side of the box as soon as I touched the side nearest to me. I yanked my gaze up properly for the first time since setting foot into this aisle and found myself looking into a gorgeous, familiar pair of brown eyes.
Oh no. Not him. Anyone but him. All I could think of when I looked into his eyes was the insane chemistry that had flowed between us the last time I’d been this close to his face. I’d spent all the time between then and now telling myself it had been my imagination playing tricks on me and that there was no way I’d really felt what I’d thought I had.
One second in his orbit and I knew that had all been a lie. The chemistry was there, and it made me want to tangle my fingers in his hair and kiss him right there in the middle of the mob.
Jacob smirked when he recognized me, and it was like someone had dumped a bucket of ice water over my head.
“It’s you,” he said, repeating the same words from Halloween. “Imagine that. How are you, Laurie?”
“I’d be better if you let go of the toy I’m getting Katie for Christmas.” I glared at him. “How are you?”
He chuckled, not seeming nearly as tense as I was about being in such a big crowd. The bottom of his jaw was slightly redder than the rest of his skin, and there was a scrape on the forearm connected to the hand holding the box.
“See, that’s funny. I’m not going to let go because this happens to be the doll I’m getting Allie for Christmas.”
I broke eye contact with him to glance at the shelf, praying to see another box sticking out behind this one. But, of course, that would’ve made things too easy.
“This seems to be the last one,” I said.
“I noticed. Why don’t you go ask that nice lady who was just screaming at everyone to calm down if she’s got another one in the back? That way, you’ll also go home with what you wanted today.”
“No thanks. I have a better plan.” I tightened my grip on the box. “Why don’t you go ask her about more stock in the back?”
He shook his head and chuckled again, but the sound was darker this time. “No way. I’ve just come from up there and I’m not going back. Do you have any idea how brutal it is at the electronic toys around there? I got slapped.”
“Oh, I thought that might just have been because of your personality.”
He snorted. “You didn’t seem to mind my personality so much on Saturday.”
“Temporary insanity.” I waved my free hand. “Just like my bright idea of coming shopping on Black Friday.”
“Insanity is one explanation for it, I suppose.” His eyes locked on mine, and I had to grab onto the world with both mental hands to keep it from melting away again. “Regardless, I’m getting this doll for Allie. Sorry, Laurie. You’re going to have to go find another one at a different shop.”
“Katie has wanted this doll for ages,” I said, my tone imploring but not begging. “It’s all she’s been talking about. It’s not even December yet and she’s already written Santa about it.”
“Allie’s been talking about it just as much. I’m not in the business of disappointing my daughter, and she would be extremely disappointed if this doll wasn’t under the Christmas tree this year.”
“So would Katie,” I said. “She would be devastated. Normally, I would let you have it, but I’m afraid I won’t find it again and I can’t wrap my head around not having this doll on Christmas morning. I’ll do anything to make that little girl smile, and this year, this is it.”
A devious look appeared in his eye and the edges of his lips twitched. “Anything, huh? Okay, I can work with that.”
“What?” My eyebrows mashed together. “What do you mean you can work with that?”
That doesn’t sound good. Or did it sound too good? I would’ve screwed my eyes shut to try and get a moment of clarity to clear up the confusion, something I wouldn’t get while still looking into his eyes, but I wasn’t losing sight of him right then.
Not because he was hot but because he really did look devious and I wasn’t letting him grab the toy right out from underneath me.
“I mean that I’ll let the doll go on one condition—a date,” he said, slowly withdrawing his hand and opening his