The kiosk worker, an indifferent sixteen-year-old guy who’d clearly rather be watching his phone, unlocked the case. The worker paused and stared at Mia. He shifted on his feet. “Did ya want…”
Alexi shook his head and the guy went back to his stool. Mia hurried to select several of her favorite guy colognes, ones not already overpowering the hallways at her high school.
Alexi lifted a perfume bottle. “Give me your wrist.”
Mia held up the cologne. “Give me yours.”
His eyes narrowed. She set the bottles down and held out her arm. Taking his selections, he sprayed her wrist, the inner crook of her elbow, and the middle of her forearm. Bending toward her arm, he raised it to sniff each spot. She wanted to slide her hand into his hair. This close, it looked like such a rich, deep color. Her fingers curled at the effort to restrain herself. Behave. Mia tried to jerk her arm away. Alexi held it tightly and his blue-gray eyes said stay still. His thumb brushed over her elbow. He seemed to like the powdery fragrance. The motion sent a feeling of tiny sparks from her elbow down to the tips of her fingers. Her mouth parted. She wanted him to rub it again.
Alexi released her and turned toward the sales clerk to point at the bottle. While he was turned, Mia slapped her hand over the inside of her elbow and rubbed, trying to erase the sensation.
Alexi held out his arm, covered in a long-sleeved oxford shirt. She slipped both buttons free, folded the cuff over twice, then shoved the sleeve up to his elbow. Her fingertips grazed his lightly muscled forearm, strong under the mall’s florescent lights. She pressed her finger against the vein near his elbow. Bizarre—all her veins were under her skin. Why did guys’ veins stand out? Hmm, was this an upper body strength thing? Mia ran her finger along the blue line.
“Here you go.” The kiosk worker handed her a cologne bottle.
Huh?
Alexi glared at the interruption, and the guy backed off.
Oh, yeah, the cologne. She misted a little on Alexi’s arm, bent forward, and breathed in—heaven. She reached for a second bottle and sprayed it. Nice. Her hand trembled reaching for the third bottle. She was enjoying this far too much. Stop. Mia gestured to the worker, indicating she’d take the first two. Shower gel came packaged with the cologne, which was good, because there was no way Alexi would use the flowery stuff she’d left in his room.
Alexi held up his arm for her to fix his sleeve. Mia lifted her hands, then quickly dropped them, knowing she needed to keep her hands off him. Hope and Niko were going to be together a long time, and she needed to stay friends with Alexi, keep to the plan. Shaking her head in refusal, she turned to pay the sales clerk. Knowing she couldn’t talk him into more shopping, she headed toward the exit.
Cheerful windows called to her, but his firm stride left her no doubt he was ready to go.
“Mia!” The yell came from across the mall.
Lauren?
Lauren waved and two big shopping bags slid down her arm. She was there with Willow.
Willow stood one step in front of the much taller Lauren, and she had at least four shopping bags. Despite Willow’s burden, her hands cupped her hips in her best cheer captain pose. The two of them could be taken for sisters from this distance given that they both had dark red hair, but up close their coloring and dissimilar features proved that to be unlikely.
Lauren’s wave froze midair, and then she elbowed Willow. Willow darted forward.
They’d spotted Alexi.
She’d just entered the tiger pit with a yummy, fluffy, baby duckling.
Chapter 8
Lauren and Willow barely got along, but they squealed in harmony and greeted her as if they’d been apart for months rather than a two-day weekend. Willow was the first to turn to Alexi. “Well, hello. I’m Willow.” Willow eyed Alexi up and down then arched her back. She smiled her competitive cheer smile, showing all her teeth.
Not her coolest move.
“Alexi, meet Lauren and Willow,” Mia said. “This is Alexander Ariastassios.”
“Oh?” Lauren caught Mia’s eyes and raised her eyebrows. The faint scar over the left one showed the piercing she had to remove during the school year to comply with the dress code.
Mia nodded. She’d sent a few texts about him last night.
Lauren tapped her ring finger. “He’s Hope’s future brother-in-law, right?”
Alexi ignored Lauren’s question about Hope with a frown. “Hello.”
“Is that an accent?” Willow flipped her long hair off her shoulder, sending out a wave of sultry perfume. She had a fondness for heavy nighttime perfume, even in the daytime. “I love accents.” She pumped her fist in the air. “Cheerleaders love accents.”
“You have the accent,” Alexi said with a heavier accent.