“Slow down,” Marley said.
He glanced down at her. “Am I moving too fast for you?”
“No, but you look like you’re in the big city. It makes us stick out. People are noticing us.”
He made another quick survey. She was right. They hadn’t garnered any outright stares, but certainly a handful of curious watchers noted their hurried progress.
“We’re on vacation, honey,” said Marley, pitching her voice so others could hear. “Not headed to a board meeting. Chill out a little.” She tugged him to a halt in front of a fudge shop. Beyond the window, a man performed deft confectionery acrobatics with chocolate and a big wooden paddle.
From the corner of his eye, Ian noted some of the watchers smiling in amusement and going on their way.
He was new at this, at trying to blend in outside the shadows. At any other time, he’d be skating through without a sound or sign. But not with her. Not when her trust in him hinged on her thinking he was human.
Ian slid an arm around her, tucked her close to his side. She held herself stiff for a few moments before relaxing into the embrace. “You’re right.” He turned to nuzzle above her ear and dropped his voice. “Hiding in plain sight isn’t my forte.”
He felt the barest shiver shudder through her and had to fight the urge not to linger. Easing back, he said, “How do you feel about fudge?”
“Fudge?” she asked faintly.
“I prefer peanut butter fudge myself, although the caramel swirl is pretty incredible. C’mon, you should try some.”
Despite the urgency beating in his blood to get to Levi’s, get this over and done, he pulled her inside the fudge shop and up to the counter. They could take a few minutes to do this simple, normal thing. Blend in with the tourists.
The heady smell of chocolate overpowered everything else. Half a dozen people were inside, all exuding vibrant shades of happiness and relaxation as they browsed the selection and tasted samples. A woman dipping into her purchase as she left the shop exploded into an orgasmic fuchsia starburst. Damn, that must be some good fudge. It was a startling contrast to what he usually sought out and noticed.
“What can I get you?” asked the woman behind the counter. Her smile took in the arm he still had wrapped around Marley and widened. “We’ve got a red velvet fudge that’s currently a favorite among our love birds.”
Ian blinked at her. Love birds?
“I can always tell the newlyweds,” the woman drawled. “You’ve all got that extra special glow about you. How long have y’all been married?”
Marley gave his waist a subtle pinch as she grinned in response. “You’re good. Six days.”
“Fresh from the altar,” the woman chirped. “Where are y’all coming from?”
“Little bitty town in North Dakota. Thought we’d come down south, try the food. The red velvet fudge sounds fabulous. Do you have some samples we could try?”
“Why certainly. You’ve definitely come to the right place for food. If you’ve got the time, you should head up to the Smoky Mountain Brewery. They’ve got an amazing selection of microbrews and the best pizza in town.”
“We’ll be sure to do that,” said Marley.
The shopkeeper bustled away and Marley arched a brow, challenging him to play along.
Married? Newlyweds? What the hell did he know about how they acted? S
uch domesticity wasn’t part of his world.
Ian bent close and whispered, “North Dakota?”
“Have you ever been there?” she asked softly.
“No.”
“Neither has anybody else.”
The woman came back offering the tiny cubes of dark red fudge. Marley plucked one off the tray and brought it to Ian’s lips. “Sweets for the sweet,” she said.
He opened his mouth and took it from her, flicking his tongue over the tips of her fingers to catch the last crumbs of chocolate. As the taste of it bloomed in his mouth, Marley’s eyes went dark, her pupils springing wide. Awareness arced between them, and for a moment, Ian forgot everything but the feel of her pressed against him. A lazy pink curl of lust tinged with traces of surprise and confusion unfurled around her. She swallowed.