Bare Skin (Skin Deep 5)

Well, that topic anyway.

“Is this why you turned me down?” He asked it lightly, but I still almost got the impression that he was someone that didn’t get told no very often. I also got the feeling he didn’t quite like it. Which was kind of funny.

I squinted up at him. “Do I really have to have a reason to tell you no? Or do you need a reason so you can convince yourself that it wasn’t just that a woman was able to resist your charms?”

“You’re feisty,” he said, grinning at me.

“Thanks,” I said dryly. “Now, I really have to get a couple things so I can get back and feed Kaden. See ya.”

I grabbed at the cart handle, intending to push it on down the aisle, but his hand was still attached to the baby. I paused, raising my eyebrows at him in a silent plea to move out of the way.

“I’ll walk with you,” he replied, gently shouldering me out of the way and stepping in front of my cart to start pushing it down the aisle.

I tried to contain the low growl that started deep in my throat, but it didn’t work so well. Didn’t help that he turned around, smirking, and asked, “Problem?”

“Uh, what about your shopping?” I asked, indicating the mostly empty shopping cart on the opposite side of the aisle. “Weren’t you in the middle of something?”

He paused. “We could share a cart,” he replied, a sly smile lighting up his face.

I shook my head. “I don’t think so. I’ve got stuff to do, so if you don’t mind?” I pushed my way in front of him, gently disentangled his hand from Kaden’s, and started off down the aisle away from him. I heard the thud of something hitting a cart and then the rapid clattering of wheels following me until I stopped at the end of the aisle, grabbing a 32-pack of bottled water and carefully shoving it onto the bottom rack of the cart.

But when I turned the corner and, trying to make it seem like I wasn’t doing it, glanced over my shoulder, it was to see Calland turning the opposite direction. Before I turned down the next aisle, I heard him call out, “See you later, Dani.”

“Not if I see you first,” I muttered under my breath.

I finished shopping and checked out, walking outside only to find that I had parked beside Calland’s car. I groaned as he smirked.

“Even parked by me. Think fate is trying to tell us something?” he queried, giving me an innocent smile.

“Goodbye, Calland,” I muttered, loading Kaden into the car before unloading all my groceries into the trunk.

“No, Red. It’s not goodbye. It’s see you later. Right?”

With that, he got into his car and pulled away, honking and waving jauntily as he went.

I shook my head and sighed, wondering not for the first time if I was doing the right thing.