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Liv giggles as she steps away from him and moves closer to me. I don’t think she’s aware that she did it, and I resist the urge to tuck her into my side. Skye breezes past us, and Jordy sighs and excuses himself to follow her into the living room.
Liv glances out towards the balcony. “Let’s go chat with Mark.”
I look over at my friend, then smile at her. “Sure.” She grabs her beer from the counter as Skye saunters over to John and holds out her hand to introduce herself. I don’t care to watch her flirt with him, so I nod at Jordy and follow Liv to the balcony. It’s a warm day, but the sun is setting so a cool breeze blows through.
He greets her with a surprised grin and a hug. “Hi, sweetheart.” She smiles as she takes a seat on the lounge chair. I sit next to her and my weight makes the cushion dip, forcing her to lean into me. Neither of us move.
“Can I ask you a personal question, Mark?” she asks.
He nods. “Shoot.”
“How old are you?”
He chuckles. “I’m 38.”
“The guys make it seem like you’re ancient.”
“Yea, they’re just jealous I have all this wisdom to go with my good looks.”
She laughs. “So you were their boss in the Marines?”
“For a couple of years. I was their Sergeant when they were boots,” Mark says.
“Boots?”
“It’s what we call new Marines.”
She nods and straightens as an idea strikes her. “So, The Lone Boot? It’s not just about a cowboy boot, is it?” She looks over at me.
“Nope. Double meaning,” I say.
“That’s clever. Did Jackson come up with it?”
Mark grins. “Yep. He’s the smart one in this group of idiots. But we don’t tell him that.”
“Tell him what?” Jackson says as he joins us on the balcony.
“Oh, they were telling me how you’re the dumbest one of the bunch.” Liv bats her lashes. All three of us grin at her.
“They ain’t wrong, darlin’. I might be the dumbest, but I make up for it by having the biggest cock. So it ain’t all bad.”
He winks at her and she throws her head back and roars with laughter, holding her stomach. I watch her, mesmerized, as her ponytail falls off her shoulder and cascades down her back in a wave. Loose wisps of hair fall to her neck, and I have an insatiable need to press my lips to her pulse. I blink and clear my throat, taking a sip of beer and looking away before I pounce on her.
Jackson sits on the edge of the lounge next to us and grins at me. He knows I’m struggling. I’m sure he’s enjoying the entertainment at my expense.
Liv’s hazel eyes meet mine as she gets her laughter under control. I shift my weight and lean back on my hands. She settles into my side and I could live there forever.
“So Liv, what do you do for fun?” Mark asks as he turns the ribs over on the grill.
She pulls her gaze away from me to look over at him. “I volunteer at the animal shelter and I hike with my brother a lot. In fact, I spend most of my time with him when I’m not with Vera.”
“You guys are close?”
“Very. He’s my best friend.”
Mark smiles at her. “Ribs are about done,” he announces.
“I got it.” Jackson jumps up and heads inside to grab a platter.
