The Immortal Hunter(62)

"This looks like the best of the lot," Dani said as she read the side of a box holding a coffeepot. "It's got a timer, automatic shutoff, and the works." She frowned and then glanced to Sam to add uncertainly, "It's bit pricey though."

Sam stepped to her side to examine the writing on the box and nodded. "We'll take it."

Dani asked, "Are you sure?"

"Bastien gave me a company credit card to buy things for the house," Sam announced.

"Ah." Dani and Sam exchanged a smile that Decker fancied was a touch evil, and then the coffeepot went into the cart and the two women continued to the teakettle section.

"Women," Decker muttered, his eyes dropping to Dani's derriere as he followed.

"What about women?" Dani asked, apparently hearing him. When she and Sam both turned back in question, Decker found his gaze lifting to Dani's breasts, to the curve of her shoulder sticking out of her top, and then, finally, to her face.

"Incredible creatures," he answered finally. "Beautiful, sexy, smart, know what they want and how to get it."

"And how to spend money?" Dani suggested, apparently not taken in by his words.

Decker hesitated, and then nodded as he added, "But worth every penny they spend and more."

"Good answer," Dani said with a grin before turning away to continue up the aisle with Sam. He saw them glance at each other and then heard Dani comment in an amused whisper, "Didn't take him long to come up with that, did it?"

"Nope," Sam agreed, her voice just as hushed. "Mortimer has his smooth moments too. I think it's because they're so old."

"Geriatrics," Dani agreed with a solemn nod.

"I'm amazed they have so much vim and vigor at their age."

"It's probably only temporary," Dani assured her. "The vim will no doubt fall off from overuse within a couple weeks and the vigor will die off without it."

"No doubt," Sam agreed on a sigh and added, "Such a shame. It's really what they're best at."

Decker was just stiffening up at the insult-there were a hell of a lot of things he was good at besides vim and vigoring-when it occurred to him the women might realize he could hear them and be teasing him.

He was absolutely positive that was the case when Dani commented, "That and eating. You did eat most of that food you bought, Decker."

She hadn't turned her head or raised her voice, but she had addressed him directly.

Sam was chuckling now as she said, "Mortimer has a healthy appetite too."

"And like Decker, not just for food, I gather. How's your back?" Dani asked, and the two women burst into peals of laughter.

He had no idea what they found so damned amusing, but merely shook his head and moved up between them with the cart. "All right you two. Enough, let's get this done and get back to the house."

Sam and Dani began to move a little faster again, but they were still chuckling as they selected a teakettle and set it into the cart.

Decker shook his head and asked, "How much more is there to get? This cart is pretty full."

Sam paused to consider the cart and then frowned and said, "We'll need another cart." .

"I'll get it," Dani offered, but Decker caught her arm to stop her and tugged her in front of the cart they already had.

"You stay with Sam. I'll get it," he said, and then slipped away.

The first cart was stacked ridiculously high with appliances by the time he got back, and so was the second one by the time they headed to the checkout. The clerk rang everything up, stacking box after box on her counter as she went until both carts were empty. She then read out the total. Decker winced and almost groaned at the amount, but Dani and Sam didn't even blink.

As the clerk began to help stack the boxes back in the two carts, Decker commented, "This stuff needs to go to the car. Why don't you two head over to the grocery store while I take care of that?"

"Thanks," Sam said, handing over her keys.

Decker nodded as he took them and then bent to press a quick kiss to Dani's lips. At least it was supposed to be a quick kiss, but Dani sighed against his mouth and he found himself urging her lips open so that his tongue could slip in. He felt her hands creep up to his shoulders, and then Sam said with amusement, "Maybe you should help him take this lot out, Dani."

"Yes," Dani breathed as Decker broke the kiss to hear her answer.

"All right. I'll be in the grocery store," Sam said with a chuckle as she turned away.

Decker was just imagining what they could do after they got everything stowed away in the car when Sam called out, "Just watch out for the steering wheel."

He didn't know what the hell that meant, but Dani had suddenly gone stiff in his arms.

Dani blinked her eyes open at Sam's parting warning, her gaze taking in the silver fire in Decker's eyes. There was absolutely no doubt in her mind what would happen if she went out to the car with him. They might get the appliances and dishes in the car, but she was positive they would end up in it as well, probably in the front seat since all these boxes weren't going to fit in the trunk and at least a couple would have to go in the backseat. Dani suddenly had a vision of Sam coming out to find them unconscious in the driver's seat, she having fallen back, draped over the steering wheel, and Decker with his head slumped on her chest, both of them oblivious of the car horn blaring beneath her back and the crowd of curious onlookers it had drawn who were spread around the vehicle looking in.