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I laughed and squeezed his hand tighter. “Oh come on. You picked out that lavender honey all by yourself. That’s basically devotion.”
“Because you mentioned it last week,” he said, shrugging. He stopped at a flower stand, plucked a single deep red ranunculus, and tucked it gently behind my ear. His fingers brushed my cheek and stayed there a second longer than they needed to. “See? I listen. Even when it means dragging my ass through this glorified vegetable circus. Don’t let it go to your head, baby.”
The warmth that spread through my chest was ridiculous. Richard wasn’t exactly the farmer’s-market type. He liked nice restaurants and quick city walks, but here he was, basket in hand, keeping pace with me just because I asked. I couldn’t picture doing this with anyone else. Not the guys from before who would’ve rolled their eyes at anything that felt even a little domestic. Just him.
We wandered over to the cheese stall and I held up a container of that soft, creamy cheese like I’d won something. “This is the one. It’s rich, messy, perfect.”
He leaned in close, breath warm against my ear.
“You’re describing yourself.” His voice dropped a little. “Fine. We’ll get it. But only if you promise not to make me eat anything that tastes like lawn clippings.”
“Deal,” I said, grinning. “But next week we’re hitting that life drawing session at the art center. There’ll be nude models, charcoal, the works. You’ll love it.”
He let out a dramatic groan and pulled me closer by the waist until I was pressed against the solid warmth of him. “You’re killing me, woman. Death by overpriced sketchpads and naked strangers. What the hell did I do to deserve this?”
“You took me on that ridiculous yacht thing last weekend,” I shot back. “This is payback. Fair’s fair, Mr. Moneybags.”
His eyes darkened with that playful heat I loved. “Watch the nicknames, Samantha. You know what that does to me. Keep it up and I might have to remind you who’s in charge here, right after we make it out of this produce jungle alive.”
Our laughter blended into the noise of the market. We drifted past stalls overflowing with summer fruits until we stopped at a pyramid of ripe peaches, their skins flushed and velvety under the morning sun. I picked one up, turning it in my hands as I asked the vendor about the variety, trying to sound casual.
Richard stepped close behind me, his body shielding us from the crowd. Before I could finish my question, his hand slipped under the hem of my skirt, fingers tracing up my thigh. The moment his fingertips brushed my bare pussy, I nearly dropped the peach.
“These are… local, right?” I managed, my voice breathy and uneven. The vendor kept talking, oblivious, but my words dissolved into a soft hitch as Richard’s fingers circled my clit. Heat flooded my cheeks. I could barely stand still, let alone speak.
He leaned in, voice low and amused.
“Careful, baby. You’re getting awfully distracted by the peaches.” His fingers pressed deeper, sliding through my wetness as he added, just loud enough for me to hear, “Though I have to say… you have the juiciest fruit I’ve ever tasted.”
A shiver ran through me. I bit my lip hard, fighting the moan threatening to slip out while the vendor smiled and bagged a few peaches for us. Richard’s hand stayed right where it was for another torturous second, fingering me until my thighs trembled, before he finally withdrew with a satisfied hum.
I kept stealing glances at him while he paid, the way he charmed the vendor with a quick dry joke. A month in and I was already hooked on this rhythm we had. I didn’t want it to end.
Then in a split second everything shifted.
“That’s him!”
The voice cut through the chatter like a knife. I turned to see a woman with a choppy pixie cut pushing through the crowd toward us. Her eyes were wild, red-rimmed, her clothes rumpled like she’d been wearing them for days. She looked completely distraught.
As soon as she reached us, she grabbed Richard’s arm.
“They found her,” she cried. “They found Jessica’s body. What did you do to her?”
Richard’s jaw tightened for a fraction of a second before he pulled his arm free.
“I think you have me confused with someone else.”
“No, I don’t. I was there when she left.” Tears streaked down her face as her voice rose. “I watched her leave our apartment and get into your car.”
People nearby turned toward us. Richard stepped in front of me, blocking her from getting any closer.
“I’m sorry for your loss, but you’re mistaken. I had nothing to do with her death.”
“You were the last person she went anywhere with!” Marcy tried to move around him. “She never came home after that date. Now they found her dead, and you’re pretending you don’t even know her.”
Richard took my hand and guided me toward the parking lot. Marcy followed, pushing through the people gathering around us.
“You killed her!” she screamed. “Tell me what you did to my best friend!”
