Heaven and Hell (Heaven and Hell #1)(113)

His smile got bigger. “Killer. I get how to take care of a hot chick lessons from Sam’s new pe… I mean, woman. I like it.”

“Maybe you should take notes,” I suggested on a head tilt and a grin.

His smile didn’t waver, his arms gave me a squeeze then he let me go, turned away and flicked out two fingers as he moved to his SUV.

Sam moved to me, sliding an arm around my shoulders then curling me so my front was in his side.

Hap swung in, fired up his truck, backed out of the drive and through this, Sam and I didn’t move. Sam also didn’t wave but I did. Then when Hap was out the gate and on his way, Sam’s arm came up, he pressed the button on the remote he was carrying and the gate started to swing closed.

That was when Sam turned us and headed us to the walkway. He kept his arm around my shoulders and we walked side by side.

We made it to the deck and Sam muttered, “Gonna drop this inside and get another beer. Want one?”

I looked up at Sam and shook my head. Sam tipped up his chin slightly and let me go. He headed inside. I headed to the railing of the deck.

The sun was beginning to set, it was late. Sam had come back from the grocery store before we got back from our walk on the beach. This was because Memphis loved the beach so I let her have a lot of time there. This was also because I needed that time to clear my head. I knew this because, even with that amount of time, I still hadn’t cleared my head. Hap had walked with Memphis and me but he did this mostly silent. I didn’t know what to make of this, whether he was sensing my mood or whether he was trying to take a read on me.

We arrived back and beers were opened. Hap partook but sipped since he was going to be getting in a vehicle. We sat on the deck and chatted or, I should say, Hap and I chatted and at this juncture it was clear Hap was trying to get a read on me mostly because our chatting consisted of Hap asking jovial, amusing questions that were jovial and amusing to disguise that they were nosy as all get out.

I didn’t have anything to hide so I answered them.

This was clearly satisfactory to both Hap and Sam and I knew I’d earned Hap’s approval when the guard he actually did disguise came crashing down and Hap, who seemingly was as happy as his nickname, became seriously freaking happy.

We ordered takeout. Sam went to go get it. We ate it with more beers and then Hap declared he had to go home.

Which brought me to now.

I heard the screen door bang shut then I heard Memphis’s claws clicking on the wood of the deck and I turned to see Memphis and Sam approaching, Memphis a lot quicker.

I bent and she jumped into my arms.

As I straightened, I told Sam, “I don’t want her out off her lead. Not until she gets used to her new space. Your deck is open. She could take off and not know how to get home.”

“She’s fine,” Sam replied, leaning into the railing and giving Memphis’s head a rub before dropping his hand, lifting his other and taking a drag off his beer.

Memphis began to struggle to get down and really, she’d been there all of a few hours. I didn’t want her out without a lead until she knew the lay of the land.

I started to the house. “I’m gonna take her back in.”

Sam’s fingers curled around my arm, halting my progress. “Baby, like I said, she’s fine.”

“She doesn’t know the lay of the land.”

“She knows your call, she knows mine. She’s fine.”

“She’s my dog, Sam!”

Yes, that was what I said. And yes, it came out with a lot more heat and volume than befitted our current conversation. And I knew it surprised Sam because he let me go and his chin jerked back.

I decided to go with it. Fuck it. I wasn’t pissed about my dog but I was still pissed and so what? I had a hot guy boyfriend. So he was rich. So he was great in bed. So he was famous. So he was a lot nicer than my husband. That last, frankly, was not hard to do.

That didn’t mean I couldn’t get pissed and act like a bitch even when the situation at hand didn’t warrant it. I was a woman. Women, as far as I could tell from my girlfriends’ conversations, did that all the time.

And anyway, the situation not at hand definitely warranted it.

Therefore I turned and marched to the door to the porch, through that and into the house where I let Memphis down. She yapped then her head tilted to the side. She’d read my tone and was doggie confused.

I didn’t think I could explain it to her in a way she’d understand so I didn’t.

“You got a problem?” I heard Sam ask and I turned to see he’d followed me.

He looked displeased, not exactly angry but definitely not ready to break out into a smile.

I was suddenly uncertain of my commitment to my tantrum. This was because Sam being displeased bothered me. Sam was not moody. Sam was pretty laidback. This wasn’t to say he didn’t have emotions or hesitate to show them but mostly he was mellow.

And tonight, he’d been mellower than I’d ever seen him.

Clearly, for Sam, it was good to be home, down his private, homeowners only drive, behind his gate, in his house with its kickass security system and spending time with his friend. He had been relaxed to the point it could even be completely relaxed, though I couldn’t know that but that was how it seemed.

Now, I’d shattered that.

Shit.

“Kia, I asked you a question,” Sam prompted when I stared at him and didn’t answer.