Wanting Something More. Kathy Love

sauntered by them, trying to look calm, as if she hadn’t heard them. But once she was out of their sight, she hurried toward the dairy section to get the cream cheese Ellie requested. Then she headed to the checkout.

      After waiting in a long line, she finally reached the cashier and started placing her items on the conveyor belt.

      Marty had just finished emptying her cart when her cashier said loudly to the cashier at the register beside hers, “You know, it’s hard to believe who they’ll put on the cover of those fashion magazines.”

      The other cashier, a woman maybe a little older than Marty, nodded but looked distinctly uncomfortable.

      Marty’s cashier didn’t. In fact, she glared at Marty, then said, “I swear, some of those models are just downright ugly.”

      Marty stared at the woman, whose highlighted, overpermed hair and hard blue eyes looked vaguely familiar. She debated what to do, what to say.

      “Hi, Marty,” a husky voice said so close to Marty’s ear, she jumped. She spun around to look into gorgeous amber eyes fringed with long, dark lashes.

      Many a model she knew would kill for lashes like that.

      Marty blinked again and managed to stop staring into those beautiful eyes only to notice wonderfully molded lips curved into a lopsided smile. Then the eyes and lips turned toward the horrible cashier.

      “Hey, Lynette, can you believe you’re waiting on Millbrook’s most famous native?”

      Marty blinked again. Lynette? Lynette. That was who that horrible cashier was! Awful, mean Lynette Prue. And if Marty wasn’t mistaken, Nathaniel Peck was trying to make the wretched woman feel uncomfortable.

      Chapter 6

      Nate had just run into Beckham’s to pick up a quick lunch when he spotted Marty at the deli. He also witnessed the locals’ reaction to the model in their midst. And he could tell Marty saw it too. She looked uncomfortable—and Nate would swear almost hurt.

      When he saw her waiting in Lynette Prue’s checkout aisle, he knew he had to step in. Lynette would not be nice—she rarely was.

      So without further thought, he squeezed past the others in line, leaned in, and said hello to Marty.

      He fully expected Marty to tell him to take a hike. So when her surprised look turned to an almost flirty gaze, he wasn’t sure who was more shocked, he or Lynette.

      “Hey, you,” Marty said and smiled warmly.

      Damn, she had an amazing smile.

      He simply stared at her for a moment, lost in that gorgeous grin. Then he recovered and slipped an arm around her waist. Or at least he thought it was her waist; it was hard to tell through her giant coat.

      Marty stiffened at his touch but didn’t pull away, which also surprised him. And after a few moments, she actually relaxed against him.

      Lynette watched them intently, and she didn’t, or couldn’t, disguise her annoyance.

      Marty didn’t seem to notice Lynette; her full attention was on him. Her beautiful smile widened, and she said in a soft, inviting voice, “So, did you come find me to take me to lunch?”

      Nate didn’t hesitate. “Yes.”

      “Good, I’m starving,” she said, the words filled with innuendo.

      His body reacted immediately. Man, how he wished she really wanted him to satisfy another type of hunger. He’d been giving that idea a lot of thought since he’d last seen her. A lot of thought.

      As Lynette fumbled with Marty’s groceries and shot them confused, angry glances, Nate leaned close to Marty’s ear. “So are we still on for tomorrow night too?”

      Marty looked up at him again. There was a flash of warning in her smoky eyes. He’d definitely pushed this charade far enough, but again, Marty surprised him.

      “Of course, baby.”

      Only he would know her charming grin had changed into something more akin to baring her teeth.

      He hugged her tight to his side. Man, he wished she weren’t wearing that massive coat. If this was the only time she was going to allow him to touch her, he really could do without the down armor separating them.

      “That’s going to be $12.84,” Lynette ground out through clenched teeth, and Marty quickly pulled out of his grasp to fish for her wallet in her pocket.

      “Let me,” Nate said, reaching for his wallet, but Marty stopped him.

      “No,” Marty said firmly, but then tempered it by adding, “I’ll order a big lunch.”

      Nate grinned. “Okay.” She really was quite an actress.

      Marty paid Lynette, and Nate picked up the plastic shopping bags. They left the store, Lynette staring after them, still stunned.

      Once they were out of her line of sight, Marty reached for the bags.

      “I’ll carry them,” Nate told her.

      “I don’t need you to carry them.” Marty reached for the bags again, and again Nate moved them out of her grasp.

      “Where’s your car?” he asked.

      She stopped and braced her hands on her hips. “Nathaniel, I need to go.”

      “Nate.”

      “What?”

      “Nate, you keep forgetting to call me Nate.”

      She sighed. “Fine, Nate. I have to go.”

      He shook his head. “We’re going to lunch.”

      She frowned, regarding him like he was a simpleton. “That was just for Lynette’s benefit. I have no intention of going to lunch with you.” She held out her hand, waiting for him to hand over the shopping bags.

      He attempted to look affronted. “I feel so used.”

      She seemed confused by him, but then stated, “Well, I think it was officially your turn.” She snatched the bags from his hand and walked away from him.

      Nate didn’t move for a moment. His turn? Had he used Marty? But before he could try to strain the possibly forgotten memory through his sieve mind, he realized Marty was making her escape.

      He chased after her, circling around in front of her, forcing her to stop.

      “How about just a Steamy Indulgence instead?”

      Marty’s eyes widened, then her mouth turned down in a distinctly disgusted expression. “No, I’ll definitely pass on that.”

      Nate was confused by her reaction for a moment, then quickly said, “Oh no.” He chuckled, “No, I didn’t mean that like it sounded. It’s a new coffee place on Main Street. Lattes, cappuccino, other steamed things—hence the name.”

      Marty still looked dubious.

      “Come on, I faced the wrath of Lynette Prue for you,” he pointed out. “Surely you can have a cup of coffee with me.”

      She regarded him for a moment, then said, “All right.”

      Nate wondered why she suddenly gave in so easily, but he didn’t question her further. He’d been thinking about her far too much to mess up a chance to spend a little time with her. Although in his fantasies, she didn’t dislike him quite so intensely. Ah, well, he couldn’t have everything.

      “Okay. Want to ride there with me in my cruiser?”

      “I’ll follow you,” she said.

      “I don’t know if I can trust you,” he said jokingly, although he did think she would bolt if given half a chance.

      “Yeah, well, that makes two of us,”