As the orgasm faded, I nearly collapsed against him.
He caught me and gave a soft chuckle. “I’ve got you, my sweet Lenore.”
2
The cart’s wheel squeaked every third step. A high-pitched sound that drowned out my inaudible hum. The daffodil packets sat in the top child seat, the seeds shaking inside as I walked along. Erik gave me enough allowance for everything on the list, and a few dollars more, just in case. At home, he’d take the change and receipt, making sure it added up. Then he’d help put the groceries away before we’d come together again.
I smiled with anticipation. After, we could plant the daffodil seeds together. Maybe not near the gazebo since it wasn't done yet. Not until it was finished, but there was a small patch of dirt just off to the right of the deck that we could start with.
For now, though, I took my time walking the aisles to get what we needed.
As much as I couldn’t wait to be with him again, I also enjoyed the independence of coming to the supermarket. It gave me a sense of freedom. My decisions and actions were my own. Not that Erik was controlling. Well, not exactly. He was protective—sometimes over protective. But he worried ever since the accident. He wanted to make sure I stayed safe. Considering how close he’d been to losing me, I couldn’t begrudge him that need.
At least, I shouldn’t. Sometimes, it could be very smothering though.
A soft, pulsing ache started in my chest, just where my heart was. I’d had it a few times before, and Erik told me it was just an aftereffect from the accident. Nothing to worry about. It always faded within a few moments.
Even now. The ache dissipated and I let out a soft sigh, grateful for the relief.
“It can’t be.” A deep male voice said.
I didn’t recognize it, and I was sure he must have been talking to someone else.
“No...” Disbelief radiated in the word.
My arm froze, outstretched, reaching for a bag of rice.
The man, large and foreboding in his presence, descended upon me so swiftly I didn’t have time to react. He towered above me, like a giant among mortals. His short blond hair seemed almost translucent in the supermarket's light. Fear ignited in my belly as his intense green eyes bore into me.
“Sandra?” He reached out as if to touch my cheek.
I stepped back, just out of reach. My hip bumped the shelf. The groceries shuffled, but nothing fell.
“My name isn’t Sandra. You’re mistaken.”
Rice forgotten, I gripped the cart and hurried past him.
He grabbed my arm, and I jumped, trying to pull away. His fingers dug into my flesh. My heart thundered as he jerked me close. I stumbled against the cart and it crashed into the shelves. A box of crackers fell to the floor, rushing across the linoleum with a hiss.
My heart thundered in my chest, the roar reaching my ears. It made me dizzy.
Aside from first waking up, I couldn’t remember ever having such icy fear. My body refused to move, each muscle paralyzed. I couldn’t even blink as I took slow, shallow breaths. I wished Erik were here. This was his fear come to life. He worried something would happen to me while I was away from him and he wouldn’t be there to protect me.
I wished he were here. The man wouldn’t dare approach if Erik had been with me.
Those cold, green eyes seemed to harbor rage, hate, and passion in a volatile mixture. But I didn’t understand how it could be for me. I’d never seen this man before. At least not that I could remember. And even if he’d been someone I once knew, what could I have done to cause him to look at me in such a way?
“How are you here?” he asked.
His breath smelled acrid, like he hadn’t brushed his teeth in weeks. I pulled against his grip, eager to get away.
“Please,” I said. “Just let me go.”
“Damn it, Sandra!” He shook me. “Don’t play games with me!”
My teeth rattled together from the force, and I tried to pull away again. “Stop!”
“Hey!” An unfamiliar voice said. “Let her go.”
The man released me, and I stumbled back, rubbing my arm. His fingers left a red shadow on my arm, and judging from the dull ache, it would probably bruise later.
The unknown man, tall and broad shouldered, stepped slightly in front of me, partially obscuring me from the aggressor.
“You need to take a step back.” He had a southern lilt to his words.
Something like a growl of annoyance came from the aggressor. The sound of it sent a cold spike straight through my spine. I shivered, closing my eyes as if it might make him disappear. But even with my eyes closed, the sharp nose and angular jaw of his broad face were prevalent in my mind.
I opened my eyes.
The aggressor held up his hands. “Sorry. Thought she was someone else.”
“Well, since she’s not someone else, you best be on your way,” the Southern man said.
After a moment of hesitation, the aggressor stalked down the aisle, pivoting on his heel as he turned the corner and disappeared.
A breath rushed from my chest. My lungs ached with the release. I gripped the edge of the cart, my knees trembling with exertion to hold me upright.
“Whoa!” The Southern man gripped my elbow.
Where the aggressor's touch had been violent, this man’s touch was gentle, but firm enough to keep me from falling over.
“Are you all right, ma’am?” he asked.
My hip throbbed where it banged into the cold metal cart. The skin on
