Page 27 of Never Again
“Me, too,” she whispered back, letting her fingers trail down his jaw.
The outdoor farmer’smarket was crowded on Saturday, with patrons browsing stalls or patiently waiting in line to collect produce from a favorite vendor. Carmen and Carlos walked side by side, their arms brushing against each other every now and again.
They’d decide on a meatless Saturday menu, so the basket in Carlos’s right hand contained a bundle of kale and a large zucchini they’d add to the quinoa and mushrooms he already had at home.
Carmen sniffed a bar of homemade soap infused with rosehip and coconut oil. “Mmm, this smells good.” She lifted the bar to Carlos’s nose, and he took a deep breath.
“It does smell good. Not as good as you, though.”
He pressed a kiss to her neck, and she giggled, swerving away from his roaming hand.
“Cut it out.” She set the soap back on the stack.
He came up behind her and slipped a hand beneath her shirt, spreading his long fingers over her belly. “I think I made a mistake suggesting we stop here. I should have taken you home first.” His low, seductive voice in her ear made tiny shivers trickle down her neck.
“You need to behave. People are looking at us.”
“Are they?” Unperturbed, he kept his gaze on her and bit his bottom lip.
He looked so scrumptious when he did that, and she wanted to replace his teeth with hers. Later, she would, and she’d get a good suck on his lower lip while she was at it.
“We’re here to get food becauseyoudidn’t plan ahead for my visit.” Carmen twirled out of the curve of his arm and strolled over to a large table overflowing with corn on one side and green beans on the other.
“I’m sorry. I was excited about your visit, but I also needed to get ready for the festival.”
In a couple of weeks, a big art festival arrived in Tennessee, one that he’d attended last year and from which he’d gotten sales and good exposure.
“There’s no need to apologize. How’s everything going?” They’d talked at length about his preparation for the event, so she knew how important it was to him.
“So far so good. My agent had some good news the other day. She got me in front on the main stage.”
Carmen’s mouth fell open. He’d hoped for the opportunity but wasn’t sure it would happen. “So you’re right there where everybody can see you?”
“They can’t miss me.”
“Oh my goodness, I’m so happy for you!” Carmen flung her arms around his neck and dragged him down for a lip-smacking kiss.
“Now everybody’s really looking at us,” he said.
“I don’t care. Congratulations,mi corazón.”
“Gracias,mi amor.”
“We have to celebrate. How about we stop at the wine store and get champagne? We should probably also get some chocolate-covered strawberries for dessert?”
“How did you manage to read my mind?” Carlos asked.
“Great minds think alike.” Carmen perused the table. “How about some green beans?”
“Sounds good to me. Maybe some garlic, too?”
“Perfect.” As he moved over to a small tub of garlic, she couldn’t take her eyes off him. She was so lucky to have him back in her life.
She started examining the green beans.
“Carmen, is that you?”
Carmen swung in the direction of the vaguely familiar voice and looked into the face of one of her father’s friends and former business associates. She almost didn’t recognize him. The older man was dressed down in jeans and a T-shirt, when in the past she’d only seen him in suits when he met with her father.
