Page 50 of Reaper & Ruin
“I was wondering what I’d do for a job if I could go back to the real world.” I sighed. “Then I realized I don’t yearn for labor. But I can’t just do nothing, so I wondered if there was a way to just… I don’t know. Do something that isn’t a job but is still a job.”
So far on our trip, I’d followed him through the aisles, picking up random junk food—chips, cookies, and, of course, more sour candy. The man was obsessed, and honestly, it was kind of adorable how protective he got over his stash.
He smiled at me. “You can do anything you want. If you want to stay home all day watching TV, then you can. Or if you want to go back to school, or become an artist. I don’t care what you do, so long as you enjoy it.”
“Your ass looks good in those jeans.” I drawled as I watched him move. “And I also debated finishing high school once ortwice but realized I don’t care. I don’t need a piece of paper to tell me I’m not a loser. And the only thing I ever enjoyed about my job was hanging out with all the girls. It was like… like fun. We just always had fun.”
Atlas moved with the same effortless ease he always had, his long fingers deftly picking up a loaf of bread, checking it, and tossing it into the cart. Even doing something as mundane as grocery shopping, he looked…in control. His muscles rippled under his black T-shirt, reminding me how strong he was, and yet here he was, holding a loaf of bread like it was the most fragile thing in the world. The guy could break someone in half without breaking a sweat, and he was still gentle enough to pick out bread.
I had to laugh to myself at how ridiculous and perfect that was. And how much I wanted him to bend me over and ravage me in the bread aisle, like that was a normal thought.
“Are you thinking about anything else?” Atlas asked, his tone casual as he threw a pack of bottled water into the cart. He did it as if the water weighed nothing, and once more, I debated how easy it would be for a bit of secret fun.
I liked his camera on me. But I didn’t think I’d enjoy Dave the security guard watching me orgasm, even if he would have a great time seeing it.
“Hmm.” I tapped my chin, pretending to think about it while we walked to the aisle full of neon orange cheese puffs. “I think we need some of those gross protein bars Gio likes. The ones that taste like chalk but make his muscles look like they’re chiseled out of stone.” I sighed. “They’re like four aisles over, though, and I’m kinda tired.”
Atlas shot me a playful glare, but I saw the flicker of lust in his eyes. He knew exactly how good Gio looked, too. “I’ll get them, but only because I know how much you love watching him eat them. Not because I support his habit of eating the horridthings.” He pointed at me with a firm glare as he pulled a gun from the back of his jeans and slid it into my hand. “Stay put. I’ll be right back. Shoot anyone who looks at you wrong. I’ll clean up the mess.”
“Yes, sir,” I called after him with a mock salute, watching as his tall figure disappeared down another aisle.
The second Atlas was out of sight, I wandered back to the candy shelf, mostly to avoid looking like a weirdo standing alone in the middle of the store. But really because my ass cheeks were made out of chocolate and I liked the idea of keeping them thick.
When I was satisfied I had enough for myself, and a little treat for Gio when he stopped being a loser, I reached for a couple more bags of sour candy. It seemed smarter to stock up. Especially with the sour dipping powder I reckoned would be fun to cover myself with. It was the kind that was licked up, and I did enjoy a good licking. It was a good activity to do in our new, bigger bedroom.
As I piled my cart high, I noticed someone coming down the aisle toward me in my peripheral vision. I didn’t notice because she was close. It was more like I thought I knew her.
Like I’d seen her a long time ago and couldn’t work out when.
She was taller than I. Closer to six feet, even though she didn’t wear heels. She moved with this eerie kind of grace, like each step had been calculated beforehand. Her long, jet-black hair was impossibly straight, falling down her back like a waterfall, and her skin was paler than mine, stark against her black outfit. Though she pulled off the whole goth thing much better than I ever would.
That wasn’t all that caught my eye. It was more because she was pretty. And for a second, I was reminded of Atlas. Not in the way she looked, but in how she moved. Controlled and every bit aware of the space around her.
She came to a stop about a foot away from me, and I just felt like I was looking at my boyfriend in girl form. Like she was a dark spot against my neon pink dungarees and matching canvas pumps.
Or maybe I was an obnoxious rainbow in her little gothic parade, seeing as she scowled at me. Though that may have been more because I laughed when she happened to glance my way.
The woman’s black eyes flicked toward me, narrowing slightly. “Something funny?”
Crap.
I blinked, my brain struggling to come up with an excuse that didn’t make me sound like a complete idiot. “Oh, no! I wasn’t laughing at you. You just, um… reminded me of this goth dude I know.”
Her brow arched slightly, but there was a hint of amusement in her eyes, and her initial hostility had instantly faded. “In a good way?”
“Definitely in a good way.” I nodded quickly, grinning like an idiot. “I love him, so yeah. Plus, you’re really pretty. I wasn’t trying to be a weirdo.”
God, I was being a weirdo, wasn’t I? Months in a cabin with just two guys, and I’d apparently forgotten how to talk to other women. It was disgusting. I needed a girl’s night with Ruby and Lola as soon as I could.
The woman’s eyes shifted down to the pile of sour candy in my cart, and for a moment, she didn’t say anything. Then she glanced back up at me, her expression softening ever so slightly. “You must really like sour candy.”
I shook my head, laughing awkwardly. “Oh, no. That’s not for me. My boyfriend is obsessed with it. I swear he could live off this stuff.”
Her lips curled into a small, almost fond smile, and for a moment, I was caught off guard by how…sadshe seemed. “Good for him. It’s the best candy.”
She reached for a bag of sour candy, tossing it into her basket with the same precision she seemed to carry herself with. Like even picking up candy was something that required focus and care.
I smiled back, feeling a little more at ease. “Yeah, he thinks so, too. Anyway, I hope you have a great day.”
