Page 38 of Make it Real
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We walked the market aisles, browsing booths and ogling five hundred things we didn’t need. I visited the Saturday market pretty regularly, so I had several vendors in mind to show Jed in the spirit of giving him the full experience. We didn’t buy anything, but looked at everything from handmade jewelry to custom yarn wall hangings to laser-cut metal signs.
Bumping together as we wove through the crowd, our arms and hands tangled. Jed took it a step further and laced his fingers with mine, continuing on without acknowledging that small touch as though we did it every day.
I’d thought it might be weird to do this so publicly, but he pretty much made it impossible to feel awkward. I couldn’t get too anxious about whoever might be watching us when he was so obviously relaxed at my side. His carefree attitude proved a nice antidote to my undercurrent of social worries.
“Eliza’s booth is down that way,” I said, pointing to where his cousin sold her handmade soaps. “Should we head that direction?”
“She’ll waylay us all afternoon with her questions. Save it for another time?”
“Probably a good idea.” Eliza wouldn’t have any problem asking questions point-blank, and I still wasn’t convinced I’d be able to put on a good enough show for his family. I’d sold Harper on us easily enough, but she hadn’t asked me anything—I’d just…word-vomited my appreciation for Jed.
Avoiding pointed questions was probably the smarter move.
“What do you think of this?” He veered toward a booth hung with delicately knitted scarves and shawls.
“These are beautiful.” I ran a hand over them, careful not to snag the perfect stitches. “I’ve never really got the hang of knitting.”
Tugging a bright yellow shawl from its loop, he held it up in front of me at different angles. “I think this one suits you. It’s sunshiney, just like you.”
He looped the soft yarn around my shoulders, but shook his head when the ends hit halfway down my thighs. “We might need to take it in.”
Twisting his hands, he shortened the slack on the shawl, pulling me to him. I took an awkward step forward to crash against his chest. My hands went to his stomach, bracing myself even though his tight hold on the shawl meant I wouldn’t fall.
Only…the way he grinned down at me, I couldn’t be sure of that.
“Whoops,” he said softly, not sounding like he regretted it at all.
Without thinking, my fingers flexed against his stomach, his warm muscles firm beneath his T-shirt. And oh man, those muscles. Their gentle ripple beneath my fingertips made my own stomach twist and dip.
“I like it even better like this.”
His voice had gone so sinfully low, I felt it in my bones like a bass beat. I swallowed hard, willing myself to keep it together, but my eyes dropped to his mouth anyway. Full lips curved at the edges into a smirk at my obvious staring. I licked my lips, because I was definitelynotkeeping it together.
He leaned closer, his face gliding past my mouth, past my cheek. The air stopped up in my lungs, my body frozen with anticipation. His breath on my ear rocked a shiver through me. Was he—was he going to kiss me like this, here in the middle of the farmers’ market? I really didn’t care about the crowds at that point, I just wanted him to do it. Wanted to feel that press of his lips against the shell of my ear.
Now, please.
“Your grandma and her friend are watching us.”
My poor brain struggled with that whispered sentence for five full seconds before it made sense. Understanding broke over me like I’d jumped into an ice-cold lake.Oh. This had all been for show. Part of the thoughtful boyfriend package. I’d asked him to play make-believe with me, and now, I’d got it in full.
Really, I should be grateful Jed was so convincing.
I would absolutely forget how totally I’d been convinced. My cheeks had never felt so uncomfortably hot. But hey, in for a penny, right? Gran and Linda were probably still watching.
I ran my hands from his stomach up to his hard chest, and if that journey would forever be etched in my brain, so be it. He drew back a little, looking down at me with a question in his eyes. I ticked my shoulders up because I had no more clue what I was doing than he did. My entire plan apparently consisted of caressing his chest.
Not a bad plan, but not a very thorough one, either.
“It’s a lovely shawl, isn’t it?”
The vendor’s chilly voice broke us apart. Jed released me and replaced the shawl where he’d found it. Meanwhile, I pretended my internal temperature hadn’t just dropped a million degrees from the crush of disappointed hopes.
“You have really beautiful work,” I told her. “Really impressive. And this yarn is so soft.”
“Thank you.” She sounded like she knew already she wouldn’t be making that sale, despite all our romantic nonsense with her product.
