talking. “Deacon told me he’s on board, said ‘thank fuck’ and said he’d take my back with your dad and all the brothers. Said to come by and he’d give me the keys and directions to a cabin in Nebraska so we could lay low at least until we find out if Freebooters are enemies or not.”
Thank fuck? That sounded like Deacon was relieved I was with Christian. Not just accepting begrudgingly… relieved.
“When do we find out?”
“Tomorrow or the next day, maybe. Shit’s still being set up for the meet. No trust on either side so it’s been a long process gettin’ to an agreement for time and place.”
“Shit.”
“Yeah.”
I blinked, absorbing it all. Deacon, encouraging Christian. Christian kidnapping me. Spencer being okay with this. That calendar being the straw that broke the stubborn ox’s back.
“I love that calendar.”
He went stiff.
I looked up and smirked.
He narrowed his eyes at me.
I giggled and kissed him. I kissed him and threaded my fingers in his hair.
“Best decision I ever made.”
“Don’t piss me off, lady.”
I laughed. “Let’s go for food. I’m starving. And I need a toothbrush and a nightie and clean undies.”
He smirked at me. “And bubbles. For the forty dollar hot tub.”
I smiled wide. I smiled so wide it hurt. And it hurt so good.
13
We were in Target and I was in the underwear section while he stood, back bowed and forearms leaning on the shopping cart handle, watching with avid interest.
“These ones?” I held up cheeky red lace ones.
He nodded slowly and definitively.
“These?” I held up a thong.
A wide smile was aimed at me with a toothpaste commercial sparkle.
“What about these?” I picked up a pack of granny panties.
He smiled the exact same way and this time raised his eyebrows.
I burst out laughing and tossed them back. “Not a chance. Weirdo.”
I grabbed another two pairs like the red ones, but in black and purple.
He pointed to a polka dot pair of booty shorts.
“Yeah?” I inquired.
He smiled. “Polka dots.”
I smiled. I liked polka dots a lot. He clearly knew this and evidently liked them too. I tossed them in the cart.
“You’ll be happy to know that I am a member of a knicker of the month club and polka dot, leopard-print, and other lacy surprises will be frequent.”
He gave me an eyebrow wiggle. “I look forward to it.”
“Though, if they send me grannies, I’m canceling my membership,” I warned.
He snorted.
I would’ve expected the extreme alpha Christian Forker to balk at watching a woman shop for clothes, but he surprised me by being completely patient about it.
He started to look a little bored, though, after a while in the cosmetics section so I stopped lamenting over moisturizer choices and quickly grabbed the basics I needed.
We’d already visited the men’s section and bought him a pack of black socks, three pack of black boxer briefs, a Henley, and a three pack of t-shirts. They didn’t have jeans long enough for his height so he told me there was a store we’d stop off at tomorrow that he knew would carry his size for an extra couple pairs of jeans.
“I’m getting flipflops. You want flipflops?”
He looked at me like I was nuts. “Do I look like I wear flipflops?”
“Should we hit a boot barn?” I asked. “Get you some open-toed cowboy boots?”
“I think I’m good.”
I laughed and threw a basic black pair of flip flops into the cart.
“Okay, I think we’re done. Got enough to get me by for three or four days. What about food? I’m starvin’.”
“Steakhouse down the road,” he said.
“Okay,” I shrugged.
We checked out and he paid in cash and wouldn’t let me carry any bags.
I bit my lip. “I feel bad you spent so much money on me, but you did kidnap me…”
A lady walking beside us did a double take.
“It’s okay,” I assured her. “I planted the trap and he took the bait.”
She blinked and laughed nervously but still looked concerned.
He rolled his eyes and steered me to his truck.
***
My man could eat. This, I knew, from fusilli a la vodka, but he ordered the biggest steak, ate a giant loaded double baked potato, went to the salad bar twice and then ordered chocolate cake with ice cream for dessert.
My man.
I had a man.
Conversation was actual conversation with him, which was everything to me because he asked questions, he listened to my answers, and he held my hand often throughout our meal. He asked me about college, and I told him about my plans to be a teacher and he