Need Me (Mess with Me 3)

He peers into my basket curiously before I can switch it to the other arm. His wrist still has a splint on it but his long sleeves cover most of it. He looks a little odd wearing a cashmere sweater when it’s so hot outside and his hair definitely hasn’t seen a brush in days but otherwise he looks like a slightly rumpled guy with a perfectly stubbled jaw.

I blow out a breath. The man really is too sexy for his own good. Which means I need to get rid of him. Stat.

“Is this a good orange?” He holds it up and taps the side, putting his ear next to the peel.

“What are you doing?”

“Tapping it. Isn’t that how you do it? I saw a woman tapping her fruit so I thought it was supposed to sound a certain way.”

Holding back a smile, I take the orange from his hand and place it in his basket. “You only tap certain fruits. Usually melons.”

He looks disappointed. “Oh. And I was enjoying it so much.”

As I move to the salad section, I’m acutely aware of him following closely. This can’t really be a coincidence, can it? Seeing him in this many places in DC has to violate all the laws of probability. But I can’t deny the little flash of pleasure that zipped through me when I saw him. He has a way of grinning that makes me feel it all the way down to my toes. Like seeing me has made his day.

It’s the kind of thing that’s really hard to forget.

When he reaches in the next display case for a single serving of salad, his sleeve moves back revealing the splint. I tell myself that I’m just checking him out in a medical sense, making sure he’s really okay after his accident. When he catches me watching him, his lips curl.

“Keeping a close eye on me, bella?”

“I’m just looking at your wrist. You seem to be healing nicely. That’s good.”

His brow furrows. “That’s it? You aren’t going to ask how I felt about you abandoning me at the hospital?”

“I didn’t abandon you. My shift was over and I had to go.”

“Uh huh. Well, I was very hurt. First you fall asleep on me. Then you abandon me.”

“I didn’t–”

He continues, clearly on a roll now that I can’t escape. “Your continued indifference to my feelings is very hard on me. Almost as hard as wanking with a sprained wrist. That was a real challenge. Thank you for asking.”

“I wasn’t going to ask. I figured you’d manage somehow.”

He shrugs. “Being ambidextrous had to come in handy at some point.”

Not wanting him to see my smile, I move away from the produce and suddenly notice all the people who definitely just heard what he said.

An older lady with her almost white hair styled in a profusion of rigid curls watches us with an open mouth. My face heats.

For the first time in years, I’m feeling something. It’s unfamiliar but I think it might be… embarrassment?

He’s done the impossible. He’s managed to out-crazy me.

When Vin notices the older woman staring, he winks lazily. “Buonasera. I enjoyed watching you picking the fruit. I’m learning so much today.”

She puts a hand to her mouth, clearly charmed. “Oh, stop.”

I walk away quickly heading for the meat department. I’m debating whether I should just shove my head underneath all the packages of ground beef when Vin appears at my elbow.

“I would say I can’t believe you just did that but… this is you. So yeah that just happened.”

He follows as I grab what I need before moving on to get the cheese slices Mya likes so much. As soon as I pick them up I remember. She’s back with Milo. That means I won’t see her around much anymore. I put the cheese slices back with a sigh.

Vin grabs a bag of chips from a standing display. He puts them in his basket at an awkward angle, trying not to tip it over.

“I have to get snacks. Otherwise I’m eating nothing but the boring healthy shit my brother likes.”