“Yes, ma’am.”
She turned around and caught my gaze before a small little smile crawled across her face. If I didn’t know any better, I would’ve said her demeanor was illuminated a little more than usual. Her eyes seemed to sparkle a bit brighter and her shoulders were a little more rolled back. She seemed more confident and, had I not nursed her back to health myself, I wouldn't have even known she’d been injured.
“I’ll take these and get them rung up,” the woman said.
“I’ll be out there in a second,” Whitney said.
“I’m gonna put my clothes back on,” I said. “Can I do that now?”
“Don’t ask me,” the woman said. “Ask her.”
Whitney giggled incessantly while the woman with the measuring tape gathered everything up in her arms and left.
“Can I get dressed now?” I asked.
“I don’t know. I’m kinda liking the view.”
“How much do you like it?” I asked.
“Enough to get you back to the cabin earlier than I’d expected,” she said.
“Sounds perfect to me.”
I quickly threw my clothes back on before I dragged Whitney out of the room. Her laughter was filling the corners of the shop as Trey rang us up at the desk. Whitney stopped him from calling out the price before she shielded the debit card kiosk from me and I shook my head in defeat. She swiped her card and paid for everything while the woman was zipping up the suits in a holder for us, giggling like a schoolgirl as she did so.
“I can’t wait for dinner tonight,” she said. “It’ll be exciting to figure out which one you pick.”
“And I can’t wait to see you in this ensemble you just naturally packed for a trip away in the mountains,” I said.
Whitney grabbed all the bags from the woman but I promptly took them from her.
“Liam,” she said.
“You paid. I carry. Come on.”
We walked them out to my truck and hung them up. Whitney slid into the seat so we could head back, which was when I got a really good look at where we were. We were in a strip mall that was lined with beautiful little shops and there was a part of me that just wanted to walk around. Being cooped up in that cabin didn’t afford me the time to explore the town I’d settled into. Before I’d met Whitney, that had been just fine with me, but now, something inside me had shifted and I didn’t feel so closed off. I closed my truck door and turned to Whitney.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
But all I did was hold out my hand.
I helped her down from her seat and we started ambling down the strip. There were candy shops and clothing shops. There was a trinket shop and an antique store. There was an art studio and a glass-blowing studio and there was even a leather shop.
But there was one shop in particular that caught Whitney’s eye.
We passed by a shop with beautiful dresses hanging in the window. One was strapless and blue, fitting tightly to the body before it fluttered around the mannequin’s ankles. One was long-sleeved, gray, and very Grecian. However, as Whitney walked up toward the glass and started studying the green dress, I knew I’d have to get it for her.
The way she pressed her hand to the glass tugged at something inside me.
It was a beautiful dress. It had a soft shimmer to it and cascaded all the way to the floor. The straps of the dress sat off the shoulders of the mannequin and had this neckline that seemed to fit women with voluptuous bosoms like Whitney had. Her eyes danced along the soft fabric of the dress as a soft smile crossed her face and I simply couldn’t stand it any longer.
I walked up to her and took her hand before I started walking her into the store.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“Into the store,” I said.
“I don’t need to go in there,” she said. “Plus, we need to get back and start getting ready for dinner.”
“After I buy you that dress, sure.”
“Liam, you don’t have to buy me anything.”
I stopped us in our tracks and turned toward her before I slowly threaded my arm around her waist.
“Rule number one when shopping with me: if you stare at something for more than ten seconds, you get it.”
The smile that slowly ignited upon her cheeks swelled my chest with warmth.
“Okay, under one condition,” she said.
“There are no conditions,” I said. “I’m buying you that dress.”
“I wasn’t about to argue that moot point, if you’d just listen,” she said.
“Then speak away, beautiful.”
The blush that crept into her cheeks prompted me to press a kiss to the tip of her nose.
“I get to buy matching shoes to go along with it,” she said. “None of the shoes I packed will match a dress like that.”
“Whitney, not only was I going to get you matching shoes, I was also going to get you matching lingerie.”
The way her jaw dropped and the way her eyes widened caused a grin to tug at my cheeks. I dipped my face toward hers and slowly encompassed her lips, pulling a whimper from her throat that vibrated my cheeks. My arms cloaked her back as her tongue danced against mine, and soon, the entire world fell far behind us. I pressed her back into the glass, determined to taste her again when my body wanted her most.
“Liam, we’re in public,” she said against my lips.
“Then let them see,” I said.
My head tilted off to the side while her arms slid around my neck. I could hear people passing behind us, their voices dimming to whispers and murmurs as I lavished Whitney with the attention she deserved. I felt my heart fluttering in my chest with each ministration her lips granted me. I could feel a burden being lifted from my shoulders with every second that passed.
This city gal with country roots was slowly prying open a place I’d kept closed off from people for two solid years.
Even as the cold and ice blanketed the landscape of our little city, I felt as if she was warming the ice I’d clothed myself in. This wonderful woman who came into my life by rolling down a hill and twisting her ankle had somehow managed to twist her way into a dark place that hadn’t seen light in years.
The question was, would she stay once she realized the type of man I actually was?
CHAPTER 24
WHITNEY
I was in the bathroom getting myself ready while the green dress hung in the corner. I couldn’t wait to see which suit Liam picked to wear tonight. Both of them looked absolutely wonderful on his body but the best part was how wonderful they would look on the floor of this cabin. I shivered at the thought as I placed a few more bobby pins in my hair. Then, I migrated to my makeup as I sat down at the vanity.
I really wanted to do myself up for this dinner tonight. I left my hair in its natural wavy state and curled it up into a beautiful updo. It was piled on top of my head with small strands framing my face and it looked stunning with the jewelry Liam insisted on purchasing for me. He really did too much at the shops earlier.
We went into the dress shop and bought the dress and shoes and then I dipped into the lingerie store to buy matching lingerie I was intent on him not buying. But, the moment we passed by a jewelry store, he ran in before I could catch him.
He ended up buying me a beautiful necklace and earring set and told me it was penance for my not allowing him to purchase my lingerie.