Page 33 of Love In Hiding

“I’m right there with you.”

He watched her go into the bathroom with a change of clothes, grabbed the key to the room and left with his phone.

“Can I help you?” Kayleigh asked.

“Yes. Is there a liquor or wine store close by?”

Kayleigh smiled. “Across the street and two buildings down. They sell beer and wine there. It’s a general store.”

“Good enough,” he said.

He left the building, crossed the street, found the general store and walked in. He didn’t know the wine she drank, but got a bottle of white and red to cover his bases, grabbed a four pack of craft beer, walked down an aisle and snagged some snacks. Crunchy and salty like his roommate for the next two days, then a bag of chocolate. Maybe something would help.

When he was waiting in line, he noticed bags hanging on the side. Lined laundry travel bags. Perfect. He grabbed two of them.

He emptied the basket and put everything on the counter, then looked past the cashier. “Can I get two of those glasses?”

Not wine or beer glasses. Just regular drinking glasses, but it’d be better than the plastic cups in the room. At least they had a mini fridge to keep their beverages cold.

When he was back in the room, the bathroom door was still shut, but the shower was off.

Their drinks were in the fridge, their snacks on the side table by the air conditioning unit that was louder than an old car missing a muffler. At least it’d keep the outside noise out later.

The minute the bathroom door opened, he moved past her with his clothes in his hand and tried not to inhale the soft, clean scent of the woman he was going to be forced to spend so much time with.

10

SELF-AWARENESS

Damn it.

How could she be mad at a guy who left to get chips and chocolate while she was in the shower?

The long, cool shower had helped some. Food and wine would definitely take the edge off.

The two mini Snickers she’d popped in her mouth whole had started it.

With her legs in shorts out in front of her, she debated texting Paris. But it would take more than a few quick words to let her sister know what living hell she was in.

And Paris would only lecture her. Hadn’t she gotten enough of that today?

She didn’t need Spencer to tell her she’d pushed too much today. She knew. And she had no one to blame but herself.

By now, you’d think she’d be used to men just diminishing her worth or sticking her in a slot the minute they saw her. Most times, she didn’t care and used it in her favor.

Being in Spencer’s presence had unnerved her more than she wanted to let on.

The powerful scent of musk that was probably aftershave.

The heat of his body in the car that shouldn’t be there, but her mind said it was lighting her on fire.

It was his unwavering patience and willingness to let her take charge rather than push back when they got to the rental counter.

She didn’t know what was wrong with her. Why she was almost trying so hard to get him to crack just a teenie tiny bit.

But she had reined it in when they met with Belinda. The owner had been sweet and apologetic and had offered to do whatever she was told right then.

It wasn’t her call to make any changes right now. But it was common sense to get the freezer fixed.