“You're pretty good at this,” Bear says.
I just shrug off the compliment. “Yeah, well. I've had a lot of experience. People think they can play me, and I'm just going to lose or fold. I've learned to get better.” I shrug my shoulders. “What else do you do when you have a lot of time on your hands?”
He looks at me knowingly. I’m sure when he served in the Army, he and his crew played cards when they had down time.
I try to be humble about it, but after my five-game winning streak, we start to draw attention to ourselves. I can tell by the look on Bear’s face that he doesn’t know if that’s a good or a bad thing.
“Little lady. You are one lucky woman,” says the man sitting next to me. I take a drink of Bear’s beer as he leans in closer and puts his hand on my thigh. I cover his hand with my own and smile at the other man.
“Well, thank you. I appreciate that. My name is Samantha, and this is my husband Liam.” I gesture over my shoulder at Bear, and at this point, I can feel all the body heat from him as Bear has his body pressed to my side.
The guy nods. “They call me Tex. But no introductions are necessary; I know all about the two of you.”
I giggle and try not to blanche at the ditzy sound I make. I blink my eyes and look as innocent as I can. “Oh you do, do you?”
The man nods and waves over a waitress. “Get two shots of tequila for my friends.”
The waitress nods. “Right away, sir.”
“Well, what about you? You’re not going to drink with us?” I turn so I’m completely facing the man next to us. I figure if he knows who we are already then he’s someone that I want to keep an eye on; however, I don’t recognize him from the dossier Dylan had prepared for us.
“Nope, not me. I can’t drink the stuff. I stick to whatever’s on draft,” he says, holding up an iced mug.
The server comes and sets the drinks in front of Bear and me. I throw it back and then chase it with the Coke that I have sitting in front of me. The man next to me looks impressed and orders another.
Bear starts to hold his hand up, and I grab it and kiss his palm. Looking into his eyes, I know he’s trying to tell me to chill out, but I try to reassure him by pulling his arm around my shoulder. “It's okay, sweetie. I haven't been able to let loose in a while. Let me have some fun.” I say it in the most fun-loving voice I can muster. I'm sure the man sitting next to me thinks I'm some kind of dingbat, but all I'm going to do is play the part.
When the next shots come, I drink it, chasing it with the Coke. The man is still smiling at me, and I start to lay it on thick and really flirt with him. He's eating it up and laughing and having a good time, which is exactly what I'm shooting for.
“So what are your plans while you're in town?” he asks.
Bear puts his hands on my shoulders. “Just spending time with my wife.” He says it simply, but he stresses the words my wife.
I lean into his touch. The possessive way that he says wife sends a thrill down my spine.
Bear stands up, and I topple on my heels when I stand up too. I’m playing the part of the inebriated wife that’s just looking for a good time. Bear’s jaw clenches. “I think it's time that we go back to our room.” He nuzzles my neck, and I turn to face him.
“I like how you're thinking, hubby.” I take a step and pretend to sway on my feet. The man reaches out to steady me at the same time Bear does. Bear tucks me under his arm, and when we’re about to walk away, the man stops us.
“There’s a party tomorrow night. I’m thinking it’s one you would like to attend.” He wiggles his eyebrows, and I swear if it’s the kind of party I think it is, I’ll throw up in my mouth a little bit.
I keep the smile on my face, though. It’s too important, and I know I can’t lose character now. I'm surprised that it was that easy. “We would love to,” I answer him without even looking at Bear for confirmation.
We walk out, and I stay tucked under Bear's arm until we get off the elevator and are walking to our room. It's then that I start walking normally. Bear gets a surprised look on his face. He looks at my legs and then back up at me. “Wait... what?”