Beautiful Innocence by Kelly Mooney Read Free Book Online Page A

making me feel lost and woozy at his touch. I gaze up and I know I’m probably all starry-eyed as I look at his beautiful face, but I don’t care. “Are you following me?”
    “No,” he whispers like he’s struggling for air as his fingers dig in deeper. He blinks several times, shaking his head. “I saw you pulling in the same time I did. I need a belt.” When he pulls away abruptly I want his hands back on me, but can’t find the words.
    Once the daze passes I can breathe again. “Oh.” I smile confidently. “I can help with that. What’s it for?”
    His eyes rake over my entire body and I swear it’s the sexiest, most intense thing that’s ever happened to me and he hasn’t even done anything yet. Which makes my mind wonder a heartbeat about what he could do to me if he was touching me.
    “An important date I got coming up soon, angel.”
    I literally feel the color drain from my face at the mention of another girl, which shouldn’t surprise me. “I can still help.”
    We both stand there in a stare-down, searching one another’s eyes until finally his hand grabs my shoulder and he turns me toward the men’s section. “Lead the way.”
    I toss the pink panties into my cart and push it as he follows. I can hear him snickering behind me. I can only imagine what he’s thinking.

Chapter 6
    JOSH
    I have no idea why I’m standing in a discount store looking at belts, but here I am. Actually, I do. I saw Angie’s truck pull in. All that blonde hair flying out the window drew me like a magnet, so I mindlessly pulled in behind her. As I check her cute little figure out often, it hasn’t escaped my notice that she wears the same damn shorts almost every day and it has dawned on me that she has nothing. When my memory itched back to digging through her backpack, I realized she really doesn’t have much to her name. And for reasons unknown, I start to play a role that I’m not used to.
    I had zero intentions of making my presence known, but it got to the point it was painful watching her look at every fucking price tag and sigh before placing every item back on the rack. I’m about ready to buy the whole lady’s section, if need be, to erase that frown from her beautiful face. When she smiles, the most gut-wrenching feeling eats away at me like I can see straight through her skin, deep into her soul. I want to see her smile more.
    “What about this one? It’s kind of nice.” She holds up a black leather belt, but I shake it off. It’s not one I’d wear unless I was going to a funeral.
    Her fingers glide over it a few more times and my brain starts wishing her fingers would glide over something else. “You know what? Just pick one. I don’t care. Just get a medium.” I begin to turn away, but she pulls out one that’s perfect for me, one I would choose myself. It’s brown and beat up, rugged, like me. She tosses it into the cart without asking this time, but I see the knowing grin register on her face as she turns.
    “There, all done.”
    My eyes drift back to the mostly empty cart. I grab hold of her shoulders and turn her back to the ladies section. “Please do me a favor and go get what you need. I really want to do this for you.”
    She tilts her head to the side. “Why?” Ava looks up so innocently and I just want to see that smile from the first time I met her.
    I back off some. “I have no idea how to answer your question. But I know I want to buy whatever it is you want or need. I don’t know…I just do.” I shrug, because that’s the best I can do to answer her.
    Her face lights up like a Christmas tree, and there it is. The smile that stopped my heart the first time I saw her. The one that keeps pulling me back in. “I’ll pay you back, I promise.” Quickly, she pecks a kiss on my cheek.
    “Whatever you want, remember?”
    “Well, I did see this skirt I loved, but…”
    I lean down and press my lips to her forehead, needing to be close to her again, even if for an