It was wicked.
I ran to the bathroom and when I got there, I locked the door.
* * *
After breakfast (eggs, bacon, toast and donuts), I took Tor to the mall.
This was a bizarre experience.
I had figured it would be fascinating to him and he’d be looking around, wide-eyed and amazed.
But like everything else, he took it in stride and acted just like a man. He strolled through the corridors with his arm around my shoulders and followed me through the stores intent on one thing: getting his clothes and getting the f**k out of there.
I guessed Tor wasn’t into shopping.
He took wads of the other Cora’s cash with him and we bought him jeans, tees, shirts, underwear, socks, pajama bottoms, boots and running shoes. We also bought him a money clip, a comb, a brush and an electric razor (the last being the only thing he showed even the slightest bit of interest in).
We were loaded down with bags, him carrying the heavier ones, and headed back to the car when I noticed something strange.
People were staring at us.
If they were simply staring at Tor, I wouldn’t have been surprised. He was a big guy, he had a scar, not to mention, he was hot. But they weren’t just looking at him (well, some of the women were). They were looking at us.
I was trying to figure out why when Tor spoke.
“Your clothing yesterday, love, I must say, was not to my taste. But today, what you’re wearing…” I tipped my head to look up at him to see he was looking down at me. “Your hair,” he went on, “what you’ve done with your face. I like it.”
I quickly looked away.
I’d gone all out telling myself it was because I missed my stuff and anyway, we were going to my folks for dinner that night so I had to look nice. The truth of it was, I had planted myself firmly in denial to the fact that I’d dressed for Tor.
I was wearing a cute little lilac dress with a tiered, full skirt that hit me at the knees, a low, square neckline and cap sleeves, over it a thin, dusty blue cardigan and a pair of spike-heeled, very strappy purple sandals. I’d blown out my hair and put on light makeup.
Then he capped it by muttering, “You’re by far the most beautiful woman I’ve seen in this world.” My step stuttered, his arm tightened around my shoulders to steady me and he murmured, “All right?”
“Yes,” I lied.
But I was not.
We were at a mall and there were a number of hot babes there, including several who’d waited on him in stores, practically pushing each other out of the way, I might add, even with me standing right there. Not to mention the fact that he’d been out all day yesterday and clearly seen a number of people.
Knowing that, it was the nicest compliment anyone had ever given me.
Then he said, as if to himself, his eyes taking in the eyes of the other patrons taking us in, “This makes me wonder…” He trailed off and didn’t continue.
“What?” I asked.
“Mm?” he asked back.
“What makes you wonder?”
He squeezed my shoulders and said distractedly, “Nothing, my sweet.”
I watched his face and saw he looked as distracted as he sounded.
I let it go, we made it to the car, loaded it up and went to the grocery store.
Tor had far more interest in the grocery store and we perused every aisle, Tor picking up stuff, studying it, reading labels, turning it in his hands and tossing it into the cart if it held any interest to him at all.