“What does that mean?”
Seth laughed. “We’ve been up and down half the aisles in this store. You still haven’t put anything in your cart, angel.”
He was right. Goodness, she must look like a stumbling goofball. “Oops. I got distracted.”
Her blushing admission only made him laugh more. “How about if I help you out?”
Before she could answer, he tossed a bag of pasta in the cart, then a couple of jars of sauce. She gaped at the splurges she hadn’t been able to afford in years. But he was already tugging the cart around the corner, balancing it on two wheels, and heading for the produce.
“What are you doing?”
“Grabbing you some stuff for dinner.” He tossed a few peppers into the basket, followed by an onion, garlic, and some tomatoes. “Do you prefer parmesan, Romano, or a blend?”
“Um…” She couldn’t afford any of it. “I don’t—”
“Know? Care? How about I surprise you?” He pushed the cart to the specialty cheeses, picked up a few containers of grated stuff that nearly choked her with the price, then tossed them in the cart. “That’s the thing about growing up in New York. I know lots of Italians. They showed me the good stuff. You’ll love this.”
She’d probably melt the instant it hit her taste buds. Cheese was a weakness. Hazard of growing up in Wisconsin. But those few sprinkles almost cost more than she spent on groceries in a week.
How could she tell him she couldn’t buy any of this stuff without the evening becoming utterly mortifying?
“And you’ll need some of this…” He zipped farther across the store, to the meat counter, bypassing anything on sale. He picked up a few packages, then discarded them until he found the biggest slab of beef in the case. “Perfect. You like meat, right? You’re not one of those vegan girls who will only eat something if it never had two eyes and a mother?”
“No. I’m not. But I—”
“Great. Know what to make with everything in the cart?”
Heavenly had no clue. “I don’t.”
“Garlic steak pasta is magic.” He grinned as he scanned the basket. “Do you need anything else while you’re here?”
Staples she couldn’t afford for a month if she bought all this. “Um…I’ll never be able to eat this much food. And since I don’t know how to cook the dish you’re talking about, I think I should stick with the basics.”
When she reached into the basket to pluck things out, he pulled her closer and pushed the cart to the front of the store. “Angel, since you won’t let me take you out, I want to cook for you. All you have to do is invite me over and show me to your kitchen. I’ll do everything else. And after dinner…we’ll see if you feel like acting on some of that conversation we had. What do you say?”
Her first thought was a knee-jerk no. But she was really tempted to say yes. She didn’t want her time with Seth to end. Still, if she invited him over, she’d have to explain her situation, her father’s health, her complicated life—all the things she’d been avoiding.
Would it matter to him? Maybe not. He seemed determined to get to know her. Or get her into bed. Maybe…she should let him. She was hopelessly attracted to him, and sex would probably be the most amazing thing ever. And she wasn’t hanging on to her virginity for any particular reason. When it happened, she just wanted to be with someone who would treat her well and make her feel good. Seth would. Sure, some silly part of her wanted her first time to be special, but she wasn’t sixteen anymore, hoping to be plucked by the prom king on a bed of roses. She wanted it to mean something, but she wasn’t ready for happily ever after. Being happy for a moment would be okay…
As he maneuvered the cart into a checkout lane, she stood on tiptoe and whispered in his ear. “I don’t need a lot but…is this anything more than sex?”
He reared back and stared, a furrow between his brows. “Oh, angel. I’m dying to make love to you, but I’m interested in more than your beautiful body. You have a beautiful heart, too. If I didn’t like spending time with you, I wouldn’t be trying this hard.”
Right. Because he didn’t have to. That was enough for her. He only had to like her some. When they got back to her place, she’d figure out what to say to him…and how to explain him to her father.
She was being impulsive. After all, she and Seth had only been on one date. They’d seen each other a handful of times. Trusting someone with all her baggage was a big step. A scary one. She’d never done it and she hoped he didn’t scurry off once he got an eyeful of her reality. But just once, she wanted to live in the moment. And the truth was, if she kept waiting to start her life, she’d never experience anything.
Finally, the woman bagged the groceries. Seth paid, and it shocked her to think he hadn’t blinked at spending nearly fifty bucks for a single meal. But he grabbed the bags and dropped them into the cart, then put a hand at the small of her back and hustled her to the door.
Before they went any further, though, she needed to make a couple of things clear. Heavenly pulled on his sleeve. “Wait.”
“What’s wrong? Don’t change your mind now, angel…”
“I’m not,” she murmured as people bustled in and out of the store around them. “I need to be honest with you about something. Well, two things. First, we may not be able to have sex tonight. You’ll see why when we get to my place. But I want you to know it’s not because I don’t want to. I really do.”
“Hey, I’m
