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“Well, I’m happy they’re here. I know my mom really appreciates it, and it makes me smile that she’s getting to know her brother and his family. I just wish it wouldn’t have taken them so long to reconnect, you know?”
“Definitely.”
“They were making plans to have us come to Jupiter Bay for the Fourth of July,” I add.
“You’ll love it there. Brian’s house actually reminds me a bit of your place. It’s off the beaten path, kinda off by itself on a little strip of land.”
“I can’t wait to see it all – and meet the rest of the family.”
Before I realize it, we’re already pulling into the parking lot of the grocery store. We spent the entire ten-minute ride to town talking, as if it were the most natural, easiest thing in the world. That’s completely not like me – if my previous relationships are any indication. I’ve always been more reserved, a bit shy, and never quick to share personal information. But here I am, sharing my family details with Rhenn – a man that I’ve literally known for six days.
As soon as the truck is parked, Rhenn jumps out and comes around to my side. No, I don’t really need help getting down, but I don’t decline his assistance when he reaches up and grabs my waist. In fact, I actually relish the feel of his hands on me once more and the way his arms flex under his tight green shirt.
“Ready?” he asks as he locks the truck and reaches for my hand. I don’t fight it, I just go with it, and place my smaller hand inside of his much larger one.
We walk inside and grab a cart. I don’t have that much on my mental shopping list, but it’s enough that it would weigh down both of our arms. Plus, then I’d have to drop his hand, and frankly, I just don’t want to.
Together, we head down the first aisle. Living in a small town where everyone knows everybody, I shouldn’t be surprised by the amount of familiar faces I immediately see, yet I am. I guess I just thought Rhenn and I could exist in our own private little bubble, where we can hold hands without the watchful eyes of my neighbors. No such luck. The first person we come to is the town gossip, Mrs. Freeman. Her knowing little eyes lock on our hands instantly, her bright red lips turn upward in a huge smile. I can practically see the text message she’s already sending to everyone in her contact list.
I greet the nosy busybody with a hello as we reach the produce aisle, and even though I don’t want to, I drop Rhenn’s hand. I tell myself it’s because I’ll need both of mine to grab the vegetables I need, but a part of me knows that I’m trying to diminish the rumors before they even start. Though, I’m not sure just dropping his hand will help. The fact that I’m here at all with him is enough to ignite the gossips in town. If they don’t know the facts, they’ll come up with their own conclusions.
Reaching for a bag, I start to squeeze avocados. “What can I get?” he asks as I place three greenish brown avocados in my bag.
“Can you grab six cucumbers?” I ask absently as I reach for another bag to grab a few peppers.
I throw a red and yellow pepper into the cart and turn to find Rhenn. He’s standing across the aisle, holding up two large cucumbers, a devious glint in his blue eyes. “Angel, do you like them long and straight or more girthy with a slight curve to the end, like this one?” he asks innocently, yet his insinuation is anything but. A gasp sounds next to me and I see nosy Mrs. Freeman standing there, her eyes dancing as she looks on between the proffered vegetables and my wide eyes and flushed face. “And why do you need six? One cucumber isn’t enough to satisfy your needs?”
I swear to all things holy, I’m going to kill him. Right here, in the produce aisle at Family Foods.
My face burns, but I try to keep from tucking my chin and crawling away. Instead of hiding, I turn to face him and raise my chin. “Actually, I have yet to find a single cucumber that is both satisfying and filling,” I reply with a shrug, reaching around him and grabbing the first six cucumbers I can reach.
Rhenn chuckles behind me, dropping his loot into the bag. I feel his warm breath graze the shell of my ear as he whispers, “Maybe you just haven’t found the right cucumber yet.”
Why my body shutters, I have no idea. Okay, total lie. I know why, and he’s standing with his front practically plastered to my back, making it damn near impossible to formulate a complete thought. How can my body crave something – or someone – it doesn’t even know?
He whispers against my ear and I have to bite back the moan. “What else is on that magical list of yours, Angel?”
The amount of time it actually takes me to speak is embarrassing, so when I finally am able to say words, it shouldn’t surprise me that it’s something as graceful as what comes from my lips. “Fruit. I need fruit. And eggs. Lots of eggs.”
Holding completely still, I feel his breath move down from my ear to my shoulder. Another shiver sweeps through as his nose faintly traces the column of my neck. It must be uncomfortable for him, considering he’s so much taller than me, but I can’t seem to find the urge to really care. Instead, my brain focuses on his breathing, the slightest touch of his nose, and the way he inhales deeply, as if committing my scent to memory. “You smell like jasmine. I like it.”
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, this man has the ability to render me completely speechless and utterly wonton in less than a half-second flat. I still can’t speak.
“Come on, Angel. Let’s get you some eggs and fruit. Then, we’ll head back and you can show me how you plan to use those cucumbers,” he adds, placing an open-mouthed kiss on my exposed collarbone and leaving me a pile of mush right there in the middle of the produce aisle and lusting after a man I shouldn’t want.
But do.
