Page 47 of Booked on a Feeling

“I’ll go with you.” Was there such a thing as emotional whiplash? Because he just got one. He went from horny to jealous in a split second.

“Are you sure? I thought you wanted to finish up that little round table.” She glanced around the back lot and pointed at the offending table when she spotted it.

“That won’t take me long,” he assured her. Lizzy hadn’t seemed the least bit interested in Arthur the last time they were at the hardware store, but he still didn’t like the thought of the kid mooning over her. “Besides, you might need my discerning taste to help you choose the colors.”

“All right.” She rolled her eyes but a smile peeped through. “You can come along.”

They pulled into the parking lot of the hardware store five minutes later. Lizzy led the way inside, and Arthur’s face split into a giant grin, which faltered when he caught sight of Jack’s glare.

“Hey, folks,” Ol’ Arthur rallied with his signature charm. “How may I assist you today?”

“We’re looking for some paint and—” Lizzy began.

“We know where to look,” Jack cut in. “We’ll let you know if we need anything.”

“Umm… sure thing,” Arthur said uncertainly, looking between Lizzy and Jack.

Jack took Lizzy by the arm and led her toward the paint section. She was studying him curiously.

“Do you and Arthur not get along?” she whispered.

“What?” He felt the tips of his ears grow hot. He was being a dick. Arthur was a good kid. “We get along great.”

“Hmm,” she said, pulling her lips to one side. “Okay. If you say so.”

He was relieved she’d dropped it. He needed to get a handleon this caveman possessiveness before she caught on. “So did you and Shannon discuss what paint colors you guys wanted?”

“We did.” Her eyes lit up with excitement, and he couldn’t hold back his grin. Her joie de vivre was one of the many things he loved about her. “We decided to go with several different shades. Shannon wants to give the store a burst of color.”

“I couldn’t help but overhear you folks discussing paint colors.” Arthur walked down the aisle toward them.

It wasn’t premeditated—he had no intention of doing it—but Jack wrapped his arm around Lizzy’s waist, spreading his hand wide on her hip. He felt her eyes on him, but he didn’t dare turn his head.

The other man’s gaze flicked to Jack’s hand before he fixed a friendly smile on his face. “I just wanted to let you know that I can mix whatever shade you need. I have a ton of color swatches up front. Do you want to take a look at them?”

“Yes, thank you. That would be so great,” Lizzy said.

Arthur nodded and made his way back to retrieve the swatches. When he was far enough away, she pointedly cleared her throat, and Jack had no choice but to face her.

“Did you just pee on me?” She arched a perfect brow at him.

“What? I… What?” He knew exactly what she meant, but it sounded so much worse when she put it that way.

“Were you marking your territory for Arthur’s benefit just now?” She stepped away from him and crossed her arms.

“I… That is…” He was an ass. The least he could do was own up to it. “Yes. I’m so sorry. I didn’t know what I was thinking. Actually, I didn’t think. I just did.”

She narrowed her eyes and tapped her foot for a long moment as he waited for her wrath to rain down on him. But then… she smiled. “I think I’m going to let it pass this one time.”

“You are?” he asked, not quite believing he was off the hook.

“Yes, but just this once.” A soft blush rose to her cheeks. “I sort of liked it. I’ve never seen this side of you before. It’s kind of sexy. Just don’t make a habit of it.”

“I won’t. I promise.” But he had more important things on his mind. He closed the distance between them and pulled her into his arms. “You think I’m sexy.”

She blushed harder. “Figured that out all by yourself, Sherlock?”

“I like that,” he said, his voice dipping low. He leaned down until their faces were only a few inches apart. “I really like that.”

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