I blinked.
Then I realized he was right. Not a lot of people would throw attitude at Vance like that especially when he was promising physical retribution.
I felt that velvet shroud coming around me again and I mentally snuggled into it.
I looked at his empty hands. “I thought you were bringing lunch?”
“I left it in the Explorer. Saw you with Roam and Sniff and didn’t have a good feeling about the body language.”
He’d come to my rescue.
“I want to kiss you right now,” I blurted.
Oh jeez.
Why did I say that?
Before I could take it back or affect a head crackin’ mamma jamma pose, Vance’s face went soft and sexy and his arms came around me, drawing me into his body.
“Don’t,” I said, “we’re standing right out front, everyone can see. I already had a public display of affection with May this morning. I can’t take another direct hit to my street cred.”
His head was descending, completely ignoring me.
“Your street cred?” he asked, his voice silk again this time in a good way. His eyes were amused.
“Yeah.”
“Fuck your street cred,” Vance said against my mouth and he kissed me. Not a touch of the lips but full-on, open mouths, lots of tongue. I had no choice but to wrap my arms around his neck and when I did, he leaned in, I bent back and we went at it like teenagers.
It took awhile for the cat calls and wolf whistles to penetrate our invisible fortress. It was around the time a kid yelled, “You go, dawg!” that I pulled away.
Vance and I looked to the entrance of the Shelter and at least a dozen (maybe more), kids were standing outside the door. May was there beaming from ear to ear. More kids, Stu and Andy were looking out the windows.
We received an ovation, more whistles, cat calls, shouts of raunchy encouragement and full-on clapping applause.
“God dammit,” I whispered to Vance’s neck, trying to pull out of his arms but they just went tighter.
“I think that should do it,” he said to me and I looked into his eyes.
“What?”
“Don’t expect anyone will think you’re dumped anymore.”
Oh.
Well.
I expected he was right.
I relaxed in his arms and smiled at him, street cred be damned.
He smiled back.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Toiletries and Tiaras
This was my afternoon and evening: