“It’s just gum,” I said. “I’ll give you some next time.”
“Definitely.” He stopped kissing me and leaned his forehead to mine. “Levee, it’s really fucking good to meet you.” He sighed and then punctuated it with another kiss. “Now, let me buy you some of the best rice and beans you will ever taste at midnight on a Wednesday.”
“Okay,” I replied, reluctantly stepping out of his embrace.
“So, how does this work?” He shoved a hand in his pocket and rocked to his toes. “Do you have an entourage or just the bodyguard you need to take with us?” He teasingly poked my ribs.
It was my turn to give him the side-eye. He was acting entirely too nonchalant about my little identity reveal.
“Did you know it was me all along?”
“What? No! I would have immediately tried to have sex with you if I’d known,” he answered frankly.
“Great. Is that supposed to be reassuring?”
“No, it was supposed to be a joke, princess.”
I leveled him with a glare. “Don’t.”
He laughed and threw his hands up in surrender. “Hey, you were trying to get in my pants way before I was trying to get in yours.” Then he grinned something so beautiful that my eyes dropped to his mouth before I could even stop them.
“Can we just go eat?”
Quirking an eyebrow, he fought a smile. “Is that disappointment I sense? Levee, do you want me to try to sleep with you?”
“No,” I scoffed, looking away.
When my gaze drifted back to his face, he was sporting another huge grin, and just like it had earlier, it did some seriously warm things to me.
“Then I won’t.”
“Good,” I replied quickly.
“Good,” he repeated, but his eyes bounced to my mouth and his smile spread confidently.
“Oh God, can we just get some food now? This is getting awkward,” I huffed.
“More awkward than making out with your stalker?”
I swayed my head in consideration. “It’s getting there.”
His shoulders shook as he chuckled until something caught his attention over my shoulder. “I think you’re being summoned.” He pointed to the headlights flashing at us across the parking lot.
“Yeah, that’s Devon, my um…bodyguard.”
“Soon-to-be ex-bodyguard?”
“Uh, no. He’s been with me for years. I hated him at first, but now, he comes to my house for Christmas dinner. I’m not firing him for respecting my decisions.”
He huffed. “All right. All right. I get it. He’s your Kevin Costner.”
“Wow. You were so much more charming from behind my shades.”
I actually adored that he wasn’t acting stiff or freaking out on me. He was just…Sam.
“You’re full of it.” He winked.
I rolled my eyes. There was no use arguing with him. I really was full of it. Sam was even better now—and he was already intoxicating. Thankfully, that remained locked in my own head.
“Come on. Devon can drive.”
He rested his hand on my lower back. Only, this time, I didn’t even pretend not to arch into his touch as I returned his flirty wink.
Leaning forward, he brushed my hair off my shoulder and whispered, “Game on,” into my ear as he slid his hand down a fraction of an inch, moving it from respectable territory to just above my ass.
But, as far as I was concerned, not nearly low enough.