London Calling Read Free Page B

bracelet.
    “Very nice. A creative woman. I like it.”
    The cashier swiped Tim’s items across the scanner. “That’ll
be $22.37,” she said in a robotic voice.
    He whipped out his wallet, seeming more confident with the
paper money than he had that morning, but Jenna could tell the coins were still
giving him trouble. “How much again?” he asked.
    “It’s $22.37,” the cashier answered, resting her hand on her
hip. The guy behind them groaned.
    Jenna sifted through what was in his hand. They stood close
and she felt the heat radiating from him, marveling at how comfortable she
already felt around him. It normally took her weeks to be this at ease with a
guy.
    Loaded down with bags, they resumed their walk to her apartment.
The wind had picked up and Tim walked with his shoulders hunched. She made a
mental note to help him take care of the jacket situation tomorrow. “You’ll
love the Pretzel M&M’s,” she said. “They’re so good. I thought I was going
to faint when I first tried them.”
    “I’m holding you personally responsible if they don’t do it
for me.”
    “Let’s crack ’em open. Come here.” She shifted the bags to one
hand and her arm dropped with the added weight.
    “Give me those.” He reached out his free hand.
    She looped the shopping bags onto his arm and took the candy
from one. She tore the corner and poured a few M&M’s into her hand. She
held them out for him and he smirked, looking at his overloaded arms.
    “You’re going to have to feed me.” He leaned closer and she
popped them into his mouth, her thumb brushing his lower lip. He scrunched up
his face and made an exaggerated swallow. “Not my cup of tea.”
    “Really?” Her shoulders sagged in disappointment. “You don’t
like them?”
    “Not really.” He shook his head then chuckled. “Kidding.
They’re magic.”
    Jenna smacked him on the arm, causing his eyes to light up
in the most playfully sexy way. “Very funny.”
    “Let me have another,” he said. He bent closer, which caused
her to shudder.
    “Maybe I don’t want to.”
    “I’m sorry. Please, one more?” He opened his mouth and she relented.
He chewed slowly, watching her. “Now you’ve done it. You’ve gone and ruined me
for all other candy-coated treats.”
    She giggled like a schoolgirl and pursed her lips to stop. That
wasn’t even that funny. What’s wrong with me? He stood very straight as
they walked, as though he was proud of the effect he’d had on her.
    They turned on to Jenna’s tree-lined street and she started
to feel sad as they passed each brownstone, coming closer to her own. It was
one of the most fun nights she’d had in a long time—totally unplanned but
completely enjoyable.
    “Here we are,” she said, her voice heavy.

Chapter Two
     
    While Tim enjoyed the Pretzel M&M’s, what he couldn’t
stop thinking about was that she’d practically put her finger in his mouth.
More than a little sexy. He stood in front of the stairs leading up to her
building, wondering if he’d ever get a chance to see her apartment.
    She turned to him, a look he couldn’t read crossing her
face. Her lips scrunched into a frown as she glanced up at her building. She pointed
toward the second floor. “That would be my roommate.”
    He followed her gaze and saw a woman with long black hair
leaping and flailing in front of the window.
    “What is she doing? Having some sort of seizure?”
    Jenna snorted. “If only. That’s her hobby. She’s in this
creative movement dance group. She practices whenever the mood strikes and the
music is god-awful.”
    “I’m truly sorry. That almost makes the toothbrush issue a
good thing by comparison.”
    Jenna rubbed her hands together. “It’s really chilly out. I
should let you get home. You live near the café, right? Do you know where
you’re going?”
    “Not really,” he confessed.
    “Okay, go down three blocks then turn left, then when you
get to the pizza place take a…” She paused,