Liam tugged at the back of his neck, clearly uneasy about the whole thing.
“So, I can keep him?” I lifted my gaze.
“Well, yeah?” Confusion knit his dark brows. “That’s what a pet is for.”
The urge to laugh seemed highly inappropriate. But the whole situation was insane! The mobster didn’t know the first thing about me. What if I was a cat person? I was fairly certain I wasn’t. My father detested animals, and we’d never had a pet. I had to bite my tongue to keep from smiling.
Liam studied me, gauging my reaction. Whatever he saw made him frown.
“Come on, let’s go.” He began to walk at a clipped pace toward the front of the store. I was going to get whiplash from his changing moods.
Trailed by nine guards, following a devil with metaphorical bloodstained hands, was not the typical shopping run most girls had. Moms in yoga pants pushed red carts of cranky toddlers to their cars. Women dressed up in trendy outfits wandered in groups to the doors. I was the weirdo with an army of testosterone walking through the double pair of sliding doors for a Target run.
It was better than being stuck at home.
As I went to grab a shopping cart, Liam cut me off. He snatched one, teeth clenched tight.
“Don’t take this the wrong way, but don’t you have work?” I ran a soothing touch over the puppy’s head.
“Yeah.” The mobster began to push the cart, but one of the front wheels squeaked. His upper lip pulled up.
“You can grab a different one,” I offered.
Liam grimaced. “It’s fine. Where are we going?”
We—like a real couple.
“So, you blew off work to babysit me?” I hedged, glancing at the dollar section full of enticing, seasonal trinkets.
“Jaysus, woman!” Liam thrust the cart hard.
The wheel screamed.
“Can’t a man take his girl shopping without the third degree?” A thunderous storm raged through those blue eyes.
I chewed my bottom lip. That turbulent gaze dropped. He stared at my mouth. Heat flooded my veins.
But in that moment, I saw this for what it was. Liam was a busy man, and yet he’d made the time to be with me. It was such a foreign concept. A man who wanted to spend time with his girl, doing the mundane business of shopping. I wouldn’t have been able to name a single Made Man from the Morellis who would bother. Sure, they took their women on grand, expensive dates. But it was all to brag.
This…this was nice. Better than a fancy date. And I was screwing it up.
“Let’s grab something to drink then,” I offered, careful not to smile. I didn’t want him to think that I was mocking his discomfort.
Liam was as new to dating as I was.
For that matter, could this even be called dating? We were married.
He didn’t have to come.He wasn’t obligated to spend time with me. And yet he was here.
“How do you like your coffee?” I asked cheerfully, leading the way to the nook where the green café bustled with activity.
“Black.”
I turned so he didn’t see my eyes roll. As I slid into line, conscious of the nine bodies looming in the background and the mass of dangerous energy hovering behind me, I tried not to fidget.
“OMG! That is the cutest puppy! What’s its name?” the barista gushed.
I stepped to the counter but shot a look over my shoulder.
