Chapter Nine

As Bobby had done frequently during the past three months, he shopped on Thursday evening. Despite his cool attitude, Maya decided to accompany him since she needed a few things herself. They went to Macy’s where she could use her employee discount.

Once he had selected two new outfits and a six-hundred-dollar leather jacket she had raised her eyebrows at because of the heat, they made their way to the ladies’ department. Bobby shifted the purchases he held. “You won’t be long, will you? This stuff is heavy.”

She scowled at him. “I just followed you around for an hour. You could do the same for me.” She motioned to the baskets near the register. “You could get one of those.”

He sighed and positioned his body stiffly to show his displeasure when he returned with the blue basket. Despite her protest, Maya found herself rushing through her selections, not wanting to keep him waiting. He was already angry with her, and she didn’t want to upset him anymore. Her parents and sister were coming for a visit on Saturday, and Bobby should be his most charming. Not that it would matter to her family, since they didn’t like him. Not that the feeling wasn’t mutual.

“Aren’t you done yet?” Bobby’s tone was strident.

She blinked and realized she still held the same shirt as when she had drifted off. She bit her lip and looked at the price. Although money wasn’t a big problem anymore, she wouldn’t pay almost two hundred for that skimpy thing. She shoved it back on the rack.

“Can we go now?”

“I need underwear.” Maya surprised herself with the statement. She had just bought several sets of white cotton briefs and bras about two months ago. Even subtracting the pair Roarke cut off her yesterday, she still had plenty of sets.

Bobby sighed more deeply, but followed her across the aisle to the underwear.

Her mouth twisted with a mix of amusement and irritation when he checked out the underwear models featured in the large posters on the back wall. She turned her attention to the matched sets, an area she generally skipped over in favor of plain bras and packaged panty sets. She picked up an emerald set and held it against her. “Do you like this?”

Bobby’s head jerked in her direction as he tore his attention away from the salesgirl he had been eyeing. “Yeah, it’s fine.”

His tepid response had her replacing the set and reaching for a more daring black pair. “What about these?”

“Nice.” His tone lacked expression.

She heaved a sigh and reached for a scarlet set decorated with silver beads. “Do you like this one?”

He didn’t even look at her. “It’s great.”

“Dammit, Bobby.”

He turned back to her with a frown. “What?”

“I’m trying to get your input here.”

He shrugged and shifted the basket in his left hand to the right. He threw the jacket over his left shoulder with a carefully measured move. “What do I care? No one sees your underwear.”

“You do.”

“So? Get whatever you want.”

“Fine.” Maya grabbed the black set, and the emerald one. She was debating about the scarlet set when her eyes fell on a midnight blue pair. She lifted it from the rack, eyeing the plunging velvet bra and thong bikini panties. Could she wear something like that? It was really pretty. She smoothed a hand over the velvet cups. Roarke would like it.

Her head snapped up at the thought, and she shoved the set back on the rack. What was wrong with her? The ballroom dress came to mind, and she breathed a sigh of relief. Her brain had made an obvious connection between the blue velvet of the underwear and the blue velvet of that dress. Nothing more. She certainly wouldn’t buy anything with Roarke’s preferences in mind.

“Come on, Maya. I want to get out of here.”

She put the scarlet set in the basket. The blue bra and panties beckoned to her, and she added them too before she followed Bobby up to the register. She ignored him when he grumbled over the prices as the girl rang them up. Maya turned a blind eye to his flirtation with Shelley and focused her attention once more on the blue set. She suddenly couldn’t wait to slip into it. She would feel sexy and decadent, even if no one else saw it. Roarke will see it. She quickly blocked that thought as she followed Bobby from the store.

***

Later that night, after dinner, Maya slipped on a black teddy Bobby really liked, and then slid into the bed beside him. He had his nose buried in a script, and he jumped when her hand fastened around his naked shaft. “What are you doing, Maya?”

She frowned at his angry tone. “Touching you.”

He pushed her hand away. “I don’t like it when you do that stuff.”

Maya sighed and collapsed against the pillows. “I was just—”

“I should be the one who instigates all that.”

She wrinkled her nose at him. “Why?”

“Because I’m the man.”

She couldn’t hold back a laugh.

He dropped the script and crossed his arms over his chest. “What?”

“That’s silly. We have an equal relationship. That should include the bedroom.”

He curled his lips. “I don’t like it when you get all aggressive.”

She forced herself to become boneless. “Is this better?”

Bobby grimaced before he turned his attention back to the script he picked up from his lap.

“Bobby, I want you…” She trailed her fingers across his bicep.

He shrugged her off. “Not right now. I’m busy.”

“Fine.” She turned away from him and pulled the blanket over herself with a jerky movement. She viciously turned the knob on her bedside lamp. They didn’t speak. He was too busy, and she was too angry. His rejection stung, and she forced back tears. She refused to let him know he had hurt her. It was long after Bobby had turned off his light and almost immediately started to snore before Maya was finally able to get to sleep.