He's going to get himself killed, I thought. Les just doesn't know when to shut his mouth.
I stood up and turned. And studied the perfection that is Ranger Manoso - tall, lean, with wiry ripped muscles covered in black dress pants and a black long sleeve shirt pushed up his arms. He'd let his hair grow since last time he'd had to shave it when he was in the wind, but it was still pretty short and just a little bit shaggy. My heart sighed, and I held my hand out to him to invite him into the group.
Ranger took my hand, but instead of coming towards me, he tugged me to him. "Babe."
"It was nothing, Ranger. Just a joke. Really. I'm glad you're here. Come sit with us?"
He pulled me in closer, flush against him, and leaned down to whisper in my ear, "You want to help me find a woman?" At my confused look, he continued, "To sit on my lap?" At my narrowed eyes, he said, "What? You don't want to see me wrapped around some other woman?"
My heart dropped. No, I didn't want to see him wrapped around another woman. I didn't want to see him and another woman anything. That might be my worst nightmare. I'd want to claw her eyes out, or puke. Or maybe both.
I get it.
"I'm sorry, Ranger. Bad judgment. Bad joke. No, I don't want to see that. I really, really don't want to see that."
"Why not?"
Taking a deep breath, I muscle up my courage. You gotta pay to play. "Because I consider you mine."
Which earned me a slow smile. "Exactly, Babe." And the tightening of his arms around me and a long, slow, deep kiss. Now, pleased with himself and his public display of affection, he again leaned down and whispered, "Les is an ass, but your ass is mine. No sharing." Hmm, make that his public display of affection AND possession.
"Umm, Ranger, I like the thought - love it actually, but my ass is...well...off limits."
Smirk. "We'll see." Looking over my shoulder, he pinned Lester with a death glare and said it - "Hands the fuck OFF."