her discomfort with dealing with emotions. The public display of affection, however small it was, was an unexpected surprise too.
“I’d do it all again. In a heartbeat,” I said, my voice quieter now that we were inside the shop and away from the bustle of the touristy street. “So, what are you looking for in here?”
She turned a pair of earrings between her fingers a few times before setting them down and answering. “I wanted to bring something back for Hannah. Why don’t you find something for Reina?”
With a scrunched face, I decisively shook my head. “I’m not sure giving my executive assistant jewelry strikes the right tone.”
“I’m not suggesting a diamond ring, Grant. What’s wrong with a nice pair of earrings? Look how pretty these are.” She thrust a random pair in my direction, and I took them like an obedient shopping companion.
I barely glanced at the dangling disasters before setting them back on the counter. “I think I’ll stick to the nice-sized holiday bonus I give her every year. It works for us, so why upset the apple cart?”
Rio shrugged and carried two items toward the register, where a smiling local woman waited to help her. “Suit yourself. Let me just pay for these, and I’ll be ready.”
“Take your time. How does lunch sound?” I called out to her while I riffled through a rack of bathing suits. A little black two-piece caught my eye, and I wondered how much of a fuss the woman would kick up if I bought it for her.
Little crocheted triangles made up the skimpy top, and there wasn’t much more to the bottoms. Another saleswoman appeared by my side while Rio continued her animated conversation with the woman behind the register.
“That one looks great on.” She smiled warmly and then nodded toward Rio at the other end of the shop. “For her?”
“Maybe. I’m not sure if she would let me buy it for her, though. She can be…stubborn,” I finally filled in.
“I’ll get a bag, and you can just round off the price if you’re paying cash.” She leaned even closer so we could conspire about the purchase. “That way, you can surprise her when the time is right?” she suggested, hoping to close a sale.
I had to hand it to her—she knew the art of the deal.
“Yeah, all right.” I quickly pulled out my wallet and handed the woman some cash, and she darted off for a bag. We finished our mission well before Rio wrapped up her conversation and made her way back to me.
“Ready?” she asked cheerfully, and we moved out onto the sidewalk. “I wasn’t hungry until you mentioned food. Now I’m starving.” While standing on the balls of her feet, she gripped my forearm for balance and tried to see over the throng of people. “I think there was a fish taco place a couple shops down that way.” Rio sank back down to her flat feet but looked up at me over the tops of her sunglasses. “Isn’t that the direction of the marina?” she asked with a bit of confusion.
“I think this place really agrees with you. You’re positively radiant right now.” Before she could protest, because fuck, I knew she would, I bent and wrapped my arms around her waist and hauled her body flush against mine, lifting her off the ground.
“Looking lost like an obvious tourist?” she asked while stifling a giggle. People grumbled as they had to divert their course to walk around us, but I didn’t care. While I had her body pressed against mine, I couldn’t think of much else.
I kissed the tip of her sun-kissed nose and then her glossy lips before letting her slide down the front of my body until her feet touched the ground again. The sticky strawberry goo she had on her lips was on mine then too, and I tasted it with a grimace.
“Oh my God, I wish I had my camera out for that. That was priceless.” Mischief transformed her entire face, and I was the one wishing I had a camera at the ready. This woman captivated me in so many different ways, I felt like a love-sick teenager again.
Except, when I was a teenager, I never had time for feelings like these. I was busy watching my back on the streets and worrying about staying one step ahead of law enforcement when Bas and I were up to trouble—which, let’s face it, was all the damn time.