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Sam adjusted his jacket ever so subtly to cover his chest. Too bad I had already seen what he meant to hide that was underneath that jacket.
Without a second thought, my hands reached out for his jacket and opened it wide to expose the loosened dangling staps of his shoulder brace. Snaking my arm around his ribcage and underneath his good shoulder, I searched for the loose back strap. Sam inclined forward like a docile little boy to allow me better reach. Oh, dear. Maybe I should have kept my space and just let him do what he wanted. We were now so close that I could feel his eyes burning through my skin. Unfortunately, I cared too much not to butt in. So I sucked it up and refused to acknowledge the warmth radiating from his body to my fingers as I tapped all over his back to feel for the damned strap. Oh, come on now, where the hell was it? I simply wanted to secure the brace for Sam. Not to linger touching him. There, found it. Now, all I needed was to hurry and lock up these straps and remove my hands away from his magnetizing body. His proximity did something to my own body’s response system. My hands suddenly became shaky as I locked the back strap to the front. Done. Finally.
But before I could reel back my arm, Sam caught my forearm. His face was straight and utterly stern. “Did he come here to get you back?”
My eyes shot up at him. Somehow, I found my voice. “Joe? No.”
“Did he kiss you?”
“What? Of course, not.”
“Good.”
And thenhekissed me.
So this must be what Sam felt when I kissed him that night. A surprising jolt to the bones. But that wonder only lasted for a second. I pushed him away for more reasons than one. Mainly because I could taste the scotch on his lips.
“Where you drinking?”
“Think of it asmyexcuse for kissing you.”
Secondly, this was a messed-up reverse of our first kiss.
Shaking my head disapprovingly, I opened the door and jumped out, jogging back to the pavement.
Sam stormed out to come after me. He cut my path, blocking my way. “I’m sorry. I didn’t plan on kissing you. Not right away, anyway. Lucille, by now you must have figured I always want to kiss you.”
“No, of course, you didn’t plan. You never do.” My voice held a hint of anger. “You simply took the decision in the blink of an eye. Same amount of time as it probably took you to pick up the keys and come here when I thought I made it perfectly clear that I don’t want to see you. Didn’t you get the message when I blocked your calls?”
“I’m sorry, Lucille. Please get back in the car. I promise, I just want to talk.”
Joe came to stand between us as my shield. “Maybe you should go, Sam.”
Sam ignored him. “Please, Lucille.”
Joe took a step further toward Sam. “Missed your chance, buddy. You heard her. She doesn’t want to see you.”
This time, Sam looked down at Joe, infuriated. “Stop being her fucking bodyguard and a pain in my ass, Parker.”
Joe pushed at Sam’s chest. “Back off.”
“Get the fuck out of my face.”
“I said back off or I’ll…”
“Or what? You’ll fuck up my other shoulder?”
And bam, Sam’s fist shot straight at Joe’s face, knocking him to the ground.
A loud gasp escaped from my lips. I was stunned, frozen still that I was unable to crouch and help Joe. Instead, I just watched Joe rub at his aching jaw, then I looked at Sam. I saw his deep expression of fury transform at the realization of what he’d done. I knew Sam’s left arm wasn’t his dominant hand yet that was one hell of a big punch.
My own anger disappeared. Traded for something else I couldn’t figure out yet. And was that my heartbeat thumping in my eardrum?
Sam caught my movement as I backed up a step away. “You’re shaking.”
Was I? Yes, I was shivering. Trembling all over.
“You’re scared of me.”
