“Sure.”
Mark said good-bye and hung up. With nothing else to do but enjoy the day, he hopped into the shower. When he was done washing up, he got dressed. If nothing else, new clothes would be nice. He wouldn’t mind adding some deodorant, a razor, and aftershave to the list of items to buy. And a comb. He definitely needed a comb. He ran his fingers through his hair until he was presentable then left the bathroom.
His gaze fell on Lexie who had pulled one of the curtains aside so she could check out the city. She glanced over her shoulder and smiled at him. “It’s a beautiful sunny day.”
“It is,” he replied and walked over to her. “You ready to get something to eat?”
“Yeah.” She kissed him then brushed her fingers along his jaw. “I kind of like the rugged, unshaven look on you.”
“Do you?” He touched the stubble on his face and wondered if he should keep it since she said she liked it.
“I do, but I also like you clean shaven. Either way, you’re good looking.”
Pleased she thought so, he gave her a hug and kissed her. “Today is better because you’re sharing it with me. After breakfast, I’d like to get you a wedding ring. It’d be nice to see you wearing something that says we belong together.”
“Do you plan to get one, too?”
“Of course.” He clasped his hand around hers. “You’re mine and I’m yours.”
“That sounds lovely.”
“It is.” Noting the way her smile lit up her face, he pressed her hand to his heart. “I’m lucky to have you. You have no idea how thankful I am I found you.”
After they shared another kiss, he led her out of the room and to the restaurant downstairs.
Chapter Sixteen
The bell above the door rang and Sandy looked up as she poured coffee into a woman’s empty cup. Caitlyn stepped into the diner and waved before she sat on the barstool at the counter.
“Do you know what you want to eat?” Sandy asked the woman.
“I’ll have the BLT with fries,” the woman replied and handed her the menu.
“It’ll be ready in a few minutes.” After she handed Jack the order, she went over to Caitlyn. “You want some coffee, tea, milk, or soda?”
Giving her friend a sympathetic smile, Caitlyn said, “I want to know how my best friend is doing.”
Sandy wiped down the already clean counter so she wouldn’t have to make eye contact with her. “I’m fine. Mark and Lexie will be happy together.”
“Yeah, I know, but honestly, if I’d had any idea he was interested in her, I never would have tried to fix you up with him.”
Sandy smiled at her friend. “I know. Chris was a dork for not telling you Mark’s been pursuing Lexie ever since your wedding.”
“Hey, he’s not a dork. Okay. Maybe he was a little dorky for not saying anything, but he didn’t realize what he was doing. He thought there was no way Lexie was going to ditch the doctor to be with Mark.”
“You explained all of that when you drove me home from the engagement party. I already told you that I’m the one who told Lexie to run off with Mark. I could have told her he was a freak who lied to her, but I didn’t.” It hurt to do that. She really liked Mark. He seemed like a great guy. She swallowed the lump in her throat. “I knew what I was doing. Besides, it’s for the best.”
“I just want to see you with someone who’ll treat you right.”
Sandy finished wiping the counter and turned to her friend. “I gave it careful thought last night, and I decided I’m not meant to be with someone. My lot in life is to be single.”
“No, I can’t believe that.”
“Why not? Not everyone gets married.”
“I know that, but you have so much to offer a man.”
“No, I don’t. It’s for the best Mark ended up with Lexie instead of me.” And in hopes of ending this conversation before it took an uncomfortable turn, she asked, “What would you like to drink? Soda?”
Caitlyn seemed ready to pursue the topic but then she sighed. “Hot chocolate.”
“Hot chocolate? You rarely drink that.”
“Yeah, well, I think my weird cravings are starting to come back.”
Chuckling, she grabbed a cup and poured hot chocolate in it before adding whip cream. “That baby of yours has good taste. You can’t go wrong with chocolate.” She set the cup in front of her friend.
“Tell that to my waistline.”
“You’re pregnant. You’re not supposed to be concerned about your waistline.”
“I just worry what it’ll look like after the baby is born.”
“We can join a gym and exercise if you need to get back into shape. It’s easier to stick with it if you have a friend to go with.”
“Thanks. You’re a good friend.”
Giving her a teasing grin, she said, “Yeah, I know.”
Caitlyn tossed a napkin in her direction, but she dodged it. “Don’t get a swell head.”
Chuckling, Sandy picked up the napkin, tossed it in the trash and took Caitlyn’s order.
***
“This is a big selection,” Lexie thoughtfully stated as she examined the rings enclosed in the glass case. “What do you think?”
“I think you should get what you want,” Mark told her.
The woman behind the counter finished helping another customer and returned to them. “Have you made a decision yet?”
Mark pointed to a solid gold band with a strip of silver in the middle. “I like this one for myself.”
“It’s one of the more popular ones we sell,” she said as she reached into the case.
“That is a nice ring,” Lexie commented, studying the set of rings as the woman put them on the counter. “Do you know what size you are?” she asked him.
He shook his head. “Nope. I’ve never worn a ring before.”
“Well, there’s only one way to find out,” the woman said. “Try this one. It’s a size ten.”
Mark took the ring from her and slid it on his finger.
“What do you think?” Lexie asked.
Twisting it on his finger, he said, “I think it’s a perfect fit. Not too tight, not too loose.”
“Just like ‘Goldilocks and The Three Bears’,” the woman joked.
Eyebrows furrowed, Mark tried to recall what Goldilocks and three bears meant in the American culture. After doing all the research he had, it was frustrating to realize he missed something.
Chuckling, Lexie wrapped her arm around his. “It’s a story about a girl who wandered into a house owned by three bears while they went for a walk. The baby bear’s stuff suited her best so she ate his porridge, sat in his chair, and slept in his bed.”
“That was rude of her,” he commented before he had time to consider this was just a story, not something that really happened.
“Yeah, I guess it was,” she agreed.
“But it was better than what the wolf pulled in ‘Little Red Riding Hood’,” the woman chimed in.
“True,” Lexie replied.
Now he was familiar with the story about the girl wearing the red cloak and the wolf that followed her in the forest. Feeling better, he relaxed. “I’ll take this one. What do you want, Lexie?”
Lexie turned back to the women’s wedding bands. “I know you want me to make this decision without your input, but I really want to know what you like. You’re my husband, and when I look at the ring, I want to think of you.”
“Okay, but I want to make sure you like it,” he said.
“Deal.”
He studied the rows of rings, mentally picturing how they’d look on her finger. Based on what he learned about her, a simple style would suit her best. Simple and elegant. Finally, his eyes settled on the heart-shaped diamond set in yellow gold. “How about that one?”
“It’s beautiful.” Lexie looked up at the woman. “Do you have that in a size seven?”
“I’m sure I do.” She sorted through the tags on the rings and found one with a sev
en on it. “Here it is. Try this on.”
“Are you trying it on because you like it or because I picked it out?” Mark asked, wanting to be sure he wasn’t leading her to make a decision like her mother and Nick did.
“Both,” Lexie replied as she put the ring on and examined it.
His mind at ease, he watched as she extended her hand and wiggled her fingers. “What are you doing?”
“Seeing how it sparkles in the light.” She grinned. “I like the way diamonds sparkle, especially in sunlight. I’d like this ring,” she told the woman.
As long as she was happy, that was all that mattered. “I think that’s it,” he told the woman.
“You two have great taste,” the woman said and led them to the cash register. “I’ll get boxes for you to put the rings in and be right back.”
He nodded and took out his wallet. Glancing at his watch, he saw it was ten. A quick mental check over his body told him he wasn’t any more ready to initiate the bonding ceremony than he’d been when he woke up. Twenty-six hours. It’d been twenty-six hours since he took the last pill. Struggling to push aside his unease, he forced his attention back to the woman and paid for the rings.
Once the transaction was complete, he followed Lexie out of the store. She had such a great walk. Her hips swayed gently from side to side, and her legs were shapely. When she turned to face him, his gaze went to the curve of her breasts. He blinked in surprise. Surely, he noticed all of that about her before. Or maybe he hadn’t. He was sure he hadn’t. He’d noticed that she was a very attractive woman, one of the most beautiful he’d seen on Earth, but he didn’t recall examining her in such a sensual way.
“Do you want to go back to our room?” she asked him.
Lifting his gaze so he was looking at her eyes, he tried to figure out what she said.
Amused, she took his hand in hers. “Are you shocked because of all the money you spent?”
“No. I… I…” Should he tell her what he’d been thinking?
“I can get a different ring. This one was a little pricey.”
“No.” He stopped her before she could go back into the store. “The ring wasn’t too expensive. I was,” his face warmed, “checking you out.”
A pleased smile crossed her face. “Yeah?”
“You know you’re gorgeous, don’t you?”
“I don’t make it a habit of checking myself out that way, but it’s nice that you do. So,” she stepped closer to him, “do you want to go back to our room?”
He wanted to say yes. How he wanted to say yes! But he still wasn’t ready. He had to stall her and he wanted to do it in the least embarrassing way possible. After brainstorming reasons he was, once again, delaying the bonding ceremony, he said, “Actually, I was thinking… We aren’t going to return to Florida until Monday...”
She giggled. “Yes, I already know that.”
“We wore these clothes yesterday.” He motioned to their outfits. “We should find another outfit to wear for tomorrow and pick up a couple things like deodorant and whatnot.”
“You want to do that before we go back to the room?”
“Yes. Do you mind?”
“No, I don’t mind.”
“Great. Let’s get some clothes.” Taking her hand, he headed down the sidewalk and motioned to the nearest clothing store. It wasn’t far from their hotel. Just in case the pill actually wore off, he did want to make sure they could make it to their room. That was, if his body would cooperate with his mind. Despite his anxiety, he smiled and added in what he hoped was a carefree tone, “I don’t know about you, but I hate wearing the same thing two days in a row.”
“Me too. It will be nice to have something different to wear.”
***
Two hours and two stores later, Mark had purchased the clothes he wanted, but Lexie was still undecided about what type of dress she wanted. As she came out of the dressing room, she looked at him. “I’m sorry it’s taking me so long to pick out my last outfit.”
“I don’t mind,” he replied. “Take all the time you need.”
And sadly, he hoped she would. It was twenty-eight hours since he took the pill, and he still wasn’t ready to release the sex hormone. At this point, he was beginning to think he wouldn’t be able to do it. He wouldn’t be able to consummate their marriage and establish a life bond with her.
She approached him and knelt beside him. “I’m so used to having my mother with me when I get clothes, I don’t even know what to pick.”
“Pick what you like.”
“I know it sounds like it should be that easy, but it’s not. When I look at the dresses, I wonder if I’m interested in them because it’s what I want or if it’s something she’d like. Does that make sense?”
With a smile, he stroked her back. “It does. And that’s why it’s good for you to be here without her. You should discover what it is you like.”
“But what if you don’t like it?”
“Lexie, anything will look good on you. You’re hot.”
She chuckled and stood up. “You have a way with words, Mark Tanner.”
He chuckled and gave her a light tap on the behind. “Now, go and find something else to try on.”
“Okay.”
Seeming happier and more relaxed, Lexie went back to the dress rack and sorted through the ones she hadn’t tried on yet. Mark hadn’t realized how many decisions her mother had made for her. Being here without her mom was the best thing she ever did for herself. He shifted in the chair and released his breath. Thank goodness the people in charge of this place thought to put comfortable chairs throughout the stores for their customers or else his feet would have given up on him long ago.
He focused on the music playing in the store. Though he knew the composer hadn’t intended it, Mark couldn’t help but think of the art gallery, which also played instrumental pieces. Thinking of the art gallery reminded him of the painting with those circles of various sizes on it. He imagined the circles spinning around, looping through each other, and changing colors.
He didn’t realize his mind had wandered off until Lexie gently shook his arm to get his attention. Straightening in the chair, he asked, “Did you find a dress you like?”
Giving him an amused smile, she turned and posed for him. “What do you think of this one?”
His gaze swept over her, noting the pink and red floral print that covered the white dress which reached her knees. The heart-shaped neckline hinted at her cleavage, something that especially drew his attention. He recalled the way her breasts felt the previous night and his fingers itched to touch them again. There was so much he wanted to do with her. Even if he couldn’t engage in the bonding ceremony, he would love to repeat what he did to her last night.
Forcing his thoughts away from how she looked naked, he said, “Lexie, that dress enhances your beauty.”
“You really think so?” she asked as she ran her hands down the skirt part of her dress.
His heartbeat picked up. “I wouldn’t have said it if I didn’t mean it.”
He didn’t know why watching her hands smooth out her dress excited him, but it did. It was strange that he was starting to notice new things about her, ever since they’d bought their wedding rings. His attention to detail came and went, often in small bursts. But if he guessed right, they were starting to become more frequent and last longer in duration. Was it because he was married to her now and had permission to notice the small, sexy things about her?
Her smile widened and she returned to the mirrors in the dressing room area.
Feeling compelled to follow her, he did, his heartbeat picking up once more as she turned around and examined her reflection in the mirrors surrounding her.
“I love the roses. They’re so pretty,” she commented. “I think I’ll get this one.”
He approached her from behind and brushed aside her hair. He bowed his head and kissed her neck. Her skin was soft and her perfume was so light he almost missed it. It should
n’t have surprised him, but for some reason, his senses were heightened.
She laughed. “I should have picked this dress out sooner. I had no idea you’d like it so much.”
Bringing his hands to her waist, he turned her around so that she was facing him. “You don’t need the dress to make you beautiful,” he whispered.
He cupped her face in his hands and lightly stroked her cheeks. Her eyes were the most amazing shade of brown he’d ever seen. A dark, rich color. Her nose was sloped at a gentle angle, a perfect fit for her face. Her moist pink lips were slightly parted. Intrigued by them, he lowered one of his thumbs and traced them, starting with her bottom lip and slowly moving to her upper one. It was like he was discovering her for the first time. Everything about her seemed new and exciting, as if he’d never seen a woman before.
“Mark?” she whispered.
He lowered his head and kissed her, softly at first. It hadn’t occurred to him up until then how incredible she felt against him. He brought her into his arms and deepened the kiss. His tongue brushed hers and he let out a soft moan without meaning to. He couldn’t get over how incredible she was. The best part of it all was that she was his life mate, the woman he’d come to Earth in hopes of finding. And now that he found her, he wasn’t going to let her go.
His lips left hers and traveled down her neck.
“Um, Mark,” she softly said, tugging on the sleeves of his shirt.
“Hmm?” he murmured as he kissed her shoulder.
“We’re in a store. In public.”
His eyes flew open and he let go of her. What was he doing? “I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me.” Okay. That sounded dumb. “Why is it so hot in here?” He wiped his forehead, surprised to see he was sweating. Then he remembered what Chris said about feeling warmer than usual when the pill wore off. The pill was finally wearing off! He could initiate the bonding ceremony! He grabbed her hand. “We need to go back to the room.”
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