Beckett made a face. “They’re pretty-boyjeans.”
“That’s what we’re goingfor.”
He searched her face becoming as serious as a skin care routine. “Is that what you want? A pretty boy …” He gulped. “With a desk job?” The intensity in his pale blue eyes pulled the air right out of Daisy’slungs.
It took a moment for his question to register, and suddenly Daisy thought her brother might know a thing or two about Beckett and his feelings. He looked invested in her answer, which made her palms moist. “I’m not that specific,” she replied. She moved to a rack of distressed shirts and dismissed themquickly.
Beckett followed. “Surely you must have some idea of what you’re looking for in aguy?”
She kept her eyes on the clothes even as the list wrote itself in herhead.
Tall.
Size33x36.
Piercing blueeyes.
Brown hair with naturally lightertips.
Sleeps on mycouch.
“A list?Pft. Who keeps a list?” She swished hangers back and forth, pretending to look at polo shirts while she used the movement to fan herface.
He placed his hand over the top of hers and said quietly, “I didn’t say anything about alist.”
“You didn’t?” she rasped. Why was this store so hot? She’d have to complain to the manager or the trampy saleswoman if she dared show her face again. She’d better not. Daisy was not in her right mind. In fact, she was floating somewhere out of her mind where Beckett’s thumb brushed the back of her hand over and over with spine-tinglingregularity.
“Nope.” He moved closer, making her tingle all over and fading everything in the store to some other dimension. Or maybe they were in the alternate dimension. That would explain why Beckett was looking atherwith bedroom eyes. Although, his eyes were less hungry than the saleswoman’s had been. They were full of yearning rather than lust. A yearning for her? Did Beckett really harbor some feelings for her from years gone by, or was this something new? Either way, it was all new toher.
“There you are!” Vivian huffed as she fell into the chair next to the changingrooms.
Beckett jerked his hand away and stuffed it in under his arm. He moved to the other side of the clothes rack. The temperature dropped dramatically, cooling Daisy’s cheeks to normal color in record time. She ducked her head, letting her hair curtain off her view of Beckett. “What took so long?” she askedVivian.
“Jason called from school; he forgot his lunch. I had to talk him into eating schoollunch.”
“Why’d you have to talk him into it?” asked Beckett. He’d had a quiet conversation with Vivian when she came in for work the day before and then spent all afternoon playing basketball with Jason after school. Not because he was trying to win Vivian over, but because he was a good guy. Still, it had thawed Vivian’s impression of Beckett immensely. The way to a man’s heart may be through his stomach, but the way to a woman’s heart was through herkid.
“They’re serving fish sticks. He’s convinced they make them out of fish brains because they’resoggy.”
Daisy exchanged an amused look with Beckett. His attention went back to Vivian as she recounted the conversation with Jason. She kept her eyes on him while aimlessly flipping through clothes. Whatever universe his touch took her to, she seemed to be the only visitor. Beckett didn’t show any signs of the charged moment they’d shared. She could have sworn he’d taken her there, but he was cool and collected as if he hadn’t set her skinafire.
“Should we ask someone to open a door?” Viviansaid.
Daisy started back to reality. The thought of callingthat womanfor helpgave her the sensation of sleeping next to a snake. “No. I’ve got it.” She dropped to the floor and checked for feet, then crawled under the door of an empty dressing room, popped up, and unlockedit.
Vivian stared at her as if she’d lost her mind. The tips of Daisy’s ears warmed as she motioned Beckett inside. He nodded appreciatively at her resourcefulness as slipped past her, his arm brushing her hair and sending delightful shivers down herback.
The door shut behind Beckett and Vivian grabbed her arm, giving her a good shake. “What’s gotten into you?” shewhispered.
Daisy pulled her arm free. “What?”
“You’re actingweird.”
Daisy glanced at the closed door and pulled Vivian farther away. “The salesgirl was all over him. It was souncomfortable.”
Vivian refreshed her buttermilk lipstick. “For him or foryou?”
“For him, of course.” Daisy twisted a lock of hair between herfingers.
