I couldn't snap away even if I wanted to.
We stand there frozen solid about as long as the last ice age, until the giggling beside us jolts me out of my mesmerized stance.
