“Thanks for introducing me to Jack. He’s a very nice guy.” Cassidy said, and Teddy smiled wider.
“Sure thing.
He said goodbye to Memphis and Orlando and then Orlando placed his hand on her waist as they walked.
“So, I missed you,” Orlando told her as they strolled down the street together.
Memphis felt her trying to pull her hand from his.
“Did you really?” she asked Orlando with a chuckle.
“Sure did. Don’t you believe me?” Orlando asked, stopping her by the parking lot between the buildings. She looked up into Orlando’s eyes, and Memphis released her hand.
Orlando cupped her cheeks and stared at her mouth.
“I heard you bumped into Coast this morning. That you feel the same way we all do about you.” He looked over her lips and her skin. “That we want more.”
Orlando touched his lips to hers, and Cassidy gripped Orlando’s wrists as he held her face. Orlando kissed her deeply, and Memphis couldn’t help himself. He pressed up against Cassidy and ran his hands along her waist then kissed along her neck.
Suddenly Cassidy pulled back.
“Oh God, we have to stop. It’s too much. We’re in public,” she said, sounding embarrassed.
“You taste too delicious to just take a small sample,” Orlando told her then took her hand. He began leading her farther into the parking lot. Memphis chuckled.
“In fact, I think we should head way back toward the tree line where no one else can see us. That way, I can really have a good taste of you,” he said, and Cassidy planted her heels into the ground and gave Orlando’s arm a light tap as she chuckled.
“Get out of here. You’re crazy,” she told him.
Orlando pulled her into his arms, and she gasped. “Crazy about you.”
He lowered his mouth and kissed Cassidy again as Memphis stood watching. But Memphis didn’t mind at all, especially as he witnessed Cassidy hugging Orlando back then kissing him in return.
When Orlando finally seemed to be ready to share, Cassidy tried to sidestep away from Memphis. But Memphis was too quick for her. He snagged Cassidy around the waist from behind and nuzzled her neck, absorbed her perfume, and began walking forward with her in his arms.
“What can we do for an hour before heading to Casper’s? Hmmm…” he teased then suckled her neck, making Cassidy giggle and try to pull away. Her laughter lit up his heart, and Memphis knew things were only going to get better. They just needed to gain her trust and learn who she was running from and why.
* * * *
Cassidy hadn’t laughed so hard in years. But sitting on the bar stool surrounded by Orlando, his team, and a bunch of other retired soldiers, she couldn’t help but enjoy herself. The stories they told were ridiculous. But the best stories were the ones where the guys argued over who’d been caught doing some pretty crazy things to pick up women.
She thought she might laugh so hard she’d fall off the stool when one of the guys claimed to have the largest penis and was willing to challenge any of the other guys, with money, to prove him wrong. All the while he kept his eyes on her, teasing Cash, Memphis, Orlando, and Coast, knowing that they all had a thing for her.
“Please don’t. Totally not necessary,” she told the guy, placing her hand toward him. As he began to unbutton his pants and ask if she was sure, she nodded and covered her eyes.
“Charlie, get the hell out of here. She’s taken,” Cash said very firmly, and they all got pretty quiet.
But she didn’t correct Cash or deny his statement. Instead, she locked gazes with him as the guys walked away, apparently feeling uncomfortable with Cash’s statement and her dead stare at Cash.
He stepped closer and reached out to tug on a strand of her hair.
“You got all those guys so riled up. They can’t take their eyes off of you, and that can’t happen.”
“I didn’t do any such thing. I think it was the four of you who got them going.”
Coast placed his hand on her thigh where her legs were crossed.
“I think you gained some admirers, starting with Jack. You were talking to him for an hour,” Cash said to her.