Thrown by a Curve by Jaci Burton

mosquito bites from traveling a few hours up the road to a sucky campsite.”
    “Poor you.”
    “Fuck you.”
    He shook his head. “Such a mouth on you, Alicia. I should complain to your boss.”
    “Go ahead. Just remember who twists your shoulder. I can make it hurt even more.”
    He shot a glance her way. “Oh. Blackmail, too?”
    She lifted her chin. “I’m not above it to save my own ass.”
    “The things I’m learning about you. And you look so innocent.”
    “Looks can be deceiving.”
    “Hmm, is that right?”
    This time he gave her a long gaze that made her body heat up. Maybe that was just because the heater in the car had finally kicked in.
    Or maybe it was because he was assessing her in a way that made her want to check her lip gloss and smooth her hair, which was decidedly girlfriendlike. Or datelike. And neither of those situations applied.
    She didn’t know what to expect, but as they drove along, she decided she liked Oklahoma City. It was more sprawling, less congested than most major cities. A lot like St. Louis, actually, and she loved where she lived.
    He took her to the outlet malls first. When he parked, she turned to him and laid her hand on his arm.
    “Are you sure you know what you’re getting into?”
    He laughed. “I’ve taken my mom shopping before. I can handle this.”
    “Okay. But I have to warn you—I’m like a storm trooper shopper. I’m relentless, and I’ll go in every store.”
    “Have at it.”
    It was a great outlet mall with super bargains. And if there was one thing Alicia loved, it was a sale. By the time they’d been through the first half of the outlet mall, she had four shopping bags filled with clothes and shoes. And every time she came out of a store with a bag, Garrett took it from her hands and held it for her.
    “Are you sure you don’t mind holding those?” she asked.
    “Nope. Go ahead and shop.”
    “Are you sure you’re a human male? Your species mostly doesn’t enjoy shopping.”
    He laughed. “You’re having a good time, aren’t you?”
    “Well . . . yes.”
    “Then don’t worry about me. I enjoy watching the people.”
    She shrugged. “Okay.”
    He even gave opinions when she tried something on. Surprisingly, he was very good at it, shaking his head or wrinkling his nose when he didn’t like something, and nodding or smiling when he did. At least he wasn’t one of those noncommittal or uninterested men who said everything she tried on looked “fine.”
    And the saleswomen nearly swooned after him. A gorgeous man who carried her bags and offered expert opinions on clothing? He was damn near perfect.
    But she couldn’t continue to take advantage. If left up to her, she could spend the entire day here winding in and out of every store. Surely, Garrett had to be bored out of his mind. And he needed to get back to his friends, which was the whole reason for the weekend.
    “Are you getting hungry?” she asked after they left one of the corner stores near the parking lot.
    “I’m fine. How about you?”
    “Starving. We’ve been at this for hours, you know.”
    His lips curved. “I’m aware. You weren’t kidding when you said you were serious about this shopping thing. You could teach a master class on the subject.”
    She hooked her arm in his. “Let’s get out of here and go get some food.”
    He stopped and looked down at her. “You haven’t even laid siege to the other half of the outlet mall.”
    She laughed. “I can live without laying claim to it. I’d rather have lunch.”
    “There’s a great burger joint.”
    She gave him a look.
    “Hey, they have soups and salads.”
    “Fine. Burger joint it is.”
    It had turned out to be a gorgeous day, with temps in the sixties, so Garrett took her to Bricktown, which was an outdoor area filled with shops and tons of restaurants. There was even a river and a water taxi to take you around the area. She loved it, and she could imagine how much fun this place was in the