Destiny United by Leia Shaw Page A

securely, and she was suddenly more
aware of that one kissed spot than anything else around her.
    “Umm…I don’t know. It’s hard to explain.”
    Marcelo pushed her along, his strong arm holding her
close but not letting her drag her feet anymore. They moved quickly through the
aisles, getting farther and farther away from the exit. Her breathing started
to shallow.
    “Aila,” he said, his voice taking on an alluring quality.
“Focus on my voice. Look at the floor if you have to. One foot in front of the
other.”
    Yes, okay, I can do that . The floor. It had a square pattern. She focused on stepping over the cracks as
they walked. “I’m scared someone’s going to ask me a question and I won’t know
the answer. And I’m scared I’m going to knock over a display or bump into
something delicate and break it. Then everyone will look at me and laugh.” She
watched the lines move under her feet. “I’m scared I’m going to get lost. Or
there will be an emergency and I won’t know what to do. Like the fire alarm
or…or…a terrorist attack.”
    Marcelo stopped abruptly then quieted her rambling with a
finger under her chin. He pulled her head up to meet his gaze. “We all have fears,
Aila. But the question is, how long are you going to let them run your life?”
    She raised her brows as his words sunk in. “ You have fears?”
    He looked hesitant, but answered, “Anyone who has
something to lose has something to fear.”
    “What do you –”
    “Another time, querida .”
With a firm shove she was in an aisle surrounded by women’s clothing. “Now, we
shop.” He grinned, perfect white teeth glinting against his russet skin. It
made her smile, though her heart still pounded in fear.
    Aila perused the racks, fingering the garments, a
gratified smile on her face. She kept one hand locked around Marcelo’s large
wrist. He’d glanced down at it twice and she’d thought he meant to pull away,
until she saw his lips curl into a small smile. She knew it was silly, but for
some reason, holding onto him made her feel better. Like she was keeping him
from running off without her.
    “I haven’t been shopping in so long,” she said.
    Marcelo furrowed his brows and turned to study her. “How
do you get clothes then?”
    “Boyfriend. Whoever it is at the time. Or online.”
    His voice was sharp. “Exactly how many boyfriends have
you had?”
    She shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve been with Jimmy for a
while though. He has good taste in clothing. And he tolerates my limited diet.”
Her hand brushed up against a silky dress. She smiled inside. She could get
used to this shopping business.
    At once Marcelo’s body language changed. Relaxed and
content before, now his muscles were tense, his large body invading her space.
She had to strain her neck to look up at him.
    With an accusing expression, he said, “Let me get this
straight. You use men to buy you things you need because of your…”
    “Disability? Yes. But it’s not as if they know it.”
    “What would happen if you didn’t have a boyfriend? No one
to take care of you?”
    She blinked. Why did he look so angry? And why was it any
of his business? “I don’t know,” she admitted, but with pride still in her
voice. “It’s never happened.”
    “So when you break up with one…”
    “I find someone to take his place.”
    “And do you sleep with them to keep them happy?”
    She gasped. “I’m not a prostitute!”
    His eyes turned fierce with an emotion she couldn’t
decipher then he turned around and started pulling clothing off the racks.
    “I don’t know why you’re judging me,” she said following
closely on his heels. “It’s none of your business anyway.”
    He didn’t even turn to face her as he combed through the
racks. “It’s immoral,” he said half-heartedly. “Using men to meet your needs.”
    “Immoral?” she yelled, surprising herself with her
boldness. “This from a vampire from the Underworld! ”
    He spun