Chapter 5
Trinity
“We gotta stop meeting like this. People will start to talk.”
I faced the voice that sent a pleasant but unexpected shiver across my flesh.
Preston, the man who had haunted my thoughts since the last time I saw him in this establishment, casually pushed his empty shopping cart toward mine.
“Affair on aisle seven. Scandalous.” I waggled my brows up and down as he came to a halt across from me.
He was wearing something similar to last week.
A navy T-shirt and some gray joggers. They molded to his thick thighs and his shirt stretched across his broad chest. It was impossible not to look.
Painful even. But I somehow managed to remind myself that although he was good eye candy, he was in the never again category.
“How was your week, Trinity?” He smirked.
A flutter took flight at the fact he remembered my name and I cursed myself. “It was fine. Busy.”
I turned, grabbing a box of Apple Jacks from the shelf to keep from showing the blush spreading across my cheeks.
“Let me guess. You have a coupon.” His lips shifted to a full smile, mischief gleaming in his blue eyes.
The pale blue was parallel to those Caribbean postcards. Dreamy.
“What do I look like? An amateur?” I scoffed.
He barked out a laugh.
“I’m a veteran couponer.” I straightened my shoulders. “Saved forty-seven dollars last week.”
“Impressive.” He leaned down, resting his forearms on his cart.
The term arm porn now made perfect sense. His were perfect, and to make him even more attractive, said forearm was decorated in black ink.
“How was your week, Preston?” I volleyed back.
He blinked, then I swore the man blushed. “Long.”
We stood at our carts, not voicing that we felt whatever weird energy hovered in the air between us. My instincts told me to end the conversation. Say goodbye and disappear into the sea of people.
“What deals do they have today?” he asked before I could move an inch.
“I thought you weren’t a coupon guy?” I lifted a brow.
He shrugged a shoulder, glancing around at the shelves. “I mean, I guess it couldn’t hurt.”
Maybe if I shared my secret, he’d leave. I pulled my phone from my pocket. “Here. It’s an App. All you have to do is download it and you can see every deal offered for the week.”
He fished out his own and thumbed to the App Store.
“This one?” he asked, angling the phone to me.
“No. Not that one.” I dropped my phone in my bag. “Here.” I motioned my hand.
I took his phone, keeping my eyes trained on the screen as I scrolled, finding the correct App. I pressed download, feeling the heat from his body that was only a few inches from mine. Not far enough.
“While you’re at it, why don’t you put your number in my contacts.”
The words were smooth. Almost like he’d done it a thousand times. With someone who looked like him, he probably had.
“And why would you need my number?” I drifted my gaze to his face.
“If I’m going to take couponing seriously, I’ll need access to a professional.”
I barely held in my laugh, shaking my head as he grinned. “What am I? A coupon hotline?”
He chuckled. “No. But if you aren’t willing to give coupon advice outside of shopping hours, maybe you’d like to get to know your new town?”
His offer seemed genuine, and honestly, I didn’t know anyone here besides my father and Jodie. Which wasn’t saying much.
“I don’t give random guys my number,” I stated.
He grasped his chest, his expression an image of mock hurt. “Random? I thought we’d made progress this week.”
My fingers clenched his device, my brain telling me to give it back and kindly deny him before I hightailed it to the checkout. Just as I was about to hand it back, a man at the end of the aisle called his name.
He leaned in, his lips dangerously close to my ear. “One sec,” he mumbled before he stepped away, striding to the end of the aisle.
I bit my lip, glancing down at his phone.
He’s being nice, Trinity. Just a Canyon resident showing kindness.
I peered over at him, noting the way his hands were braced on his hips.
The way his defined back muscles were visible through his T-shirt.
He’s trouble. My thumb had a mind of its own, pulling up his contacts.
I flickered my eyes to see him in deep conversation with a man in a pair of overalls.
Pressing the new contact, I typed in my name and digits before I quickly pressed save and exited. My chest thumped as I locked the screen, just as he began turning my way.
When he was mere feet from me, I plastered on a smile to hide the sudden mortification that I just went against my very prominent rule.
“Here you go. It’s all set.” I practically shoved the phone in his hand and gripped my cart. “I gotta get going. Have a good week, Preston.”
I was off and around the corner before he could speak, speed walking to the front of the store. With a deep breath, I jumped into the shortest line and cursed myself. That was stupid. Looked like I needed to find another place to shop.