Page 10 of Holiday Home 3
“Then what the hell are we waiting for?” he said, playfully ousting her from controlling the shopping cart.
Tess snorted as he began hurrying them forward, his eagerness only half-playful. If he’d gotten his way, they’d have beelined to the checkout with the things they had. They could always come back tomorrow. But he smothered that wish, electing to focus on speeding through the rest of their shopping. He knew he’d never have carried groceries into a house faster than he would today.
As he zoomed ahead, Tess pursued him. In the next aisle, she finally caught him. A short battle ensued, in which the gorgeous professor, amusement supporting her smile indefinitely, regained control of their shopping cart. Neither of them paid any heed to the nearby shoppers or their stares.
Grinning, Liam stepped a few paces ahead of the cart, letting Tess send him like an arrow toward whatever shewanted to obtain. His exuberance was almost mighty enough to overcome gravity. Today might have had its fair share of frightening moments, but they could still finish strong in the back half.
Only, there was one more still ahead of them.
Liam made it to the end of the aisle. Hooking left toward the next one with far too much reckless speed, he nearly collided with the oncoming shopping cart just a few feet in front of him.
“Oh, sorry!” he said, staring up from the eggs, milk, and other recently obtained victuals sitting in it.
His eyes raised from them. Above what must be the most incredible pair of breasts in existence, he found piercing ice staring directly at him.
He’d found Victoria Moreno.
Chapter Four
Small World
Today must be cursed.It was the first intrusive thought to bubble up to the surface amid the roiling mass of anxiety that the sight of the gorgeous professor caused, accompanied by an initial urge to up and flee—and hope that maybe she somehow wouldn’t recognize him. The second, thankfully, was one of blaring alarm—a reminder of who was just a few steps from turning out of the aisle behind him.
“Victoria!” he exclaimed, heart thrashing within him with the ferocity of a middle schooler who’d just received their first drum set for Christmas. “Sorry for almost running into you like that.”
He didn’t dare risk looking over his shoulder into the aisle he’d just swung out of to see if he’d announced her name loudlyenough. Not while Victoria was staring right at him, her pale but sharp gaze affected by a very mild—which must mean she was utterly shocked—look of surprise at the sight of him.
The feeling’s mutual,Liam thought, battling to keep his shock from morphing into dread.
A few seconds passed, during which Victoria corrected her surprise. That was a good sign. Had Tess rounded the corner during those seconds, even Victoria’s cool, disaffected nature might not have survived such a thunderbolt.
“Hello, Liam,” Victoria said, sharp blue gaze remaining tethered to him.
At the same time, he thought he heard a shopping cart’s wheels scraping on the smooth concrete back the way he’d come. Hopefully, because it’d turned rapidly and began hurrying the other way. He still didn’t dare take his eyes away from the tall, beautiful professor before him.
Most of the time that would have hardly been a sacrifice. Imposing and severe as she might naturally be, Victoria was also a ravishing sight of voluptuous curves and magnetic attraction, even if ogling her was a dangerous undertaking. She was both the tallest and the bustiest of the four women who’d attended Tess’s Christmas Eve party two nights ago, and she had a sharp fashion sense that sent mixed signals about whether it was safe to stare.
Today was no different. She wore a beige cashmere coat, which she let hang open so the white sweater underneath could be viewed, highlighting her olive complexion. She also wore a black scarf, as well as form-fitting black jeans and boots. By all standards known to man, she was an alluring figure. The very first time he’d laid eyes on her, she’d managed to yank his attention away from Tess, which had been a nigh-unthinkable concept to him before that moment.
And if you had a thing for being skewered by icicles each time she looked at you, that could also potentially be considered a plus.
“Sorry about almost running into you like that,” he repeated, hoping to stall her for as long as he could. “I should have been looking where I was going.”
“It is alright,” she said in her usual calm manner. “I’m surprised to see you here.”
The feeling’s mutual,he thought for the second time in the past minute.
“Uh, yeah, I just figured I’d do some shopping before it got too dark out.”
“I don’t see a cart with you.”
Shit.
“Oh, well, I’m just kind of perusing, really,” he hastily said. “I haven’t found anything I want to get just yet. It was really just a snack or two that I was thinking about picking up.”
Because of how he usually comported himself, both Tess and Avril had admitted to their surprise at how skilled he was at cards—and how he seemed like a different person entirely during a game. A far better liar, for sure. The scene playing out currently did little to provide him with evidence that they were incorrect in their assessment.
Maybe I should start carrying around a deck of cards as a catalyst,he wryly thought.