Beneath This Man (This Man, #2)(16)

‘Is he all right, love?’ An old boy asks me as I make it to him.

‘I don’t…WHAT!’ I’m hoist off my feet with one arm and thrown over Jesse’s shoulder.

‘Don’t mess with me, Ava,’ he says smugly, ‘You should know by now, I always win.’ He reaches up my skirt and rests his hand on the inside of my thigh as he strides towards the car with me draped over him.

I smile sweetly at everyone we pass, but I don’t bother to fight him. I’m just happy he has the strength to lift me. ‘My knickers are flashing.’ I complain as I reach around to smooth my full dress over my bum.

‘No, they’re not.’ He lowers me down his body slowly until my face is level with his, my feet off the ground, his chest firm and warm against me. His eyes have won back a bit of sparkle and they are searching mine. He’s going to kiss me. I have to stop this.

I wriggle in his arms. ‘We need to go to the supermarket.’ I say, focusing my sight on his chest as I squirm my way free.

He sighs heavily, dropping me to my feet. ‘How can I fix things if you keep dodging my attempts?’

I brush my dress down and return my eyes to his. ‘That’s your problem, Jesse. You want to fix things by distracting me with your touch instead of talking to me and giving me some answers. I can’t let that happen again.’ I trigger the door release and climb into the car, leaving Jesse with his head hanging, chewing his lip.



We pull into the supermarket and I drive up and down looking for a parking space. I’ve learnt something new about Jesse today – he’s a crap passenger. I’ve been bullied into overtaking, cutting people up and jumping lanes, all in an attempt to gain a few yards. This man is a hothead when it comes to driving. Actually, this man is a hothead full stop.

‘There’s a space.’ He thrusts his arm across my line of sight, and I bat it out of my way.

‘That’s a parent and child space.’ I dismiss, passing it.

‘So,’

‘So…I don’t see any child in this lovely car of yours. Do you?’

He drops his gaze to my stomach, and I suddenly feel extremely uncomfortable. ‘Did you find your pills?’ he asks, maintaining his stare on my stomach.

‘No,’ I answer, swinging into a parking space. I want to blame him for distracting me from my normal personal schedule, but the truth is, my personal organisation skills have always been rubbish. I was forced to pay another mortifying trip to Doctor Monroe to replace the second batch of contraceptive pills that I lost in a week, and I made myself have tests to ensure I hadn’t contracted any sexual diseases after constant unprotected sex with Jesse. The suggestion of Jesse’s active sex life left me little choice.

‘Did you miss any?’ he asks, his lips pressing into a straight line.

He’s worried I could be pregnant? ‘My period came last Sunday evening.’ I say. Like an omen or something, I want to add, but I don’t. I switch off the ignition.

He remains silent as I get out of the car and wait for him to eject himself.

‘Could you have parked any further away?’ he grumbles, joining me on my side of the car.

‘At least I’m parked legally.’ I walk to the rack of trollies lined up at the shelter and slip a pound in the top to release one. ‘Have you ever been to a supermarket?’ I ask as we make our way up the canopied walkway. Jesse and a supermarket is not something that fits together naturally.

He shrugs. ‘Cathy does it. I usually eat at The Manor.’

The mention of Jesse’s super plush sex club has me bristling and losing all enthusiasm in trying to make conversation. I feel his eyes on me, but I ignore it and focus ahead of me.



As we make our way around the supermarket, I load in the essentials and Jesse loads in a dozen jars of peanut butter, a few jars of chocolate spread and a several cans of squirty cream.

‘Do you not have anything?’ I ask, dumping milk in the trolley.

He shrugs and takes control with his good hand. ‘Cathy’s been away.’

I guide him around into the next aisle and instantly realise that I’ve unwittingly led him into the alcohol section. I fly around in a panic and get the trolley rammed into my shin. ‘Fuck!’ I exclaim on a wince.

‘Ava, watch your mouth!’

I rub my shin. Damn that hurts. ‘We don’t need this aisle.’ I blurt, frantically pushing the trolley back towards him.

He walks backwards. ‘Ava, stop it.’

‘I’m sorry. I didn’t realise where we were.’

‘For God’s sake, woman, I’m not going to dive into the shelves and rip the caps off the bottles. Are you okay?’

I frown and look down at my shin. ‘I’m fine,’ I mutter, pissed off that I wasn’t paying attention to where we were. I lean down and run my palm up my shin. It bloody hurts.

I go to straighten up and I’m stunned when I find Jesse on his knees in front of me. He rests his damaged hand around the back of my leg and lifts with his good hand to sit my foot on his knee before leaning down and planting a kiss on my shin. We’re in the middle of the supermarket on a Saturday afternoon and he is literally on his knees kissing my leg.

‘Better?’ he asks as he looks up at me. ‘I’m sorry. For everything, Ava.’