of.”
“Easy.”
His eyebrows shot up. “Contrary to the daily challenges I face with you? I’ll have to admit that I’m tempted.” He looked more than peeved, but added very quietly, “By now, you know I’m a man who doesn’t like to be told what to do.”
She looked at him as though he were a Grade A Idiot. “What man does?”
“Dakota called when you were at the hospital.” He shifted gears to avoid a childish fight. “I told her you would probably be in tomorrow after you rest some.”
“And you shamelessly flirted with her, I’m sure.”
“Jealous?”
“Honestly, I’m sorry to say that I’m not.” She pursed her lips in thought before she added, “Don’t mess with Dakota’s head if you can’t give her your all , Ryan. Seriously. She’s my friend, too, and I don’t want her hurt.” She pushed a black curl away from her eyes. “She’s not a random lay.”
“I would never use her,” he whispered gruffly while steering her toward the steaks.
“I don’t eat red meat.”
“But you’ll eat chemicals wrapped in sugar?” he challenged.
“It’s un-American not to enjoy a Twinkie . Everybody knows that.” She gripped the cart with both hands and tried to push forward, but he held it back with a mere index finger.
“You’ve spent the last several years in Italy so that type of logic doesn’t work for you.”
“I’m a citizen here.”
He gave her a shrewd smile just as a package of steaks came out of nowhere and flattened the cheese curls she thought were well hidden under two loaves of whole-wheat bread.
“I can’t believe you did that,” she growled. “They’re gonna make me buy those anyway, and I’ll have to lick my finger and drag it through tiny orange crumbs just to get a taste.”
“Such domesticated bliss,” a distantly familiar voice spoke from behind.
Oh, Jesus, help me . She could walk away, but knowing him , he’d find her alone much later. And this wasn’t the kind of confrontation she needed without a big, strong friend present. She nervously pressed her hands down the front of her too-tight, pale-pink jeans and slowly turned. Knees don’t buckle now.
Ryan already faced him. “Six.” A one-word greeting that said everything, but mostly: fuck off. Funny how they didn’t seemed surprised to see one another. But Sixten wasn’t looking at Ryan at all.
She stood in a dream. More like an exhausting nightmare in which there was no escape. Although the store was brightly lit, everything seemed to dim except Sixten. As if a halo of righteous light surrounded his perfect body - tempting her not to walk away or she’d be sucked into everlasting darkness.
Curious onlookers stopped and stared at his unequaled magnificence. Carts slammed into one another, but not even a baby cried out. They, like Blythe, were in too much shock. All astonished by his masculine splendor. Blythe astonished by his presence. And with a face personally touched by the hands of God, he drew his sculptured lips into a gloriously intense smile and murmured a sexy, “Hello, beautiful.”
Ryan squeezed her shoulder, and she took a gulp of air. No doubt, Sixten noticed her sudden inability to breathe, and if she wasn’t mistaken, her mouth was gaping. Yes, she had to close it. As stunned as she was, when her bottom teeth met her top ones, she couldn’t form any words.
Smoldering, ice-green eyes continually raked her from head to toe, taking in her shimmery-gray, strappy wedges, her second-skin jeans, and her sheer white blouse that layered a simple ribbed tank worn underneath. Sixten casually leaned against the refrigerated display case and anchored his hands on either side of his trim hips. “Leave us, Ryan.”
Ryan responded with a nearly inaudible ‘you wish’.
Sixten kept his eyes on Blythe the entire time, but with a deadly tone directed at Ryan, he asked, “You want to do this here? In public?”
“It seems
“Easy.”
His eyebrows shot up. “Contrary to the daily challenges I face with you? I’ll have to admit that I’m tempted.” He looked more than peeved, but added very quietly, “By now, you know I’m a man who doesn’t like to be told what to do.”
She looked at him as though he were a Grade A Idiot. “What man does?”
“Dakota called when you were at the hospital.” He shifted gears to avoid a childish fight. “I told her you would probably be in tomorrow after you rest some.”
“And you shamelessly flirted with her, I’m sure.”
“Jealous?”
“Honestly, I’m sorry to say that I’m not.” She pursed her lips in thought before she added, “Don’t mess with Dakota’s head if you can’t give her your all , Ryan. Seriously. She’s my friend, too, and I don’t want her hurt.” She pushed a black curl away from her eyes. “She’s not a random lay.”
“I would never use her,” he whispered gruffly while steering her toward the steaks.
“I don’t eat red meat.”
“But you’ll eat chemicals wrapped in sugar?” he challenged.
“It’s un-American not to enjoy a Twinkie . Everybody knows that.” She gripped the cart with both hands and tried to push forward, but he held it back with a mere index finger.
“You’ve spent the last several years in Italy so that type of logic doesn’t work for you.”
“I’m a citizen here.”
He gave her a shrewd smile just as a package of steaks came out of nowhere and flattened the cheese curls she thought were well hidden under two loaves of whole-wheat bread.
“I can’t believe you did that,” she growled. “They’re gonna make me buy those anyway, and I’ll have to lick my finger and drag it through tiny orange crumbs just to get a taste.”
“Such domesticated bliss,” a distantly familiar voice spoke from behind.
Oh, Jesus, help me . She could walk away, but knowing him , he’d find her alone much later. And this wasn’t the kind of confrontation she needed without a big, strong friend present. She nervously pressed her hands down the front of her too-tight, pale-pink jeans and slowly turned. Knees don’t buckle now.
Ryan already faced him. “Six.” A one-word greeting that said everything, but mostly: fuck off. Funny how they didn’t seemed surprised to see one another. But Sixten wasn’t looking at Ryan at all.
She stood in a dream. More like an exhausting nightmare in which there was no escape. Although the store was brightly lit, everything seemed to dim except Sixten. As if a halo of righteous light surrounded his perfect body - tempting her not to walk away or she’d be sucked into everlasting darkness.
Curious onlookers stopped and stared at his unequaled magnificence. Carts slammed into one another, but not even a baby cried out. They, like Blythe, were in too much shock. All astonished by his masculine splendor. Blythe astonished by his presence. And with a face personally touched by the hands of God, he drew his sculptured lips into a gloriously intense smile and murmured a sexy, “Hello, beautiful.”
Ryan squeezed her shoulder, and she took a gulp of air. No doubt, Sixten noticed her sudden inability to breathe, and if she wasn’t mistaken, her mouth was gaping. Yes, she had to close it. As stunned as she was, when her bottom teeth met her top ones, she couldn’t form any words.
Smoldering, ice-green eyes continually raked her from head to toe, taking in her shimmery-gray, strappy wedges, her second-skin jeans, and her sheer white blouse that layered a simple ribbed tank worn underneath. Sixten casually leaned against the refrigerated display case and anchored his hands on either side of his trim hips. “Leave us, Ryan.”
Ryan responded with a nearly inaudible ‘you wish’.
Sixten kept his eyes on Blythe the entire time, but with a deadly tone directed at Ryan, he asked, “You want to do this here? In public?”
“It seems
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