The Carrero Contract - Amending Agreements (Book 2 of Contract Trilogy)

32

Jackson is hovering by the door looking awkward, seeing as I have been in the lingerie department for the best part of an hour, and it's obvious he doesn't normally go knicker shopping with his wife. I told him not to come with me, I was quite happy to have a day going solo, but he got one sniff of me in the lobby and that was it. With Alexi in the building, there was no way he was going to let me wander off without an escort.

He's my shadow for the day and as much as I told myself I needed solitude, he's been pretty good company; Carrying bags, making jokes, being a sunny personality in my outing. He doesn't know that today is any different to any other day, or so I assume. Although a couple times he has looked at me like he wants to say something, and he is being way more amenable than normal. I mean, usually, by now he would be looking fed up with my hours of retail therapy, instead of standing guard by the door with a perma-smile on his face as though he is having the best time ever.

'I won't be long,' I call over to him, and the shop assistant milling nearby looks to me, then him with a strange look. She's trying to summarise if he is a weird husband who has a serious avoidance of sexy underwear or if I'm some sort of celeb with a bodyguard. Jackson does have that aura of security and the trademark black suit and doorman jacket is a massive giveaway. He's just missing the earpiece today to finish off the bodyguard kit.

The reality is I'm nobody, with an overbearing Alexi who won't let me out of Carrero sight for even a shopping trip. Santagato has been at the club since that day and he hasn't given me a second glance, so I am not sure if he is still a threat anymore. I guess probably because the hostility between Alexi and me is pretty obvious to anyone capable of watching us for more than five minutes. Santagato can't miss the fact we are not exactly cuddling up all cosy, and maybe has deemed me unworthy of interest. I don't want to ask Alexi about it in case it just gives me a reason to feel unsettled.

I wave the girl over and hand her my armful of purchases, tired of picking out sexy underwear that no man is ever going to see, and yet I still want it all. Looking good for myself is one of the few high points in my day. I follow her to the desk to get them rung up.

* * *

Outside on the street, Jackson toddles ahead to put the bags in the boot of our car, and the smell of a hot dog vendor further along the pavement catches me. I haven't had a street dog in so long and the smell makes me instantly crave what I cannot see, waving to Jackson that I'm heading left and he quickly rushes to throw the bags in and follows me at speed.

It's not often I walk around the streets on a shopping trip; we normally head for my favourite stores, and he's very good at car to door transport when Wes is with us and can deposit and collect us without parking issues.

Jackson spies the hot dog vendor too and gets that same face he gets when we visit the sorbet shop. Wide-eyed childish excitement and I can practically see him salivating. The guy likes to eat and despite great DNA he is a lot more padded around the midriff than his cousins. Family resemblance is strong, but Jackson is just a lot cuddlier than most of the hard-bodied people in his family. I am guessing by the fact he practically lives at the club he has never been to a gym in his life, and has a serious affliction to junk food, is probably why.

My kind of buddy.

Mico and Alexi are definitely gym besties, I have seen the two of them come swaggering in with holdalls and sports towels, smelling of shower wash and looking decidedly slimmer. It's a ritualistic thing with them and I can't say I am complaining. Alexi has a body that melts women's clothes off and I enjoy the eye-candy even if he is a complete nightmare sometimes.

'All the trimmings!' Jackson is ahead of me already and gives me a questioning look as he turns for my order.

'Same?'