Unless…
I stopped in my tracks and watched as Leo was talking to three women. His back was to me. The women were laughing about something he must have said. He could be quite the jokester when he wanted to be. It added to his charm.
I exhaled, feeling a fire ignite inside me but not sure what to do. Was I to just approach them and lay claim to my man in front of the hopeful women? Or dart away? Neither response felt right.
Leo loved being a lifeguard. He made no bones about wanting to help people. But I also knew the beach was where he’d met most of his one-night stands before meeting me.
Shit, this was an awkward situation.
“Hey, Scarlett,” Chris yelled and waved.
Leo whirled around and instantly ran toward me. Now it was even more awkward thanks to Chris.
“Red, I was waiting for you.” Leo went to kiss me, but I turned my face. “Baby, I know what you’re thinking.”
“I’m sure you don’t.” I shoved the bag of burgers into his chest. “Your harem seems to be waiting for you. Did I miss a text from you requesting additional burgers for your women?”Jealous much, Scar? And a bitch at that.
He grabbed my arm and dropped the lunch bag in the sand. “Don’t say shit like that ever again. Do you hear me, Red? Don’t. I am with you.” His face was in front of mine as he held me up against his body. “I don’t want anyone else. Do you hear me?”
I swallowed down my emotions. “I don’t like seeing them hanging all over you.”
“They weren’t hanging on me.” He kissed me. “I’m yours, Red.”
“But they don’t seem to care.” I looked around him. The women were still there, waiting for him presumably… and watching us.
“Forget about them. Come on.” He tucked me into his side, grabbed the bag of burgers, and tugged me along.
“Who’s this, Leo?” one of the blondes asked. She was tall, all legs and pretty.
“My girlfriend, Scarlett.”
Gasps circulated.
“Girlfriend?” asked a different woman, who was equally tall but a brunette.
“Yup.” He kissed my temple. “Scarlett is the best thing to happen to me.” He guided me to his beach chair, ignoring the women.
“Hey, Scarlett,” Chris said with a sheepish grin on his face.
I scowled at him. “You’re a turd.”
“Yeah, I am. But I could tell you were considering running in the opposite direction, and I couldn’t let you dash off. Gotta watch my man’s back here.”
“Traitor. And here I brought you lunch.”
“You were going to take off, baby?” Leo took a seat and tugged me onto his lap. He lifted his sunglasses up to look me in the eyes. “Well?”
“I may have considered leaving.”
“Red. That would have pissed me off.”
“Well, it pissed me off seeing you talking with them.” I jerked my head toward the women as they slinked away. “Not exactly what I wanted to observe while having lunch with my boyfriend. Aren’t you supposed to be working and not hooking up with women?”
He grabbed my face and crushed his lips to mine. I could tell he was angry by the sheer force in his kiss, but it was okay. Leo needed to know how I felt about the beach bunnies.
Chris laughed and I heard the insulated lunch bag’s zipper.
Leo broke the kiss. We were both breathing heavy as we stared into each other’s eyes. Neither of us said anything. I sure as hell wasn’t about to apologize, because I hadn’t done anything.