Dominic followed me around the store, briefly wandering off and looking at things himself. The excursions never lasted long.
I had glanced up to find an astonishingly beautiful but inexpensive book about Abraham Lincoln. I wanted to look at it but couldn't reach it.
"Can I get that for you-" I had turned to see a taller man coming my way, but then he had suddenly backed off. I furrowed my brows, confused, until I had felt something press against my back.
I looked up and found Dominic there, his jaw tight as he stared at the other man.
"What did you want?" He said, his eyes on him until the man was completely gone from sight.
"Uh.. that one there," I pointed.
He grabbed it, and before handing it to me, he studied it, reading the title.
"You like Lincoln?" He asked, his jaw not as tight as it was anymore.
"... I like history in general." I said, looking at the book and the pretty box it sat in.
"Really? All of it?"
I nodded, pulling myself away from him when I realized how close he was.
"And that's all you're getting? We've been here for thirty minutes, and you only just found one."
I looked at him sheepishly, "I'm sorry, we can leave." I went to lay the book back on the shelf, but he caught my arm.
"Don't apologize to me." He took the book from the shelf. "If you want this, I'll pay for it." He grabbed another, one about Theodore Roosevelt, "if you want this, I'll pay for it."
He leaned closer, "Spend a thousand dollars, Violet, I don't care."
I looked at him, and after a moment, I gently took both books from his hand. "Just these."
He straightened, the slightest of smiles on his lips as he glanced back. "You're cute, but you're stubborn."
He took both books and walked to the counter to pay, noting in my mind to reimburse him.
He took my wrist and led me out. The snow had let up slightly. "We're not done," he said and opened the car door for me.
"I'm going to spoil you rotten, Love."