Page 129 of My Three Billionaire Rockstars

“I know.”

“And you hate efficiency in personal matters?”

“I hate dishonesty more.”

That shuts me up.

Before I can figure out a response that isn’t completely useless, Nina appears in my peripheral vision with Daisy and exactly the expression of someone trying very hard not to look pleased with herself.

Xander sees her at the same time I do.

Nina slows when she gets close enough to clock the atmosphere and, to her credit, doesn’t comment on it.

She just hands me Daisy’s leash. “Ready?”

I take it, because what else am I supposed to do with my hands. “Desperately.”

She looks between us. “Good market?”

“Eventful,” I say.

Xander’s gaze stays on me. “Yes.”

Warmth creeps up the back of my neck.

Nina adjusts her tote higher on her shoulder. “We should head back before Daisy decides she lives here now.”

We start drifting toward the edge of the square, and I think that’s it. Nice market. Strange feelings. Everybody goes home and pretends to be normal about it later.

Which was always stupid.

Because with Xander, nothing ends cleanly.

Nina gets distracted by a display of potted herbs near the exit. Daisy makes an urgent attempt to investigate them, and I bend to stop her from committing herb-related crimes.

When I straighten, Xander is there. Closer than he should be.

His hand catches lightly at my elbow, just enough to pause me.

“Xander…”

He kisses me before I can finish. His mouth is warm and sure and gone almost before my brain catches up.

I stare at him.

He looks entirely too calm for a man who just hijacked my central nervous system in public.

“What?” I say, because apparently words have abandoned me.

His eyes flick briefly toward Nina, then back to me. “You looked like you were about to leave.”

“That’s because I was.”

“I noticed.”

My face is absolutely on fire. I chuckle. “You can’t just do that.”

“I can.”