Page 28 of His Vicious Desire

“Come on, what else do you need to get?”

“Panties and some pants, or I’ll be happy with a few skirts and definitely a few bras.And if I can find some shirts that are comfy without being weirdly shaped, that would be great.”She says as we pass the woman who was staring at us.The woman’s mouth purses in judgment, and I give her a hard glare that has her moving away at a fast clip.

I follow behind Bianca as she guides the cart with one hand.She’s talking about how the last time she tried to shop here, the dresses didn’t fit right, and how she gave up on buying clothes outside of dedicated fat chick stores.I lose it.

Capturing her by the ponytail, I pull her back to me.Those eyes are wide as I bend her back to look her in the eye.“You don’t use the word fat to describe yourself again.Not even in a joking manner.That word isn’t you, and I don’t want to hear it come out of your mouth.Do you understand?”

She blinks a few times, and at first, I think it’s processing what I said.Then I see it’s her fighting back tears.

I catch her around the back of her neck and pull her up against me.“I mean it.And you feel it, too.It doesn’t fit you.Ignore the shit outside of you that doesn’t matter.”

A hand slides over my cheek, causing every muscle in my body to tighten in reaction.

Out of nowhere, a kid who couldn’t be more than eight or nine slides between me and the cart tugs at Bianca’s hand.I want to damage the kid for interrupting her touch on me.“Hi, you’re pretty.Do you want to be my girlfriend?”

“She’s taken.Go away.”I growl at him.

“Henry, good god, I look away for two minutes.Leave her alone.Sorry, kids.”The mother of Henry is tugging him away, offering a nervous smile.

Shaking my head, I look down at her.“See, even the kid gets it.”

She’s glowing like the sun as she giggles.“You told him I was taken.”

Son of a bitch.I don’t want to do it.Except I have to shut down even a hint that I want her as badly as I do.Because if I don’t, it gives her ideas, and ideas become me six feet under.Forcing a laugh, “I was trying to get rid of him without being a asshole.On account of I’ve been called that a few times.Come on, let’s get this going.It feels like we’ve been in here forever.”

That’s all it takes.It’s as though I’ve turned off the light in her eyes.“Of course.Right.Sorry.”

She’s walking fast ahead of me, weaving in and out of the people who seem to appear out of nowhere.A crowd of girls moves in front of me, and she’s lost in them.I blink, and I lose her.Where the hell did she go?

I’m wandering the clothes section, trying to find her.When I’m about to lose my shit, she’s in front of me.Her hands are full of clothes.“I’m ready.”

I don’t miss the attitude in the way she tosses her stuff in the cart and moves away from me before I could say a word if I wanted to.

The cashier keeps shit moving.Or maybe she’s doing it so I can’t say I changed my mind.Four hundred and change.Whatever, I was the one who put half the shit inside the cart and picked the more expensive stuff.

“Are you mad?”Is whispered as we leave the building.

“Mad?No.Why would you think I was mad?”She’s walking ahead of me, her long hair fluttering in her face so I can’t read her.

I push the buttons on the fob to unlock the car and to send the trunk up.She’s in front of the trunk, grabbing sacks to put them in the trunk.“My mom would say my dad was angry with her when she spent money.Sandro never complains about money, but I know sometimes?—”

“Hey, I’m not mad at you.The cost of that shopping trip is a drop in the bucket compared to what I spend any day of the week.If you thought it was about you, then I’m sorry.Now stop putting stuff in the trunk.You don’t do that, I do that.”I open her car door and wait until she gets in before closing it.

It takes a few minutes to move all the bags into the trunk.A guy takes the cart from me.Inside the car, I find Bianca plugged into my stereo already.

I shake my head, “Sure, have fun with my stereo.”

ChapterNine

Bianca

I’m so freaking bored.This morning started early with Gaetano feeding me yummy breakfast burritos filled with eggs, bacon, potatoes, and cheese.If nothing else, Gaetano is an awesome cook.The tortillas being homemade turned it up a notch.

For lunch yesterday, he made pulled pork sandwiches, and lunch today he made chicken satay on skewers with the fluffiest jasmine rice with a side of cucumbers, carrots, and radish in a perfect vinegar concoction.How did he know it was my favorite dish, with pulled pork sandwiches my second favorite?I’ve had it about a million times, it’s never been better than Gaetano’s.

Catching myself scratching my neck, I wonder if it’s happening already.If I need to go up another gummy, even though that’s crazy.I’m good, I tell myself as I take another, even though it’s been less than three hours since my last one.I check the clock to find out what time the gummy kicks in versus the time I took it.Damn, Gaetano wasn’t joking.Everything has sped up since the first time I took it.

Yesterday, when we came home from the shopping trip, I was all good for a few hours.I laughed long and hard as Gaetano, and I tried to figure out how the washing machine worked.Gaetano glowered at the machines as if he had never seen them before when I asked for his help.Because he hadn’t.His housekeeper bought and used them as needed, and the rest of his clothes went to a dry cleaner.

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