Chapter 39 #2
While the two attacked the clothing racks like they were on a reality TV show, Jordan found himself a chair by the single changeroom.
It was a rich blue velvet chair that looked like it belonged in a castle, and he gingerly eased his bulk onto it.
The last thing he needed was to crush the slim wooden legs under his weight.
Once he decided it would hold, he settled in and watched Vanessa and Cheryl add more clothes to the pile growing in Cheryl’s arms.
How many pairs of jeans did one woman need? He decided it was best not to ask and chose a magazine from a side table to flip through while he waited.
“I’m going to try a few things on,” Vanessa said as she breezed past him. “We’re not in a rush, are we?”
She was hiding from a stalker who was still at large. The only rush he was in was to get that fucker. “No rush. Take your time.”
“Good,” she said through the door. “I hate buying jeans without trying them on, you know.”
He did not. “Mm-hmm.”
The door burst open, and Vanessa appeared with his t-shirt knotted to one side, sporting a pair of blue jeans. “Yeah?” She did a half spin, checking out her butt in the mirror. Her very pert butt.
Jordan swallowed. “Yes. Nice. Those are nice.”
“I don’t know.” She tugged the waist. “Not sure about the color. I like them a bit more washed out.”
The changeroom door closed again before he could say anything.
Which was how the next forty or so minutes went. She tried on everything from jeans to long-sleeved shirts to jackets, matching different sets to show him what the complete outfit would look like.
By the time she disappeared inside the changeroom to try on ‘one last thing,’ he was so turned on, he was ready to send Cheryl to lunch, flip the Closed sign on the door, and take Vanessa up against the wall.
“What do you think?” Her voice cut through the fantasy, and his breath caught. She stood before him with that glorious smile stretched across her face and gave a little twirl.
The dress was the color of a summer sky, and it lit her up, making her skin glow, and the gold in her eyes sparkle.
Short sleeves brushed her shoulders, teasing the curve of her arms, and the neckline’s soft scoop showed off the arc of her delicious breasts.
The fabric hugged her waist, then fell down her killer legs, flaring mid-calf.
He had one word for it, a word that didn’t belong in his life: dreamy. Like she’d fallen out of the sky and landed smack in the middle of his sorry existence like an angel sent to test him.
He couldn’t tear his gaze away. She was so enthralling he didn’t want to risk blinking in case he missed a single millisecond of his time with her.
Vanessa’s cheeks pinkened under his scrutiny.
“It’s beautiful,” he told her, his voice dropping off at the last syllable.
Her laugh was a balm to his tortured soul.
“I know it’s not practical, but it was so pretty I couldn’t leave hanging on the rack.
” She smoothed the dress down her thighs, and his heart rate took off at a sprint.
“Usually I go for red or black, but this was the only color in stock, and Cheryl promised me the blue would look good.”
“She was right.” His voice croaked, and he cleared his throat.
Vanessa did a final spin in front of the mirror, then shrugged her elegant shoulders.
“Maybe. I tried it on for fun, though. I don’t really need it.
” She slid back inside the changeroom and closed the door.
“I’m done now. All the items I want are with Cheryl.
I’ll have her ring them up and meet you out front. Give me five.”
“Okay,” was all he could say as he went to the till where Cheryl had finished ringing up a sale for another customer.
When the customer left, Cheryl beamed at him. “Well, that was a fun shopping spree, wasn’t it?” She tugged a stack of clothes across the counter. “I think she found a lot of wonderful pieces to take home.”
Jordan nodded. Fun didn’t cover the way his body felt right then. He took out his wallet and handed over his card. “Put everything she wants on this.” He slid the card across the counter. “And make sure that blue dress is in the bag.”
Cheryl nodded knowingly as she rang up the total.
“It was stunning on her. She has such a lovely figure, like a model. You know…” Cheryl peered at him from over her glasses.
“Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day.” She nodded toward the red heart balloons in the window.
“The Wayfarer is always a great spot for a dress like that.”
Valentine’s Day? He couldn’t remember the last time the day had even registered on his radar. Maybe not since he made a Valentine’s Day card for his mom when he was in fifth grade. He certainly had never taken a woman out for dinner on the Hallmark-card holiday.
Was that something Vanessa would want? Now that he thought about it, a woman like her probably had men showering her with Valentine’s gifts every year. She was probably used to diamonds and decadent Swiss chocolates and the finest restaurants.
And he had her trapped in a sleepy beach town that currently had freezing rain spitting from the sky and no food in his cottage. His chest tightened in shame and disgust. This was no place for a woman like Vanessa Barone.
“Hey, I thought you’d be outside.” Vanessa sidled up beside him and glanced at the credit card in his hand as Cheryl finished packing the clothes. “Oh, did you pay for all that? You didn’t have to. I—”
“You don’t have your wallet, remember?” His reply came out harder than he’d intended, and he caught her flinch. It only made him hate himself more. “It’s fine. Don’t worry about it.” Shoving his card into his own wallet, he headed for the door.
The cold air hit his face like the punch that he needed, and he took a deep, bracing breath, the salt air immediately easing the pressure in his chest.
Fucking Valentine’s Day. How did he not think about it? Why did it matter? It wasn’t like Vanessa was his girlfriend, or ever would be.
An ache settled uncomfortably deep in his heart. She’d never be more than a reluctant friend with some newly added benefits.
Fuck. He wanted more. So much more. Rubbing his palms against his eyelids, he tried to wipe away the image of her under him, over him, in front of him, calling his name. Begging. She was so willing with him, so open and honest. For better or for worse, she never held back. He adored that about her.
“What the hell was that?” Case in point. Vanessa barreled out of the shop, hands tossed in the air.
“I’m sorry.”
“No kidding? What the hell crawled up your ass in less than a minute?”
Heart-shaped balloons. Would she think he was stupid if he told her that? Because he was feeling hugely stupid at the moment.
“It was getting stuffy in there.” This wasn’t a total lie. He’d been sitting on a child-sized chair for forty-five minutes, trying to control his lust while she came out of the dressing room, each pair of jeans tighter than the last. Then dealt the final sucker punch with that blue dress.
Maybe he appeared as pathetic as he felt, because the fight seemed to drain out of her. “Shopping will take a lot out of you.” She patted him on the arm. “You need to build stamina.”
He blinked at her. “I thought last night proved that I have more than enough stamina.” His lips curved at the sight of the blush that crept up her neck.
“Okay, Zeus, that wasn’t meant to be a slight to your manly ego.
I’m simply saying that shopping is not for the faint of heart.
It’s an art. Searching the racks, trying things on, selecting the purchases.
” She held up the large bag like a trophy, and he took it from her.
“Contrary to popular belief, I’m a careful buyer.
My parents taught me to be good with money and not to spend frivolously.
I happen to like quality.” She grabbed for the bag again.
“Oh, which reminds me, I got you something.”
After she rummaged through the bag, she produced a small black leather square.
“You got me a wallet.”
She shrugged. “It reminded me of you. Compact, practical, strong. It suits you.”
Funny things were happening inside his body. Kind of like fireworks were going off, but his bones were simultaneously melting. His mother’s voice whispered in his head, telling him to mind his manners and say thank you, but words were stuck in his throat.
“I mean—” Her laugh sounded a bit nervous. “You paid for all that, so it’s not an actual gift until I repay you but—”
“You’re not paying me back.” The words boomed out of him, louder than necessary, and she jolted. He inhaled slowly. “While you’re with me, you aren’t paying for anything. You’ll have whatever you want. I’ll take care of it.”
Her shoulders relaxed, and a smile touched her lips. “I kind of like it when you’re a gentleman.”
He leaned in and caught her chin. “I’m no gentleman, princess, never forget it. But I do like taking care of you, and I’ll take care of you as long as you’re mine.”
Her gasp and stunned expression satisfied him deep in his core. He wasn’t a good man. No matter what he did now, he’d never be able to erase what he’d done before. But he’d be a good man for her. Or he’d die trying.
“Let’s walk, or you’ll freeze standing here. There’s a coffee shop at the end of the street. We’ll stop at the grocery store on the way back and get something for dinner. Okay?”
She nodded slowly, like she was in a dream.
He smiled. “Then let’s go.”
Turned out all she needed was visiting more shops to snap out of her trance. On their way to the coffee shop, she dragged him to a soap and candle store, purchasing locally made beach-scented items she insisted were essential for the cottage.