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“You just don't want to carry all my bags.,” I teased, appreciating the sentiment of what he was giving up.
He snorted but pulled me a little closer, leaning down to whisper, “I’d carry all your bags at the snap of your little finger, but I know Milo needs time with you. Don't ever doubt I wouldn’t spend every waking second with you, sweetheart.”
He kissed my cheek, stepping back, leaving me all hot and bothered to go and tell Milo. Fanning myself, I squeezed his butt cheek as I skipped off to the other bedroom.
Milo was lying on the bed, flipping through a book. He looked up when I entered, and I smiled as I leaned against the frame, checking him out. Now that I could, I wanted to do it all the time. He watched me, a curious look on his face. He’d grown more comfortable with us over the week and a half here, and I loved that he was part of this.
“Hey, cutie,” I said, smiling widely. “Would you like to go on a date with me?”
He pushed up his glasses as he sat up. “A date?” he asked. I couldn’t tell from the distance, but it looked like his cheeks were reddening.
“Yep. Can you be ready in 10 minutes?”
“Yeah, sure. Where are we going?”
“Just to the mall. Cohen was able to get me a pass knowing how much I was dying without more clothes. And now that I don't have to hide from everybody, I can pay you back.”
“You don't have to do that, Fin. I did it because I wanted to help you.”
“I know. It's just—”
He cut me off, standing. “No, I have more money than I need. The fact I got to help a friend meant something to me. So please, it will hurt my heart if you were to deny me that gift by paying me back.” He placed his hands in a begging motion, and I realized this was more than about money. “I understand you're not like other girls and just expect it of me. I know that. That's not what I think about you at all. This was more about me needing to feel like I was doing something different from my family and that I was making a difference. So please,” he begged some more. Milo had walked closer with his speech, imploring me with his eyes.
I swallowed, gulping down the words I’d been about to say. “Okay,” I agreed, realizing how much he needed this. I wasn't going to be a brat about it. “Thank you.” I leaned up and kissed his lips.
“Now. Date time.” I smiled widely, and his shoulders dropped when I didn’t argue. “I’ll see you in a few.”
I walked into the other room to grab some clothes. While we all tended to sleep in here together, every now and then, one of the guys would go and sleep in the other bed. I understood it. It was a bit cramped and uncomfortable with four people in the bed. So, they’d rotate out every few days. They’d also moved all of their clothing to that room when they realized how stressed out it made me. I quickly dressed in some skinny jeans, a flowy top, a jean jacket, and my Chucks, since we’d be walking a lot. I instantly felt chipper getting out of my everyday yoga pants I’d been wearing for training with the knowledge of where we were headed at the forefront of my mind.
I wouldn't deny I was a girl who enjoyed shopping. I loved finding hidden gems along with the allure of getting something new. It instantly made me happier. The bonus was getting to spend alone time with Milo. I knew how precious time was here.
I walked out into the main area, finding Asa and Cohen standing together at the sink. Asa spotted me first and grabbed my hands as he checked me out from head to toe. He made a wolf whistle, causing my cheeks to heat.
“Fin, you look amazing. I'm kind of jealous now that I'm not going.”
“What are you and Cohen going to do?” I asked.
“I think we're going to head down and play some pool. I'm going to see if Ryker is available, too. I think they could use some time to just hang out where they aren't working and maybe... without you as a distraction. “
I chuckled, but he wasn't wrong. He gave me a kiss, making my toes curl in my shoes. I reluctantly pulled away before things became too hot, and I didn't make it out of here. There were only a few things that would tempt me away from one of my lovers. And shopping was one of them. Chuckling, Asa smacked my butt and pushed me over to Cohen to say goodbye. It amazed me how comfortable we’d all grown with touching and kissing in front of each other.
Cohen gave me one of his saucy looks, quickly kissing me and telling me to be safe. When I finished my goodbyes, I found Milo standing, waiting for me. He wore a soft smile, making my heart race.
“You ready?” he asked.
I nodded, walking to take his hand. We headed out to the elevator, meeting our escort—a guard. While we were getting let off the base, we wouldn't be completely alone. It helped since I didn't know this area, and having to think about driving down that mountain again made me squeamish. Equally making me glad we had someone doing it for us.
When he drove underground a few minutes later instead of leaving the garage, I looked at Milo, confused. The guard driving chuckled, watching us in the mirror.
“Yeah, they make everybody who arrives the first time come up the mountain, but they built a tunnel underneath that will take you directly down it. You have to have special access to get to it. And until you're in The Order, you’re not allowed to know it exists.”
The thought of being in a car underground made me feel a little weird but as brilliant as these people were, along with their technology, I had to assume it was safe. Besides, wasn't there a really long tunnel under an ocean overseas? Surely then, a mountain was safer than being underwater. Being underground took us half the time to get down the mountain. Before I knew it, we were pulling out of the tunnel.
I blinked at the daylight, warming my face in the sun. I hadn’t seen the actual sun in a week and a half. The Order did such a great job with the digital screens that I almost forgot that it was fake sometimes, but nothing could make you feel like the real sun. That wasn’t something you could manufacture.
When we pulled up to the mall a little while later, I was practically bouncing in my seat. Milo laughed at me, but I didn't care. This was truly one of my happy places. The guard said he would follow but keep at a distance, making me like him even more. He’d told us his name was Leo, and he’d been with The Order for thirty years and only worked part-time. It was nice to see people respecting their organization enough to dedicate their lives to it.
Milo and I soon forgot about his presence as we began walking through the mall, and I pointed at everything. When I headed into a store, I became dizzy with all the new things and colors. I felt a little like Pretty Woman as I started trying on outfits, and Milo waited outside the fitting room for me. He would clap and give me a compliment for each outfit.
