Lia practically stomped into the dining room. I quickly averted my eyes and turned to look at Mrs. Salvatore, who was telling Soph something about the neighbors down the street.

“...and it’s the same every year,” she said. “Those wreaths stay up until July.”

I held my breath as Lia selected one of the last few free seats. When she settled down at the one furthest away from me I finally let out an exhale. Her mood was easily readable. She was pissed about something.

Presumably, her conversation with Angelo had not gone very well.

When Angelo entered the room, he wore an equally strained expression. He settled in the seat across from me and shot me a tense smile. I tried to smile back, but the bag of rocks in my stomach made it hard. Just when I thought things were looking up, just when I thought I might be able to deal with Christmas like a normal human being, this had to happen.

Angelo and Lia both said little throughout lunch, and I mostly picked at my salmon. When Pops and Mrs. Salvatore stood up to leave the table, Angelo looked over at me.

“How about we go do that shopping we still need to get to?”

I tried to smile. “All right.”

Sophia eyed us, her chops probably watering at the mere suggestion of a mall. Angelo turned away from her, though, calling an Uber and specifically saying it was for two.

Sophia rolled her eyes and stood up from the table. “Have fun shopping,” she told me with a wink.

We retrieved our coats and hats and went to wait outside. The moment we stepped out, the Uber was already there, pulling up the drive.

Angelo opened up the back door and we hopped in. After giving the driver the name of a shopping center I didn’t recognize, he fell back into the seat.

A long moment passed.

“It didn’t go very well,” he finally, grimly said.

I sighed. “Okay.”

Angelo’s lips pursed. “Sorry. What I mean is she gave me some attitude. But she’s going to leave you alone.”

“Really?”

He averted his eyes. “Absolutely.”

I studied his profile. “You don’t seem so certain about that.”

Angelo turned to stare into my eyes. “I’m going to make sure she leaves you alone.”

A heaviness pressed onto me. “Oh.”

Angelo’s eyebrow cocked.

“Thank you,” I quickly said. “For talking to her. But now I’m thinking I shouldn’t have said anything.”

“Paige...”

“Now she knows I heard her talking about me, and that I have a problem with her, and it might just make everything between us worse...”

“She doesn’t know you overheard her conversation with Dom. I left that part out.”

I pulled fretfully at my grown-out bangs. “She’ll figure it out. And it doesn’t matter anyway. Maybe I should just talk to her.”

“You don’t have to do that,” he quickly said.

“Why not?”

“Because it will stress you out, and you don’t need any extra stress right now.”

“I’m already stressed out, Angelo. Lia hates me… She’s your sister.”

“Hey.” He scooted a little closer and slipped his arm around my waist. “This isn’t over yet. We’ve all got years to figure out how to get along. Let’s just enjoy this little bit of alone time you and I are getting. It’ll probably be the only amount we get all week.”

“Mm,” I sighed into his coat. “True.”

We arrived at the mall, a mostly outdoor venue with small trees and pots and cobblestone walkways leading up to the name brand stores. It was definitely the ‘nicer’ shopping center in the area.

Angelo already had a list we’d written back in the city tucked into his coat’s breast pocket. We still yet had to pick up something for Tre or for Sophia. I’d gotten Soph a pretty necklace holder, since she’d run out of space to put her jewels on long ago, but Angelo insisted that he get her something all on his own.

He took me to the most bohemian looking store and had me try on clothes to find the right size. From the slew of options, I picked a skirt and infinity scarf for Sophia.

“Do you think she’ll like this?” he asked as we left the shop.

I guffawed. “Anything even resembling clothing she likes.”

After that we went to a few other stores, kind of at a loss as to what to get Trey. We considered getting him some sort of Louisiana State paraphernalia, but didn’t know what he had and didn’t. Eventually we settled on a nice, complete set of cookware.

“I’ve been to his place,” Angelo explained. “The guy lives on take out and anything that comes in a box.”

“It’s a good present,” I smiled at him as the sales girl wrapped the pots and pans up. “Girls love men who can cook.”

“Oh yeah?” He reached around me and gave my butt a squeeze. I slapped his hand away and quickly looked to make sure no one had seen the PDA.

“Anything else?” I asked as we walked back down the main walkway arm in arm.

“How about in there?” He nodded to a lingerie store.

I bit back a smile. “Who do you need to get panties for? Your mom?”

“No you, saucy vixen.”

This time he slapped my butt.

“Stop,” I nearly shrieked. “People are going to see.”

We entered the lingerie store and unbuttoned our coats. Though it was extremely chilly outside, the inside of each store was superbly warm.

“Hello,” a cheery female voice said.

A tall, blonde woman sidled over. “Can I help you find anything?”

“Oh no,” I quickly said. “We’re just looking.”

“No problem.” Her eyes sidled over towards Angelo, quickly dropping to blatantly study every square inch of his body. The owner of the pupils realized what she was doing and quickly lifted her gaze back to his face. “Let me know if you need any help. All rompers are buy one get one fifty percent off.” She smiled at Angelo, seemingly having forgotten I even existed.

I turned away and bit back the smile. I was used to women fawning over Angelo. It was pretty funny, actually, to see the way people could completely lose their minds in the presence of an attractive person. At first, when it would happen, I would get jealous. Eventually him getting checked out became such a commonplace thing that I expected it whenever we went out together.

“What are we looking for?” I asked in a low voice.

Angelo slid by me and lifted a lacy black garter belt set from a table. “How about one of these?”

I cocked an eyebrow, pretending to consider. “No, too conservative.”

“Just what I’m looking for,” he deadpanned back, selecting my size.

We browsed for a little while longer, collecting a few pieces. The blonde salesclerk arrived once more, eagerly taking flight from where she’d been watching Angelo from her perch behind the counter.

“How are we doing over here?”

“Just fine,” Angelo smiled. “She’d like to try some things on.”

“Ooh, great! Right this way.”

I shot Angelo a questioning look as the blonde hurried across the floor.

“Just to see how they look,” he explained.

The dressing room, swathed in various shades of pink, held tan stall doors and soft seats for waiting.

The salesgirl pushed the closest stall open. “Go right ahead. Let me know if you need anything.”

She walked slowly away, making sure each step caused her ass to sway.

“Be back soon,” I told Angelo, going into the dressing room.

I shut the door and turned around to take off my top, thinking I’d try on the red push-up bra first. At least that one would be a practical buy. I needed more form fitting bras I could wear with blouses to work.

The door abruptly opened.

“Hey!” I howled.

Angelo slipped in and shut the door behind him. “I wanted to see. You’re going to need a second opinion.”

I made a face at him in the mirror. “Oh really?”

“And I’m going to say so far so good...” He closed the distance between us with one step and came to press himself against my back.

“Angelo,” I softly chastised, before falling quiet. With his hands on my stomach and his mouth on my neck all thoughts of protestation left.

“We shouldn’t...” I whispered, but it was really no use.

“You have to take this off first,” he whispered into my ear, unhooking my bra for me.

It fell to the floor and he took my breasts in both hands. I watched in the mirror as he massaged and kneaded them, pushing the nipples in between his fingers.

I bit back a moan. Any minute now and that salesgirl might be back. And what would she say when she looked under the stall and saw both mine and Angelo’s feet?

On cue, two women began talking a short distance away.

“And that would look great with your skin tone,” the clerk said.

I opened my mouth to tell Angelo to get the Hell out of the stall, but he’d already begun undoing my pants and pushing them down my legs. I let him continue. The desire in me burned badly enough that I made a decision. It was already too late to turn back. We might as well hurry up and see this thing through to the end.

Angelo spun me around and covered my mouth with his. I parted my lips, eager for the taste of his kiss, only vaguely noticing the zipper sound as he undid his pants. Working deftly, he pulled my panties down and grabbed my legs by the knees, holding them up. His tip pressed into me, breaking down any prior hesitations I had about making out and full-on fucking in a dressing room.

The conversation outside droned on and on, the women saying words I didn’t even understand anymore. Angelo thrust up and into me, creating a pool of warmth and pleasure in my core.

My head fell back and I swallowed a moan. Angelo’s nails dug into my ass. His breath kissed my neck.

He pushed his palms against my hips, driving me further down onto him. Pleasure overwhelmed my senses, exploding out until a powerful climax shook my world. I trembled against him. The way he bit and sucked my skin took me to new heights.

Angelo moaned against me as he pulled out and turned me around. With my bare ass against him, we both faced the mirror.

A little whimper left my lips. Holding me tight once more, he entered me. I squirmed, still sensitive from that wickedly potent orgasm. Angelo’s thumb brushed my clit, setting a rhythmic circle of movement there.

I did as he instructed and watched as he pounded me. With his face set in grim determination and a bead of sweat sliding down his temple, he was the hottest I’d ever seen.

I came a second time just as Angelo’s tensed through his own release.

He growled again, and wrapped his arms around my shoulders, kissing my hair.

I squirmed from underneath his embrace and snatched up my clothes.

“Just like that?” he asked, pretending to be hurt.

I gave him a saucy look. “I’ll give you round two when we get back to the house. For now, I think we need to focus on getting out of here before we’re caught.”

“Afraid of marring your squeaky-clean record?”

“Shut up,” I hissed, though I couldn’t help but smile.

After getting dressed I snatched up the armful of lingerie I’d come in with. “I’ll go out first. You come out after about a minute.”

“Sure.”

I shimmied out the stall and closed the door firmly behind me.

“Everything fit all right?”

I nearly jumped out of my skin. The blonde salesgirl stood about two feet away.

I swallowed hard before speaking. Could she smell the sweat, pheromones, and secrets on me? “Yes. I think I’ll get it all.”

“Great! We can go to the counter and...”

The stall door behind me opened up and Angelo came out, pulling his jacket on. The sales girl’s mouth fell open into a perfect little o.

“They fit,” he smiled at her.

“O… Oh,” she stammered, her cheeks turning hot pink. “Gr… great.”

“It is great,” he coolly said.

She swallowed hard. Spinning on her heels, she scurried from the dressing area.

I shot Angelo a look. “Not fair,” I whispered. “She’ll be fantasizing about you for weeks.”

He grinned. “Whatever it takes to make sure she doesn’t report us.”