Kara laughed with delight when Hallbjorn picked her up. It was not something she had expected, but something she welcomed very much. The feel of her body pressing against his was something she wanted to feel often, just as she wanted them to kiss often. Her arms slipped around his neck and she smiled tenderly at Hallbjorn. It was nice not to crane her neck to look up at him. But what she cherished most was that he didn't feel so distant now.<br/><br/>A flare of arousal sparked inside of her, and Kara desperately tried to bat it down. Her luck was only marginal, since Hallbjorn was still holding her in his arms as Patricia checked out her items. She softened against Hallbjorn when his palm went to the nape of her neck. If they were alone, she would have wrapped her legs around him just to feel closer.<br/><br/>Hallbjorn's soft words made her want to kiss him, no matter who watched. She licked her lips as her gaze went down to his lips. But then Patricia mentioned the total, and Kara nearly choked. She watched Hallbjorn, but he didn't seem upset at all. Even the no doubt generous tip he gave to Patricia seemed to not matter to him. Tenderness swept through her, and she kissed his cheek.<br/><br/>There was a small bit of disappointment when he set her back on the ground, but with all of the bags he was carrying there was no room for her. Kara had not realized just how much she'd picked out. Poor Hallbjorn was starting to turn into a pack mule. “I don't mind carry some of those, Hallbjorn.” Not that she thought he'd give any of them up, but she still wanted to help.<br/><br/>Her eyes lit up when he mentioned Baskin Robbins, and then her stomach growled. That turkey leg had not been enough. “I probably could use something to put my new clothes in, but I'd like to stop off at the food court first since I'm famished.”<br/><br/>Kara was touched that he had gone so far as to check to see if they had her favorite flavor. She was glad to see the food court didn't have many people in it. After the incident at the faire, she didn't want to have anymore problems for the night.<br/><br/>At the counter, she had the server fill up a big cup with peanut butter cup ice cream, then also ordered a hamburger and fries to go. The sooner she was back in the truck with Hallbjorn and away from any potential dangers, the better. It didn't take long for her food to be made and bagged, with the exception of her ice cream. That she happily began to eat as they made their way to a luggage store.<br/><br/>The clerk there was helpful in guessing just how many pieces of luggage she would need, and giving her ones that had a handle and roller on the bottom. Kara tried not to grimace at the price of it. She had not thought that suitcases would be so pricey. The clerk took mercy on her and Hallbjorn after seeing the load he carried, and started packing the pieces of luggage inside the biggest suitcase. It reminded her of Russian nesting dolls. When he was finished, she only had to grab the handle and roll it behind her.<br/><br/>When they stepped out of the store, the mall was starting to look deserted. Kara tossed her emptied ice cream cup, then grinned at Hallbjorn. “That was so good, but I honestly can't tell which chain store makes them better.”<br/><br/>She looked around at the other stores, then told him, “I don't believe I need anything else. Do you think we can find a hotel room a little early, and maybe watch some television or a movie together?”<br/><br/>Kara wanted to curl up in bed with Hallbjorn, in the safety of a hotel room, and just enjoy being with him. She still felt a little shook up by the vampires earlier, which might explain her odd urge to start nesting now.