mouth that mirrored where extra sauce settled on her.
She blushed and picked up a wad of napkins.
Too bad.
He would have liked to brush it away for her.
More dangerous ground.
Her little tether to the store chimed four more times during their meal. Each time, the idiot Gary couldn’t make a decision without her. If Ben wasn’t mistaken, Gary was checking up on her. On the last ring she finally stood up. “Evidently a half hour is too much to ask for.”
He tucked the remnants of his sandwich into the wrappers and collected hers. “Go ahead. I’ll be fine.”
“Are you sure?”
“The world is obviously going to fall apart without you.”
She sighed. “I do actually have two days off. Most of the time.”
“Tell me you don’t come in on your days off.”
“Sometimes it can’t be helped.”
“Delegating is an art form. They need to learn about it.”
“Yeah well, until that magical day happens I’m the It girl. Especially with Black Friday coming so fast.”
“I’ll make sure the store is ready for that crazy holiday. I promise.”
She stopped beside him and leaned down, brushing a kiss along his cheek. “You don’t even know what a lifesaver you are.”
He turned his cheek until their mouths lined up. She sucked in a breath, her eyes such a deep green it didn’t seem natural. Everything inside him said take. The soft sweater that hugged her, the pale hair that kept sliding from its bindings, her lower lip that she couldn’t stop licking—all those textures lured. Add in the ocean-fresh scent of her and he couldn’t resist. He leaned in but she drew back, tucked her hands into her sleeves and hurried to the door. “I’ll just let Miriam know the plan.”
Damn. He lifted a foot out, straddling the bench seat. Was she running because she wasn’t interested? Or because she was just as attracted as he was? “I’ll see you later.”
“Right. Um, right. I’ll find you later.”
Then she was gone.
And he had work to do—a lot of it.
Chapter Four
Darcy rubbed the heels of her palms together for the eighth time. Her palms were so itchy she was pretty sure she was going to go insane. Okay, so what if it was only when she had to come up to the front end of the store? It didn’t mean anything.
She passed the tree stand. Ben wasn’t there. Her heart rate stuttered into an easy rhythm with a side of disappointment. Ri-freaking-diculous. She needed to calm down and stop thinking about him. It was her imagination that he was going to kiss her in the break room. Garlic breath, exhaustion and this sudden surge of attraction were making her crazy.
That’s all there was to it.
Period.
“Hey, Darcy.”
She stopped. Now she was hearing things.
“Down here. I’m hiding from Tiffany.”
She wished she could hide from that particular cashier herself. She crouched down and saw Ben sitting cross-legged against the wall in the shadows of the tree. There was a small storage cubby hole there. He had a string of lights set on the half wall so he could see what he was doing. “What are you doing back there?”
“I told you. Hiding.” He lifted a small tool that looked like a pen. “And soldering.” He waved her in. “She’ll see you and then she’ll know my spot.”
She laughed. Ridiculous was the word of the day. She dropped to one knee. There was no way she was crawling under the tree in her wool pants.
That half grin tipped up his mouth. “I won’t bite. C’mon.”
“I have work.”
“No, you’re off shift. You’re mine.”
She swallowed. “Wh-what?” The way he’d said mine . Not right in any way.
His grin spread into a smile. Just how flame red were her cheeks? “Your Miriam Blackstone came over. She told me that after three you were all mine for the day. She wants this tree beyond perfection.”
Of course that’s what he meant. She’d gotten the same orders, but she assumed that just meant she would be required to be in the store. Not helping him. “You
She blushed and picked up a wad of napkins.
Too bad.
He would have liked to brush it away for her.
More dangerous ground.
Her little tether to the store chimed four more times during their meal. Each time, the idiot Gary couldn’t make a decision without her. If Ben wasn’t mistaken, Gary was checking up on her. On the last ring she finally stood up. “Evidently a half hour is too much to ask for.”
He tucked the remnants of his sandwich into the wrappers and collected hers. “Go ahead. I’ll be fine.”
“Are you sure?”
“The world is obviously going to fall apart without you.”
She sighed. “I do actually have two days off. Most of the time.”
“Tell me you don’t come in on your days off.”
“Sometimes it can’t be helped.”
“Delegating is an art form. They need to learn about it.”
“Yeah well, until that magical day happens I’m the It girl. Especially with Black Friday coming so fast.”
“I’ll make sure the store is ready for that crazy holiday. I promise.”
She stopped beside him and leaned down, brushing a kiss along his cheek. “You don’t even know what a lifesaver you are.”
He turned his cheek until their mouths lined up. She sucked in a breath, her eyes such a deep green it didn’t seem natural. Everything inside him said take. The soft sweater that hugged her, the pale hair that kept sliding from its bindings, her lower lip that she couldn’t stop licking—all those textures lured. Add in the ocean-fresh scent of her and he couldn’t resist. He leaned in but she drew back, tucked her hands into her sleeves and hurried to the door. “I’ll just let Miriam know the plan.”
Damn. He lifted a foot out, straddling the bench seat. Was she running because she wasn’t interested? Or because she was just as attracted as he was? “I’ll see you later.”
“Right. Um, right. I’ll find you later.”
Then she was gone.
And he had work to do—a lot of it.
Chapter Four
Darcy rubbed the heels of her palms together for the eighth time. Her palms were so itchy she was pretty sure she was going to go insane. Okay, so what if it was only when she had to come up to the front end of the store? It didn’t mean anything.
She passed the tree stand. Ben wasn’t there. Her heart rate stuttered into an easy rhythm with a side of disappointment. Ri-freaking-diculous. She needed to calm down and stop thinking about him. It was her imagination that he was going to kiss her in the break room. Garlic breath, exhaustion and this sudden surge of attraction were making her crazy.
That’s all there was to it.
Period.
“Hey, Darcy.”
She stopped. Now she was hearing things.
“Down here. I’m hiding from Tiffany.”
She wished she could hide from that particular cashier herself. She crouched down and saw Ben sitting cross-legged against the wall in the shadows of the tree. There was a small storage cubby hole there. He had a string of lights set on the half wall so he could see what he was doing. “What are you doing back there?”
“I told you. Hiding.” He lifted a small tool that looked like a pen. “And soldering.” He waved her in. “She’ll see you and then she’ll know my spot.”
She laughed. Ridiculous was the word of the day. She dropped to one knee. There was no way she was crawling under the tree in her wool pants.
That half grin tipped up his mouth. “I won’t bite. C’mon.”
“I have work.”
“No, you’re off shift. You’re mine.”
She swallowed. “Wh-what?” The way he’d said mine . Not right in any way.
His grin spread into a smile. Just how flame red were her cheeks? “Your Miriam Blackstone came over. She told me that after three you were all mine for the day. She wants this tree beyond perfection.”
Of course that’s what he meant. She’d gotten the same orders, but she assumed that just meant she would be required to be in the store. Not helping him. “You
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