Page 67 of Love in Overdrive

She said she worked tonight. Not that he was here to see her. Yeah, right. Even he couldn’t make himself believe that lie.

His phone pinged. As he expected, his mom’s reply took two scrolls to complete. After reading the paragraph reply, he determined the store brand was fine as long as it was extra virgin, light. Whatever that meant. Cade shrugged and scanned the shelves.

“What’s the difference between extra virgin versus just virgin?” He half expected the bottle to have a little metal chastity belt around it. He snickered. Nope, just the label. Cade grabbed an acceptable bottle and headed for the front of the store.

At the register, he read the tabloids while he waited to checkout. He shook his head at some of the headlines—one-hundred-pound baby, cosmetic surgeries gone wrong, and the ever-present jilted celebs. Who reads this stuff?

He caught a flash of blonde to his left. His focus shifted from the rag mag to the woman pushing a cart down the pharmacy aisle.

“Excuse me.” He wormed past the older woman’s cart behind him in pursuit of the one thing he really came to the store for. Laney.

Laney was shoving another roll of paper towels on the shelf when a shadow fell over her. Strong arms wrapped around her waist, and she jolted.

“Can you tell me where I can find the sleeping aids? Because I toss and turn all night dreaming of you.” A familiar, deep voice tickled her ear.

“Aw.” A giggle slipped out, and she relaxed into Cade’s broad chest.

“Hey, it’s one of my best lines. Then again, I’m not much of a talker.” He kissed her pulse point. His facial hair tickled ever so slightly.

Laney swallowed the squeal in the back of her throat. Who needed talk? Not her. She only needed Cade and his beard to rub over… Every. Single. Part… of her body. A shiver of delight lit her core.

She cocked her head to the side to give him better access. She could stand here all night in his arms. And… she’d be fired. She sighed and reluctantly stepped out of his embrace. Pasting on her work smile, she faced him. “What brings you by?”

He let her step away, but his fingers slipped down her arm and intertwined with hers. “My mom needed a couple of things for dinner, so I offered to pick them up.”

“I’m glad you did. Hey, did you invite Nash tomorrow night?”

“Yeah, he’s in.”

“Good. Sawyer’s coming too.”

Cade looked beyond her and frowned. “Who’s the middle-aged guy with an attitude?”

Laney peeked over her shoulder. Son of a beaver. Her boss scowled at her from over his glasses.

“My manager,” she whispered. “I already had my break, and he’s a tyrant when it comes to wasting time.” Raising her voice, she added, “Sleeping aids are in aisle four. Right this way.”

Cade picked up his basket and fell into step with her. They stopped in front of the Tylenol PM.

“I have to get back to work. But I’ll see you tomorrow night.”

Cade glanced around.

What was he looking for? Laney checked the aisle. It was clear. She turned back. Heat flared in his eyes. He pulled her close with his free arm, and his lips descended. Their light touch sizzled.

Her bones dissolved under his touch. Then, all too quickly, he pulled back.

More! Her body screamed to screw this job and go with him. But her mind reminded her there were only forty-eight dollars currently in her bank account. Reality set in.

“See you tomorrow. Sleep tight.” He winked at her and sauntered down the aisle.

Laney bit her lip. Screw it. She stood frozen in place, watching the sway of Cade’s butt in those jeans. The man’s backside should be on a billboard.

A throat cleared… her manager. Yes, she needed to get back to work, but instead of scurrying back to her stocking task, she stood perfectly still, watching Cade stroll out of sight.

She let out a sigh and turned to her boss. His foot tapped impatiently, disapproval clear on his face. The urge to roll her eyes was strong. She fought it, but internally, she dared him. Go ahead. Fire me. It would have been worth it.