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“What was that for?” he asked gruffly when she pulled away, surprised by how touched he was by the seemingly innocent gesture.
“For being so kind and generous.” She smiled prettily and his heart jerked against his chest. “Thank you.”
If he earned a kiss like that for every time he was kind and generous, he planned on being exactly that for her for the rest of his days. “Hurry and change out of the dress,” he said, waving a hand at the open stall that beckoned for her. “We still need to get you shoes.”
“Such a shopper. Who knew?” She rolled her eyes and stepped away. “But nothing too expensive, okay?”
He didn’t care how much they cost. As long as they looked good on those pretty feet of hers, he was buying them. “Whatever you say, Kitty Cat.”
Her surprised gaze met his. “What did you call me?”
“Kitty Cat. It fits you, don’t you think?”
“I…guess so.” She frowned, unconsciously tugging on the dress hem again, though it was no use. He swore the skirt crept up higher with every pull she gave it.
“What, you don’t like it?”
“It’s not that. No one has ever called me Kitty Cat before, and I think I like it.” She stood taller. “In fact, I like it a lot.”
“Well, Kitty Cat, I’m glad I could give you a new nickname you approve of, but we’re wasting time here staring at each other when we could be shopping for shoes.” He sounded like a total woman, but he was running with it. He wanted to make Cat happy, spend more time with her, learn more about her.
She was sweet, with a hint of steel he found intriguing. Tonight, he planned on learning even more about her. In between sweaty bouts on the dance floor…
If he was lucky, maybe they could indulge in a few sweaty bouts between the sheets too.
Shopping with Rafe had proven exhausting, both mentally and physically. He’d purchased the dress despite her protests. Then he’d taken her into the vast shoe department, found a salesperson with exquisite taste who made it her sole mission in life to find the perfect shoe to go with her new dress.
That had taken what felt like forever. But the end result? A gorgeous, platform, peep-toe pump in a patent leather nude, the famous red soles indicating that they were a pair of Louboutins and worth almost one thousand dollars.
She’d balked. She’d tried her hardest to convince Rafe she didn’t need those shoes, all while the salesperson stood to the side, beaming at the both of them. He wouldn’t budge, letting Cat know in no uncertain terms that he wanted to see her in those shoes while wearing that dress. No other shoes would do.
“The shoes will go with so much. I guarantee you’ll wear them for years to come,” their stylish, petite salesperson had told them, earning a withering stare from Cat for her efforts.
She’d given in, only because the entire argument over a stupid pair of shoes had taken everything out of her. Rafe was as stubborn as a mule when it came to getting what he wanted. Would being married to him result in fight after fight since he seemed so unwilling to compromise?
The shopping incident seemed to confirm that maybe it was the right choice, breaking it off with Rafe.
After they’d spent what felt like the entire day at the department store, they’d finally returned to his apartment. She’d gone into the guest bedroom to set down her bags, the neatly made bed calling her name, and the next thing she knew, she’d collapsed on top of it and slept for hours.
She finally woke up just before nine o’clock, shocked to discover she’d slept most of the evening away. When she came out into the living room, she found Rafe had ordered in a late dinner for them and it had just arrived. Chinese food, something she rarely indulged in, and devoured without question once he’d doled out a heaping serving of the three entrees he ordered. Her head still a little foggy, she ate quietly, almost afraid to look in Rafe’s direction for fear he was disappointed by her somehow.
So foolish. But she’d disappointed an endless stream of people for years and she was feeling sort of sad after sleeping for so long. Maybe she was jetlagged. She probably shouldn’t have taken such a long nap. Her head was still a little woozy. She was thankful for the comfortable silence while they ate.
“Still want to go out dancing?” he finally asked.
Nodding, she stared at her half-empty plate. The food was delicious, but she was already full. “Only if you don’t mind.”
“I don’t mind.” He paused. “Did you sleep well?”
She chanced a glance at him, noticing that he watched her carefully, his dark eyes full of concern. “I don’t really remember lying down, so I must’ve.”
Rafe chuckled. “The last twenty-four hours have been very busy for you.”
“Yes, for us both.” She dragged her fork—she was a complete failure when it came to chopsticks, so she didn’t bother—across her plate, her appetite completely gone. She felt like she was going to burst, having gorged herself on too much broccoli beef and chicken chow mein. “Can I ask you something?”
“Absolutely.”
