Chapter 13
Marlie hadn’t had so much fun in…she couldn’t remember when.
She’d laughed so hard in between competing with a guy even worse than her brothers when it came to sportsmanship. It came as a huge shock when the bar emptied out, and the bartender—after getting a picture with Damon—shooed them out.
“Sorry, man.” Damon slapped the big bartender on the back, making the guy stumble. “Didn’t realize the time. I was too busy trouncing Nellie Sucks-a-lot here.”
“Shut it, stalker.”
The bartender laughed at them. “Ah, true love. I feel so much Christmas spirit from you two.”
Marlie grinned. “You know it.” She waved goodbye, recognizing the guy as someone Ed had once hung out with though she couldn’t for the life of her remember his name.
She felt buzzy but not drunk, excited and nervous to be with Damon. Yet she couldn’t understand why.
She’d been nothing but obnoxious and loud all night. Instead of putting him off, as she’d often done with Ben, having to soften herself, Damon had been even louder, encouraging her competitive nature.
“You okay? You had what? Two, maybe three beers?” He scoffed at her.
“Well, we can’t all be four hundred pounds.”
“Of muscle.” He flexed, though she saw nothing beyond a large man in a coat. “I’ll flex again later. You can’t see how huge I am.”
No, but she couldn’t stop remembering how huge he’d been Wednesday night. Damn. Between the booze, the great food, the super fun bar, and his amazing company, she was halfway in love with the guy.
Well, not really. But she liked him a hell of a lot more than she’d ever imagined she would.
Damon made her laugh. His dry sense of humor and ability not to take himself too seriously had charmed her with little effort. She didn’t sense him putting on a show either.
“Damon, seriously man, my eyes are up here.”
Once again, he stared at her boobs. She found it flattering. And she liked calling him on it.
Except he was trying not to laugh.
“What?”
“You’re wearing nachos, Marlie.” He pointed.
She looked down to see a corn chip tacked over her right breast.
“Geez.” She pulled it free, wiped the nacho cheese bit away, and ate it.
He laughed and tugged her under his arm against him. “You are so freaking cute.”
“I’m not cute. I’m an . I’m intimidating.”
“Ha. Yeah, like I said. Cute. And so tiny.”
She couldn’t argue feeling tiny against the six-and-a-half-foot muscle head.
They walked back toward his truck, and she felt them slow. Then she remembered his knee and felt terrible.
“Are you okay?”
He frowned down at her. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
“Your knee.”
“I’m good.” He smiled.
“You sure? You’re moving pretty slow.”
“Because I’m trying to spend more time with you. It’s a good thing you’re pretty, because you don’t seem so smart.”
She coughed to hide a laugh. “Bonehead.”
“Oh, words hurt, Mad Marlie.” He tugged her with him against a brick building, out of the way of a group of college kids, two of whom she recognized.
“Hey, Ms. Reynolds.” One of the young women waved.
The guy next to her gaped at Damon. “Holy shit! Demon Sinclair!”
“I didn’t realize hockey was so popular here,” Damon murmured to her.
“No kidding. I can’t take you anywhere.” She waited while he took some pictures with the people asking for them.
When he rejoined her, he walked a little quicker with her to his truck. After helping her inside—though she didn’t need it, she appreciated his manners—he joined her.
Before she could say anything, he pinned her in place and kissed the breath out of her.
He finally pulled back, panting. “Fuck. Been wanting to do that all night.” He shocked her anew by caressing her cheek and chin, planting a softer kiss on her lips. “You are so beautiful, Marlie.”
Flustered, because he seemed like he really meant it, she tried to tease, “Oh stop. You’re going to get lucky. You don’t need all the flattery.”
His concentration on her face had her rubbing her cheek.
“Don’t tell me. I missed more nacho cheese.”
He didn’t laugh. Instead, he shook his head. “I know I’m lucky. I got to go to dinner with the prettiest girl in town.” Then he winked and grinned, easing the tension. “Plus I beat her sexy ass at darts.”
“Wait.” Sexy ass? Yes, yes, I am a sexy ass! Er, I have a sexy ass. She looked down her nose at him. “Darts, I concede. But I crushed you at the ax throwing.”
“Because I’m not, in fact, a psycho, I’ve never thrown an ax before.”
“You say psycho, I say athlete.”
“You scare me.”
“Good.” She gave an evil laugh.
“I’m so sorry I wasn’t here during Halloween. You and I could have done a marathon scarefest. Leatherface, Saw, Silence of the Lambs.”
She took over for him. “Hereditary, Get Out, The Exorcist.”
“Ah, yes. Always a classic.”
“Pea soup. Gross.”
“Yeah, ew.”
They continued to compare notes on movies, and to her surprise, their tastes matched. He also seemed to like arguing as much as she did, the conversation spry and sarcastic. Damon gave as good as he got.
Arriving at Jeff’s house, where she’d left her car, much too soon, despite the fact it was past two in the morning, she sat in his truck when he parked, in no rush to get out. Should she invite him to her place? She wanted to. So badly it scared her.
“Well, come on, Methuselah.” He turned off the truck and got out, walking to her car door. Apparently, he didn’t mind ending the date. Or was he pushing for an invite, for her to drive him to her place maybe?
Jittery and feeling foolish for her nerves, Marlie brazened it out and stalked to her car door. She turned around to confront him about his intentions and found herself kissed senseless once more.
The big bruiser leaned over her, pinning her to the vehicle while blocking the wind. “You’re such a good kisser.”
“Um, yeah.”
“I’d ask to go to your place, but we did only agree to one date. I don’t want to push you or anything.”
“Um, yeah.”
She couldn’t seem to fit more than those two words together.
“So I guess this is goodbye?” He stroked her cheek, putting a spell over her. She swore she saw real affection in his bright eyes, a hint of a smile on that talented mouth. “Marlie?”
“Um, yeah.”
He sighed. “Well, I had a fantastic time. Thanks for the date.” He turned to leave.
“Wait.” Her brain finally unstuck itself. “Well, we did say only one date.”
“Yes, you did.”
She frowned. “You have to coach my brothers tomorrow. Heck, later today. We could, I guess, go out afterward. Like, to lunch or something.”
His eyes narrowed. “I’m sensing a theme here. Are you using me for free food?”
She heard the humor in his words, saw the smile he tried to hide behind a glare, and chuckled. “Maybe. Is it working?”
“Sadly, yes. I’m so weak.”
She laughed harder. Then she yanked him back for a kiss. “Wow. You’re so good at kissing.”
“Have I told you how much I love when you get grabby?” His sly smile should have warned her to tread warily. “Lunch on me tomorrow. But just wait until we hit our third date, when I’ll demonstrate how a real man uses his tongue.”
It took her a longer time than it should have to get to sleep that night. And when she dreamed, Damon Sinclair and his magic mouth took center stage in all her fantasies.