When Roses Collide

Chapter Thirteen

"You're kind of cute when you blush."

"Men don't blush."

"Really?" She smiled brightly and pointed over his shoulder to the shelves behind him. "Then you had better get a few tubes of that ointment over there, because you have one hell of a rash going on."

Travis laughed, shaking his head. He couldn't help it, she had him dead to rights. "Smart-ass."

She laughed too. A full throaty laugh which sent tremors racing up his spine. It was a beautiful sound and it lit up her whole face. He imagined if she didn't have those glasses on, her lovely eyes would be sparkling like the sun glinting on the water. Too bad she had them on, because that was something he would really like to see.

Comedy wasn't his forte, but, for her, he would become a standup comedian just to hear her laugh. He was about to ask her to take the glasses off, when she bent over in front of him to pick up the scattered boxes and all the blood used for brain function flew south.

Her curvy backside swayed and jiggled right in front of him, causing him to suck in an unsteadying breath. Travis clenched his fists to his side to prevent himself from fondling her ass right there in aisle nine. He had always thought of himself as a breast man. He loved breasts...all different sizes. But when it came to this darling's plushy backside, he was one hundred percent ass man.

It didn't help matters much he had done a fair share of fantasizing about cupping that very same ass which was now dancing in front of his vision like a set of sugar plums. He closed his eyes and started running numbers in his head. Failing with that, he began visualizing the women in Addie's Red Hat Society...naked. Anything to calm the raging hormones and to prevent himself from grabbing her and starring them in a porn scene set in the grocery store with Barry Manilow singing in the background.

"What's the matter with you? Are you feeling alright?"

Travis opened his eyes to find Harley inches from him, amusement lacing through her concern. "I...," he coughed, "I'm fine." The proximity of her sweet body and the smell of jasmine assaulted his senses making him weave a little in his boots.

"Uh-huh. That's why you're sweating." A grin flirted with the edges of her mouth.

"It's hot in here."

"Not that hot, cowboy."

"Hot enough." He grabbed the rest of the boxes and smashed them into the display. "What are you doing here anyway?" he snapped harshly, trying to cover up his humiliation at being busted admiring her backside.

"I'm hunting elephants. You haven't seen any have you?" she replied dryly. Her hip cocked to the side and her toe tapping. "I'm grocery shopping, what does it look like?" She swiped her hand over her half-filled cart.

He laughed. "No need to get defensive, sunshine. I was only asking a question." Travis took a step back and held his hand up in surrender. She was damn cute when she was pissed off.

"I'm not defensive," she huffed. Stepping closer to him, she leaned in and looked over the contents of his cart. "But I could ask you the same thing, cowboy. What are you doing here?"

Travis didn't know if he should admit the truth or keep up the ruse and lie. "Same thing you are." He decided quickly that lying was his best course of action.

She looked at his cart dubiously. "Is that right? Huh...I wouldn't have taken you for a rice cake kind of guy."

"Love em."

"You do?"

"Yup, they're good shit."

"Eat one."