Page 52 of Hard Rock Heat

Damon immediately spit his out onto the ground. His face scrunched up indistaste.

"Ha!" I cheered after swallowing. "Black licorice. I win. Youpay."

"So I have to pay for a bag of popcorn I'm not even going to eat?" heasked.

"That's why you're the loser," I said. "I get to devour the whole thingmyself."

And devour it I did, shoving handfuls into my mouth at a time. I munched happily as Damon grumbled. As I ate, I shifted the huge stuffed unicorn from one arm toanother.

"This thing is just going to get in the way," I said. "I have no idea why you felt the need to show off likethat."

"It's a matter of manly pride," he said. "Of course I was going to win my girl aprize."

Mygirl.

A fluttery feeling welled up in mychest.

"It is pretty big, though," heagreed.

Damon took the stuffed toy from me and looked around. I followed as he wandered a few paces away, wondering what he was planning. He crouched down in front of a little girl with a wild mop ofhair.

"Hey sweetheart," he said in a gentlevoice.

The girl and her mother turned to him. The mom's eyes immediately widened. A slight blush crossed her cheeks as Damon grinned up at her, green eyessparkling.

"I won this prize, but my lady friend here doesn't want it." He tilted his head to wink at me. "Would you like it?" he asked thegirl.

The little girl's mouth popped open with a high pitched shriek. She immediately reached out and grabbed the unicorn to herchest.

"Lacey!" the mother scolded, sounding embarrassed. "Where are yourmanners?"

Damon laughed and bopped the girl on the nose with one finger. "This is where you say thanks,kid."

"Thanks!" she squealed, bouncing up and down on her toes and hugging the toy. It was bigger than her entirebody.

"Thank you," the mother repeated, flustered at Damon's million-watt smile. "That was very kind ofyou."

"Don't want to see a good stuffed animal go to waste," was all hesaid.

Damon took my hand as we left the girl and her mother, the kid shrieking indelight.

"You have a soft spot for children," Isaid.

"Kids are cool," he replied. "They don't give a fuck aboutanything."

"That must be why you get along so well with them," I said. "You're kindred spirits." I looked back at the little girl. She was still bouncing up and down. "So what's next?" Iasked.

"We haven't done a ride yet," hesaid.

"Nothing too crazy," I said. "Those kinds of rides make mesick."

"Should we stick to the spinning teacups?" heteased.

"Hey, those teacups can go prettyfast."

This being a Halloween carnival, the teacup ride was actually pumpkins. Damon and I took a seat just as the ride was starting. I was fine at first, but the spinning became faster and faster, the force of it making me slide back and forth. I fell into Damon's lap a time or two, but he held on to keep me balanced. It didn't escape me that his hands would sometimes wander to inappropriateplaces.

I didn't mind. Damon's touch was intoxicating and disorientating and exhilarating. The soft brush of his fingers against my hip, my thigh, the small of my back, was as thrilling as the ride itself. I let my own hands wander a bit, pretending to hold on to his inked upper arms for balance, letting myself press against hisside.