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“They’re planning to make Benson an honorary Vincent,” I say cheerily.
Benson grunts, not saying much as he starts grabbing food. He usually only talks regularly to me, and he doesn’t say too much to people he doesn’t know. Or like, for that matter.
“Really?” she asks, almost sulking like she’s disappointed in the lack of crazy.
“I had to work three years to get into their good graces before I could be with her,” Benson says, saving my brothers’ reputations.
He doesn’t turn around or even glance at her, and when her eyes rake over his profile, I cock my head.
“Anything else?” I ask, smiling the creepiest smile I have in my arsenal.
She clears her throat and looks back at me, recovering her fake smile.
“Are you two planning on tying the knot soon? I figured Penny would be sending out invitations already.”
Benson chuckles, and her smile wavers. She expected that to scare him. Really, the guy has been dealing with my family for so long that it’s a little hard to scare him.
“I think we’ll fornicate for a while longer before spending money on some rings. I like it when he uses his tongue. Wouldn’t want him getting lazy anytime soon just because of a piece of jewelry telling him I’m his.”
Benson chokes on air, not turning around, as Janice’s face turns three shades of red.
“I…think…Oh! I see Clara. I need to go there. To her. Now,” she says rapidly, stumbling over all her words.
She’s gone in the next instant, and I grab some frozen peas. A bunch of them.
“Why all the peas?” Benson asks, recovering from the way I dismissed our annoying busybody stalker.
“Great for sore balls,” I state absently.
He groans as I toss in a couple more packs.
“Why?”
“I forget you don’t shop with me usually. But the thing is, my brothers piss me off a lot. And when it’s two-to-one, I have to capitalize on their greatest weakness. I also feel guilty every time I do. Therefore, I buy frozen peas.”
He blows out a breath, like he’s tired of trying to understand me, and I guide him through the store as he pushes the shopping cart.
“Speaking of which, why are you shopping with me today?” I ask him as we turn the corner to the chocolate aisle—A.K.A. the heavenly aisle.
His eyes come up just as Chuck comes walking down the aisle. At least I think it’s Chuck. I’m still getting used to real faces and not figuring them out based on the beard.
Chuck’s gaze drops to my legs, just as Benson’s arms come around me, his hand possessively spreading over my hip.
“Chuck,” he says, nodding politely despite the edge to his tone.
“Benson.” He nods by way of greeting, since Benson’s hands are too occupied with my body to offer a handshake.
“Heard you two were thinking of tying the knot,” Chuck says, eyes lingering on my chest for a minute.
I’m wearing a T-shirt of a little woodpecker flipping a feathery bird finger. No cleavage to be seen.
“We’re together,” Benson says vaguely.
Chuck walks away, and I contemplate just how weird that all was.
“Well, that’s why,” Benson grumbles, tossing in my favorite chocolates.
He really is perfect.
“Why what?” I ask, confused.
“Since the beardless party, all the men have a double shot of ego and confidence. I’ve been jealous since before you were mine. I sure as fuck can’t stand the thought of someone hitting on you now.”
I grin before I can help myself, and he turns to face me, arching an eyebrow.
“You may actually get dubbed an honorary Vincent if you keep acting like one.”
He cocks his head, studying me. “You saying you get jealous?”
“I hissed at a sixteen-year-old girl not ten minutes ago for giving you the eye. And I thought about rearranging Lindy’s face with a beer bottle before cutting off her vagina lips. You forget I’m a corner of crazy.”
His smile is instant, and I press against him as his arms come around me.
When his lips brush mine, I get lost for a minute, forgetting we’re in the one and only grocery store.
“Let’s hurry up and get out of here,” he whispers across my lips, never kissing me, as though he knows—like I do—that a kiss will lead to the inevitable indecent exposure that will get us banned.
Like my brothers.
Who I have to shop for.
We finish our shopping trip quickly after that, and stop at the hardware store, where I get left in his truck, because he knows there will be more men he’d have to show his jealous side to.
Since I find it cute, I let it slide, especially since he’s buying the necessary items to fix my bed once and for all. It’ll support two people’s weight from now on.
We’re almost back to my place when I decide I can’t take it any longer, and start kissing my way up his neck, sliding across the single-cab bench seat to push right up against him.
