Nobody But You
Page 43
Yearning washed over her in waves, and she was the one to make the move, fisting her hands into his shirt and yanking him in. She who kissed him. She who planted her mouth on his and, at the taste of him, moaned.
The last time they’d kissed, he’d made her feel wanted, made her feel sexy, vibrant. Alive.
She wanted that feeling again, that sensation of flying without a net, knowing that he’d catch her…
Kissing him gave her all that, and when he slid his hands into her hair and cradled her head, it also gave her more.
She heard something crash and tried to pull free. Jacob, not so easily startled, was much slower to lift his head, keeping his hands on her when he turned his head to look.
Another woman had come down the aisle and had run her cart into the display of pie crusts. She wasn’t alone. She had a much older woman at her side, holding on to the cart like it was a walker.
“Wow,” the older woman said. “Haven’t seen a kiss like that in a long time.”
“Mother,” the younger woman hissed. “Shh!”
“Just calling it like it is,” the older woman said, not shhing. “And look, it gave her a healthy glow. Wouldn’t mind a glow like that,” she said wistfully.
While the woman rushed her mother out of the aisle, Sophie drew a shaky breath and ordered herself to get a grip. “So,” she said, trying to remember what they’d been talking about.
“So,” he said. “You done working for the day?”
“No. I’m temping for a property management company, opening up one of the vacation homes for some English duke and duchess on a secret American getaway. I have to unload all their supplies and check that everything got cleaned and set up.” Her lips were tingling.
They wanted another kiss.
She gestured to the huge cart in front of her, filled with high-end wines, fancy cheeses and crackers, and other things like caviar and stuff that cost more than she’d spend for herself in a month. “I’m filling their fridge from their list of requests,” she said. “But I’m having trouble finding”—she consulted her phone again for the list—“goat-cheese ice cream.”
He winced. “Who eats goat-cheese ice cream?”
Still eyeballing her list, she shrugged. “Apparently the duchess. Also, it needs to be whiskey and pecan flavored.” She tried not to gag at the thought.
“What else do you need to find?”
Detecting a note of humor in his voice, she lifted her head. “Are you laughing at me?”
“I wouldn’t dream of it.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Uh-huh…” She eyed the list again. “The duke wants condoms. Ribbed for her pleasure.” She managed to control her grimace on that one. The duke was eighty-five if he was a day, and although he was tall and…duke-like, gravity hadn’t been kind. He’d been a rugby player in his day and all that muscle had atrophied, so he now resembled something like a plucked rooster. “He also wants massage oil, but it has to be organic. And…” She paused, unable to say the next item with a straight face.
“What?”
She shook her head. Nope. Couldn’t do it.
Jacob came up behind her to peer over her shoulder at the list. He left no space between them, his arms brushing each of her sides as he rested his hands on the cart handle in front of her.
She pretended to study the list. But the truth was, she’d forgotten how to read. She’d forgotten how to breathe.
“‘A battery-operated massage gizmo,’” he read for her, and nuzzled her ear. “I’ve got a gizmo. No batteries required.”
She closed her eyes. “This isn’t my list.”
He laughed softly, and since he remained in place at her back, she felt the laugh reverberate through his chest to hers. “Interesting job. I think we should take this discussion to the lake.”
She opened her mouth to say absolutely not, but her body went to war with her brain and all that came out was a sigh.
Someone came around the corner and down the aisle.
“Kenna,” Jacob said, not sounding thrilled.
“I saw your truck and knew I’d find you in the freezer aisle.” Kenna eyeballed them both with great interest. “So you two are a thing.”
“No,” Sophie said.
“None of your business,” Jacob said at the same time.
They looked at each other.
Kenna laughed. “Never mind. I’ve got my answer.” She turned to Sophie. “You’ve temped at the resort a couple of times, right?”
The last time they’d kissed, he’d made her feel wanted, made her feel sexy, vibrant. Alive.
She wanted that feeling again, that sensation of flying without a net, knowing that he’d catch her…
Kissing him gave her all that, and when he slid his hands into her hair and cradled her head, it also gave her more.
She heard something crash and tried to pull free. Jacob, not so easily startled, was much slower to lift his head, keeping his hands on her when he turned his head to look.
Another woman had come down the aisle and had run her cart into the display of pie crusts. She wasn’t alone. She had a much older woman at her side, holding on to the cart like it was a walker.
“Wow,” the older woman said. “Haven’t seen a kiss like that in a long time.”
“Mother,” the younger woman hissed. “Shh!”
“Just calling it like it is,” the older woman said, not shhing. “And look, it gave her a healthy glow. Wouldn’t mind a glow like that,” she said wistfully.
While the woman rushed her mother out of the aisle, Sophie drew a shaky breath and ordered herself to get a grip. “So,” she said, trying to remember what they’d been talking about.
“So,” he said. “You done working for the day?”
“No. I’m temping for a property management company, opening up one of the vacation homes for some English duke and duchess on a secret American getaway. I have to unload all their supplies and check that everything got cleaned and set up.” Her lips were tingling.
They wanted another kiss.
She gestured to the huge cart in front of her, filled with high-end wines, fancy cheeses and crackers, and other things like caviar and stuff that cost more than she’d spend for herself in a month. “I’m filling their fridge from their list of requests,” she said. “But I’m having trouble finding”—she consulted her phone again for the list—“goat-cheese ice cream.”
He winced. “Who eats goat-cheese ice cream?”
Still eyeballing her list, she shrugged. “Apparently the duchess. Also, it needs to be whiskey and pecan flavored.” She tried not to gag at the thought.
“What else do you need to find?”
Detecting a note of humor in his voice, she lifted her head. “Are you laughing at me?”
“I wouldn’t dream of it.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Uh-huh…” She eyed the list again. “The duke wants condoms. Ribbed for her pleasure.” She managed to control her grimace on that one. The duke was eighty-five if he was a day, and although he was tall and…duke-like, gravity hadn’t been kind. He’d been a rugby player in his day and all that muscle had atrophied, so he now resembled something like a plucked rooster. “He also wants massage oil, but it has to be organic. And…” She paused, unable to say the next item with a straight face.
“What?”
She shook her head. Nope. Couldn’t do it.
Jacob came up behind her to peer over her shoulder at the list. He left no space between them, his arms brushing each of her sides as he rested his hands on the cart handle in front of her.
She pretended to study the list. But the truth was, she’d forgotten how to read. She’d forgotten how to breathe.
“‘A battery-operated massage gizmo,’” he read for her, and nuzzled her ear. “I’ve got a gizmo. No batteries required.”
She closed her eyes. “This isn’t my list.”
He laughed softly, and since he remained in place at her back, she felt the laugh reverberate through his chest to hers. “Interesting job. I think we should take this discussion to the lake.”
She opened her mouth to say absolutely not, but her body went to war with her brain and all that came out was a sigh.
Someone came around the corner and down the aisle.
“Kenna,” Jacob said, not sounding thrilled.
“I saw your truck and knew I’d find you in the freezer aisle.” Kenna eyeballed them both with great interest. “So you two are a thing.”
“No,” Sophie said.
“None of your business,” Jacob said at the same time.
They looked at each other.
Kenna laughed. “Never mind. I’ve got my answer.” She turned to Sophie. “You’ve temped at the resort a couple of times, right?”
