Heaven and Hell (Heaven and Hell #1)(65)

“So, next time, use that. We’ll look up the Greek word for ‘no’ so you’ll be sure to know how to stop from letting that happen when we’re on Crete.”

“It’s hardly going to happen on Crete.”

“You been to Crete?”

I shook my head.

“Greece?”

I shook my head again.

“Right, well, head’s up, Greek men are known world-wide as accomplished players and they like blondes and, my guess is, they really like blondes with legs that go on forever, asses that, just from lookin’ at ‘em, they know they want in their hands and –”

“All right, all right,” I interrupted him, “your point is made.”

That was when his face got super close and his arms held me in a warning! way.

I was not wrong and I knew this when he said, “Good. Then I’ll take this time to be certain you totally get my point. Italy, Crete, Bangladesh or Skippy’s, I buy your drinks. No other man does. You don’t give them your name to be friendly or at all unless I’m standin’ right beside you and they get where I’m at. Now do you get where I’m at?”

I didn’t answer him. I was stuck at something he’d said in the middle of acting like a Neanderthal.

“Skippy’s?” I asked.

“What?”

“You said Skippy’s,” I told him.

“Yeah.”

“What’s that?”

“It’s a crab shack close to my house that Gordo and I hung at and now where Luci and I hang at.”

I stared at him.

He was an ex-football player. He was an ex-commando. Ex-football player commandos hung at bars called “Thor’s” or “Jethro’s Fire Rocket Barbeque” or “Hellhound Roadhouse”.

Not “Skippy’s Crab Shack”.

“You hang at a place called ‘Skippy’s’?” I asked.

“Yeah,” he answered.

“Skippy’s?” I repeated my question with fewer words.

“Uh… yeah,” he repeated his answer with another syllable and a lot less patience.

“Is its full name ‘Skippy’s You Can Eat ‘Em but You Gotta Wrestle ‘Em First Crab Shack’?”

Sam had no answer for that; he just stared down at me.

Then he didn’t answer but instead asked, “Right, how the f**k am I pissed that I go to find my woman and see some guy in her space, find out not only did she let him buy her a drink but she gave him her name and I make myself clear about how I feel about that and instead of her confirming she gets me, she’s talkin’ about Skippy’s and for some f**kin’ reason, instead of me pushin’ she gets me, I wanna laugh my ass off?”

He sounded disgruntled.

Since I didn’t have an answer and I also didn’t want to make him more disgruntled, I decided to shrug.

Sam tipped his eyes heavenward and sighed.

I bit my lip.

Sam tipped his eyes back to me and stated quietly, “No, Skippy’s is just Skippy’s, the best fried crab sandwich you’ll find on the eastern seaboard and I say that with authority seein’ as Gordo and me put some research into that. And no, Skip does not make you wrestle the crabs before eatin’ them. Now, honey, takin’ us back, do you… get me?”

“I get you,” I whispered.

He stared down at me.

Then he muttered like he was talking to himself, “I don’t know if I want her to figure out she’s f**kin’ gorgeous so she isn’t so f**kin’ clueless when a player marks her or if I’m glad I finally got one who looks as good as her and has no f**kin’ clue.”

“Are you wanting me to participate in this discussion or are you having a conversation with yourself?”

“Your participation isn’t required,” Sam replied.

“I didn’t think so,” I mumbled, my eyes sliding away.

That was when I felt Sam’s body shaking and I looked up to see him grinning. Then one of his hands went to my jaw, he tipped my head further back and, to my shock (but it couldn’t be said, displeasure), he laid a hot, wet, deep, heavy and long one on me.

I was holding on tight and breathing erratically when he lifted his head, muttered, “Now they get me,” then he turned me, tagged my drink and walked me back to the table.

I drank my half Amaretto while I chatted with Luciana and while we chatted, Sam had one of his arms draped around the back of my chair, his torso toward me (and in the direction of Luci), his other arm draped across my lap. Then, when I was into my second Amaretto, Luci needed another drink so Sam got up to get her one.

But before he did, his hand gave my thigh a squeeze that caught my attention, my head turned to him and he caught my eye, the eye catch meaningful I just didn’t know what it meant. I felt my brows draw together and tipped my head slightly, his gaze cut swiftly to Luci and back. Light dawned, I gave a slight nod then he gave my thigh another squeeze and took off.

I turned to Luci to see she was watching Sam leave.

Then she turned to me and announced, “I very much like you two together.”

I smiled at her.

Then I whispered, “I very much like us together too.”

She smiled back.

Then she scooted her chair close, turned into me and confided quietly. “Sam very much likes you two together too.”