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And once she was ready to return to the career waiting for her, they’d go their separate ways and back to their vastly different lives.
Chapter 4
As soon as Collin parked the car in the Walmart lot and turned off the engine, Raevynn slowly, gradually woke up. He watched her glance around at her surroundings and gave her a few extra seconds to gain her bearings on her own. When she realized where they were, she glanced at him and smiled guiltily.
“Oh, my God,” she said, her tone apologetic. “I am so sorry I fell asleep. I closed my eyes for just a few minutes, or so I thought, and—”
“It’s fine,” he assured her, finally letting go of the hand he’d held the entire drive into New Jersey. “You clearly needed the rest.”
She looked back out the window to the store’s entrance, all lit up for evening shoppers, and groaned. “I really need some things, but I can’t go in there wearing this flashy dress and high-heeled boots that will immediately draw attention in a place like this, not to mention all this hair,” she added, because yes, that thick mane of blonde hair was gorgeous, iconic, and would turn heads her way.
“Ugh.” The word was rife with frustration. “I know it’s not busy this late at night, but the last thing I want to deal with right now is being recognized. I just want to go in there and shop in peace like a normal person.”
“Yeah, well, you, Raevynn Walsh, are not a ‘normal person,’” he said with a soft laugh, though she didn’t look amused by his comment. Clearly, not being able to blend in with her surroundings like an ordinary customer bothered her, and he tried to figure out a way to allow her to walk into the store without having people stare or being bombarded by fans.
Remembering he’d tossed a hoodie into the backseat of his car the previous weekend when he’d been out, he reached around and grabbed the dark navy-blue sweatshirt and handed it to her. It wouldn’t be the first time she’d worn one of his shirts.
“Here, this is the best I can do on a moment’s notice,” he said with a grin. “You can wear this over your dress, and if you put the hood up over your head and tuck your hair inside, it’ll help disguise you a bit.”
“You’re definitely resourceful,” she teased. “I’ll give it a try.”
After opening the passenger door, she stepped out, and Collin did the same. He shrugged out of his formal tuxedo jacket and tossed it into the backseat along with his bow tie and unfastened a few of the buttons on his shirt to downplay his own appearance. He locked the car as he met Raevynn on the passenger side, where she was pulling the sweatshirt over her head, then pushing her arms through the sleeves. The hoodie was at least two sizes too big for her, but once she had it on, the excess material offered her a lot of coverage and concealed her body’s curves. She tugged the bottom down to her legs, though the hem of her sparkly dress still showed a few inches.
She gathered her hair to one side and twisted it all together like it was silken threads of rope, then pushed it into the collar of the sweatshirt so it fell down her back inside the top before lifting the hood over her head.
They were standing under a parking lot lamp, and she glanced at his car’s tinted window, which offered Raevynn a reflection of herself.
She grimaced at her image before glancing at Collin. “Yeah, people are definitely going to stare, but not for the reasons I was worried about. From the waist up, I look like a delinquent, and from the waist down, I look like a hooker.”
He busted out laughing at her description, at her familiar sense of humor he’d always loved, though she wasn’t wrong about her sketch appearance. “Welcome to Walmart. You’re going to fit right in.”
She lifted the front collar of the sweatshirt to her nose, inhaling the soft cotton fabric before grinning at him. “It smells like you.”
He tipped his head curiously. “Is that a good thing or bad?”
; “Good,” she murmured, her voice low and husky with seductive undertones. “Really good. I like it. It reminds me of all the times I’d wear your jacket when we were in high school.”
God, she was tempting him, when all he wanted to do was press her up against his car, put his mouth on hers, and kiss her senseless. And judging by the desire glimmering in her eyes, he didn’t think she’d argue or refuse such a bold advance.
Seven years had passed, but it was like time between them had stood still until now, as if they were resuming right where they’d left off—as young infatuated teenagers who were solely focused on each other. There was no denying she’d developed into this megastar currently dominating the music industry with hit song after hit song that kept raising her fame higher and higher, yet in this moment, Collin recognized that there was so much about Raevynn that had remained the same. Beneath the glitz and glamour, and just beyond that moment of desperation he’d witnessed back at the charity ball as she’d begged him to take her away from her chaotic life, he’d seen glimpses of the amusing, sentimental, flirtatious, and vulnerable girl she’d been and obviously still was, given the chance.
Knowing now was not the time to delve into all that emotional upheaval, he held his hand out to her. “Come on,” he said, nodding his head toward the store. “Let’s go shopping.”
Without hesitating, she slipped her hand into his, their fingers entwining as she fell into step beside him, as if they were a real couple. “God, this is so humiliating, but umm, you’re going to have to buy this stuff for me,” she said, ducking her head low in embarrassment, even though she was wearing a hoodie that shrouded her face. “I don’t have my credit card with me, obviously . . .” She exhaled on a groan. “Clearly, I did not think this whole running away thing though.”
He gave her hand an encouraging squeeze. “You’re doing a good job of winging it, and I have a credit card and plenty of money to cover your purchases.” Being a security analyst at MadX-Tech paid extremely well, and while he’d splurged on a nice sports car, he was a saver by nature and had a nice, padded bank account.
“I’ll pay you back.” She peeked up at him, and as they neared the store, the bright lights from inside illuminated her beautiful features. “You know I’m good for it, right?”
He laughed and rolled his eyes at her. “I don’t know, Rae,” he said, deliberately sounding skeptical. “I might need some kind of collateral.” Of which she currently had none to offer. Or so he thought.
A slow, seductive grin curved her lips. “You’re already in possession of my most expensive asset. Me. I’ll be your collateral.”
She laid that on him just as they walked into the Walmart, definitely giving him something to think about. Not that he’d ever take advantage of her, but there was no denying their still-hot-as-ever attraction, and they were grown, consenting adults. He didn’t miss the irony of that considering they’d been neither the first and only time they’d had sex.
He grabbed a shopping cart and they started through the store. It was almost midnight, so the place was nearly empty, and while they did get some odd and curious glances from customers and employees because of the peculiar way Rae was dressed, nobody noticed that it was Raevynn Walsh hiding beneath his hoodie, and that’s all that mattered to her, and him. He wanted her to have this normal, ordinary experience.
