Part 66 (1/2)

”It's both,” I admitted the complete truth without embarra.s.sment.

He shook his head, the grin remaining in place. ”That's my girl. Someone says you're cute and beautiful, you get p.i.s.sed. Or in this instance, stay p.i.s.sed. Someone asks if you're vain or prideful, you claim that without a second's delay.”

”It's true.”

”It is, I'm sure,” he returned. ”But you're still cute and you're definitely f.u.c.kin' beautiful.”

I decided that was a good time to share something important.

This I did.

”I think, with this conversation, that it's clear that even you, who I hold dear, cannot cajole me out of a pique by saying lovely things. That even for you, my piques, as they always have been, run deep and are lasting and require me having time to fume before they naturally die away. So I think that you need to kiss me, but do it swiftly, then exit my vicinity, drive me and Josette somewhere in order to feed us and do that immediately.”

”Even me,” he said instead of doing as I asked.

”Even you,” I confirmed.

”Even me.”

Something in the way he said that pulled me out of my irritation and fully into that moment.

When I arrived at that moment I saw that Noc held no humor. He was looking into my eyes, his s.h.i.+ning with a light so beautiful, my soul lit in such a way it felt it would never go dark again.

”Even you,” I whispered.

He held my gaze and worlds could have collided. Millennium could have pa.s.sed. Stars could have fallen from the sky.

Nothing could have intruded on our moment.

After some time (I fear, rudely, a good deal of it), a subtle clearing of her throat brought our attention to the fact that Josette (wearing flip-flops and having some experience in them so she had no issues) had followed us and she was currently sitting in the back of Noc's vehicle.

This broke the moment, causing Noc to lean in, touch his mouth to mine, but after he'd done that, instead of doing the rest I'd demanded, he put his mouth to my ear.

”All my life, thirty-eight years, only you,” he whispered there before he promptly moved away and closed my door.

With frozen body but s.h.i.+fting eyes, I watched as he walked around the front of his car, what he'd delivered in my ear settling with the flutter of b.u.t.terfly wings around my heart.

”I love him,” Josette whispered into the confines of the car. ”Love, love, love him,” she went on, and before Noc opened his door, she finished, ”For you.”

I did too.

By the G.o.ddess.

I...did...too.

”My word, Franka, have we arrived in the lap of the G.o.ds?” Josette asked reverently.

I didn't answer, though if I had, my answer might have been yes.

Noc did.

”No, babe. It's just the Nordstrom shoe department.”

Slowly, her head turned and her gleaming eyes lifted to Noc.

”Can I-?” she started.

”Have at it,” he told her, tipping his head to the vast area beyond us filled with tables and shelves covered in a dizzyingly delightful spectacle of this-world shoes. ”You find something you like, let me know. I'll get you a salesperson and we'll sort you out.”

”I love you,” she breathed, eyes still gleaming.

I pressed into Noc's side, my lips curved into a deep smile.

Noc chuckled.

Josette hesitantly approached the first table of shoes, staring at it reverently, her manner one of care, such as you would approach a large chest tumbling over with such treasure you couldn't quite believe your eyes.

Noc used his arm about me to curl me to his front. I took my gaze from Josette and lifted it to his.

”I cannot believe I'm asking you this,” he began. ”I'm thinkin' I'm breakin' a seal I'll regret. But you ready to learn how to shop?”

This confused me.

”Why would you regret this?” I queried. ”You and I both are criminally wealthy. In this world, that would be literally. Thus I can afford to spoil myself, and Josette, without worry.”

His lips twitched before he answered, ”Right. Probably good I explain. We're gonna do this today. We're gonna kick the s.h.i.+t out of it. We're gonna set you and Josette up. Fill my Suburban with stuff that you dig that'll make you girls happy and make you feel more comfortable here. And until you two can get around on your own, I have a feeling I'll be doing that more than once. But just to warn you, when you get used to getting around by yourselves, you can ask me to go shopping with you once every five years. No more, but you could go with less. And if you feel like buying me s.h.i.+t, have at it. I have a feeling I'll get off on watching you trying on clothes and shoes. I never get off on having to buy s.h.i.+t for myself.”

There was so much there, I had no idea how to begin.

I wanted to comment on the ”once every five years,” but I suspected my best play with that was to let it lie and hope that I had many opportunities in my future to hit this quota.

So I focused on something else.

”You don't enjoy purchasing garments for yourself?”

”Nope.”

I was even more confused.

”But, you always look so nice. Your selections are most attractive. They suit you completely. So much so they'd indicate you get great enjoyment out of making those selections.”

His eyes warmed at my words, and when I was done uttering them, he replied, ”I failed to mention, Sue, my dad's woman, likes to shop. Christmas and birthdays are off the hook. It makes Dad apoplectic. He keeps telling us we're wearing his retirement. That doesn't stop her. I haven't catalogued it all, but I'm pretty sure nothing I've worn since I've known you I bought for myself.”

”Interesting,” I murmured.

His arm got tighter in a manner I wasn't certain I liked.

When I caught the look on his face, I knew I was correct in having that feeling.