Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 72154 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 361(@200wpm)___ 289(@250wpm)___ 241(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72154 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 361(@200wpm)___ 289(@250wpm)___ 241(@300wpm)
I started to agree, then remembered what my groceries included.
“I…can’t.”
He frowned. “Why?”
“Because I don’t want to hold you up,” I lied.
I just didn’t want him to know that my entire order, all one hundred dollars’ worth, was filled with condoms, lube, and other things that I hoped to use with him one day.
Though, he hadn’t caught on to this fact yet…but he would.
I was working on it, anyway.
Hopefully, in a few months, I would work up the courage to actually make a move. Until then…I’d be prepared.
But I wouldn’t be if he made me go with him. There was no way in hell I was going to get my groceries with him present…
The next thing I knew, at nine in the morning, I found myself in Parker’s tow truck.
He’d forced me to come by shoving my feet into my UGG boots, throwing a sweatshirt over my head without threading my arms through the armholes, and then tossed me over his shoulder.
I’d tried to wiggle my way out of going. Really, I had.
He wouldn’t take no for an answer, and even when I told him I wasn’t feeling up to going with him all day, he still wouldn’t relent.
Which happened to be why I was nervously waiting for the attendant to appear.
I was waiting outside the truck, shivering and shaking, because I didn’t want Parker to know what I’d bought.
The moment that the attendant appeared from the side door, I knew this was going to be embarrassing.
Why, you ask?
Because Parker didn’t stay in the truck like I’d told him to.
Nope, he got out and nodded at the male associate bringing out my groceries—well, not that they actually contained anything besides a bag of my favorite candy and the unmentionables.
Though, Parker didn’t know that.
I’d tried to use the excuse that I had cold stuff, and that I should just take them to the apartment and meet him at the office. When he hadn’t accepted that excuse, I’d then tried to tell him that I hadn’t wanted to go.
By that point, he was suspicious and was no longer taking no for an answer.
Which led us to now.
He was curious.
I could see it in the light of his eyes.
He wanted to know what I was getting, and he wanted to know why I was trying to keep it a secret.
“So you had two substitutions…”
“I know. I read the email.” I smiled stiffly.
The attendant nodded once, his face tinging pink, almost as if he hadn’t wanted to tell me what those substitutions were, either.
“All right, then,” he said, handing me the little handheld device they used. “Sign here.”
I did, then handed it back to him.
He was busy bending over and picking up bags, and then he turned to hand the bags to me.
We bobbled the switch, and I watched in horror as the bag fell to the ground.
And my one hundred count of condoms hit the floor.
Then, to add insult to injury, the box busted open and the condoms started to spill out.
They were an economy ‘adventure’ pack. There was glow in the dark, ribbed, lubed, ‘second skin’ thin, and even some alternative ‘non-latex’ ones.
Horror washed over me as I stared at them.
“Oh, shit,” the associate said, bending down and trying to stuff them back in the box. “I’m so sorry.”
Parker bent down and took the box from the man’s hand, then picked up the bag.
Tossing the busted box into the bag, he glanced at me, a gleam in his eye.
I wanted to shrink into myself. Pull my sweatshirt up over my face, and just play turtle for the rest of the day while I hid from my embarrassment.
But, I couldn’t.
Why?
Because Parker wouldn’t let me.
I tried.
Instead of allowing me to go back to the passenger side like I’d turned to do, he hooked his arm around my waist and pulled me in tight.
I swallowed as a wave of rightness rolled over me.
Being in his arms, despite my embarrassment, always felt like I was coming home.
“H-here’s the rest,” the associate said, handing me the other three bags.
Parker took those, too.
All of them were in one hand, and he looked like he wasn’t straining at all even though all of it had to weigh quite a bit.
“Thank you,” Parker said, sounding amused by both of our reactions.
He let me go then, and I practically ran to the truck.
The moment I was in my seat, I buckled myself in, and then stared straight forward.
Parker opened his back door, put my bags in the back seat, and then slammed it closed.
I closed my eyes in reaction.
Oh God.
Janie had warned me this wouldn’t end well.
I just thought…how could it not? It was such a good plan. I wouldn’t have to go into the store to get the groceries. I also wouldn’t have to get in line with the groceries. I just had one attendant to deal with.