I stopped writing and looked up, meeting her troubled eyes. “What size, Rabbit?” I asked again, my voice firm.
She sighed in frustration. “Six and a half.”
I moved onto the next item. “What size do you need in shirts and pants?”
She came over to the table. “I don’t need Cecilia to get me a wardrobe, Joshua.”
I shook my head. “She isn’t. You can go online and order yourself some clothes; whatever you want. I just thought I’d get her to pick you up a couple of things. I thought maybe you were tired of drowning in my clothes. And there wasn’t a lot in your bag. Maybe your own sweatpants and some tops? Some under … garment … things?” I explained.
“I put a load of laundry in, Joshua. The things from the bag you found are fine for me. I have enough.”
I narrowed my eyes, looking at her. She was studying some highly interesting spot on the floor. Something told me not to push this right now.
“Okay,” I said soothingly.
Wanting to lighten the dark mood I could feel spreading, I looked back over to her list.
“Broccoli, lettuce, carrots, apples? Seriously, Rabbit, I see a lot of fruit and vegetables on this list. What I don’t see is chocolate or chips … or any freaking alcoholic items. And where are the jujubes? What are you trying to do to me?”
I saw her lips twitch.
“And don’t we need some lard stuff? Because I really need more of those pies. I don’t see that either, Rabbit,” I sniffed indignantly. “I’d say your list-making skills are more on par with your criminal abilities rather than your mad snowball skills, frankly.”
A soft giggle escaped from her mouth and she looked up at me. I winked at her and was rewarded with another giggle and her beautifully shy smile.
I leaned forward and refilled our glasses.
“We’ll work it out together, Rabbit,” I assured her soothingly.
She smiled tremulously at me and nodded.
I didn’t think either of us believed that.
Chapter Nineteen
Joshua
“You’re really sexy, you know that?”
I looked up in surprise. Rabbit was sitting on the other end of the sofa, staring at me reflectively over her wine glass.
“I like that sweater … it looks amazing on you.” Her head tilted and I watched fascinated as she drew the wine glass over her bottom lip again and again. I was suddenly envious of the glass.
“Of course, it looked even better when it was lying beside me in the snow the other day,” she murmured.
I felt myself stir at the memory. “Rabbit, how much have you had to drink?”
“A bit,” she giggled softly. “Actually, quite a bit,” she admitted. “But you’re still sexy.”
I grinned. “Good to know. Any reason you decided to share that?”
Her foot reached out and stroked my leg. “No particular reason.”
I arched an eyebrow at her and looked pointedly at her foot. She giggled again and withdrew it. Shaking my head, I looked back down at the pad of paper I was holding. I was sure I had everything listed I wanted to order, but I was checking it over again. Suddenly, a bundle of fabric landed on top of the paper and I stared at it fleetingly. Then I glanced up to make sure I was actually seeing what I thought I was seeing in front of me. Yep. Rabbit was sitting topless and the shirt she had been wearing was now on my lap.
“I’m cold.”
I chuckled while I sat back and appreciated the view. “I think you’d find if you kept your clothes on you wouldn’t have that problem.”
“I like yours better.”
“Um, Rabbit this is mine,” I grinned, holding up the shirt she had discarded.
“Your sweater looks warmer.”
I smirked. “Why don’t you come and get it then?”
I wasn’t entirely prepared for how quickly she pounced. One minute she was on the other end of the sofa, the next moment her entire body was delving under my sweater, her head popping through the loose neckline. She wrapped her arms around my waist with a sigh as she snuggled closer to me.
“You smell so good,” she whispered.
Laughing, I wrapped my arms around her, loving the feeling of her skin against mine. “I thought you wanted to wear the sweater?”
“I am … I’m sharing.”
“Kind of you.”
“I know.”
I nuzzled the top of her head and let her rest against me. She’d been so tense since the power was restored. I knew why and I felt it as well. If it comforted her to be close to me, I was good with that. It comforted me as well.
“Joshua?”
“Hmm?”
“Why don’t you have a girlfriend?”
I was startled at the strange question. “Well, firstly, that would make this position rather awkward if I did. Secondly, yeah, I don’t get out much, Rabbit. And, thirdly, strangely enough, aside from you, not a lot of women just show up here,” I chuckled.
She raised her head. “No. I mean why didn’t you have a girlfriend when you came here?”
I looked at her and stroked her cheek. “I was seeing someone before I was attacked, but it ended fairly quickly.”