I loved the way he laughed, as if he was tickled to his core. His laughter was the kind that made you want to snicker, too.

When we got to our stop, he gave me his hand to help me up from my seat. Then he turned to pizza lady. “Sorry she was going to eat you,” he stated, making me swat his arm.

Pizza lady replied, “It’s because she’s a psychopath.” Then she went back to her mindless muttering.

Only in New York.

Once we were off the subway, he dropped my hand and looked at me with so much concern. “Why were you going to eat that woman, Red? Is it because you hung out with the bad wolf a little too much? Eating people seems more of his avenue of choice. Also, if you are thinking of taking me to your favorite spot to eat right now just as a way to fatten me up, I need you to know I’m pretty lean on fat. All muscle.”

He flexed like a nerd, and I blushed like a schoolgirl.

Sure, he was being silly and dramatic, but my gosh, his biceps on biceps pretty much proved his point about him being all muscle.

I rolled my eyes. “If I were going to eat a Marvel character, it definitely wouldn’t be you.”

His eyes narrowed. “Wait, what? You wouldn’t pick me?” he asked, seemingly offended.

“You’re upset that I wouldn’t eat you?”

He grimaced a bit and nodded as we walked down the street. “Well, kind of. I mean, what the hell? Who would you eat first?”

“Are we really having a conversation about me being a cannibal?”

“We absolutely are. Now, come on, fess up—who would you be eating?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know. Thanos, probably.”

“Thanos?!” he shouted, causing a few bystanders to look our way. Of course, they quickly looked away because New York.

“Don’t shout. People are looking!” I whispered, nudging him in the side.

“They should be looking!” he kept hollering. “You just said you would eat Thanos!”

“I did, and I stand by that. Sure, he’s a super villain who tried to kill half of the planet, but he’s a bigger guy, which means more meat to consume. Plus, I like darker meat.”

“He’s not dark meat, Red. He’s freaking purple.”

“I’m just saying he’s my choice. I don’t have to explain my cannibalism to you.”

He released a hot breath of air, shaking his head back and forth. “It disgusts me that you would choose the world’s most hated villain over the best superhero.”

I laughed out loud. “The world’s best hero? Don’t flatter yourself.”

“What?!” He gasped again, still loud as day. “Are you kidding me? I’m Captain America! Doer of good!”

“Yeah, but that doesn’t make you the best. Your moral compass often gets in your way. You can’t be good all the time. But don’t worry—you are at least in the top ten of best superheroes.”

“I hear what you’re saying, but it doesn’t soothe my bruised heart.”

“I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings by claiming I wouldn’t eat you.”

“It’s okay. I forgive you. Not everyone in life makes good choices, but I just want you to know one thing before we continue this walk.” He placed his hands on my shoulders, pausing my steps, locking his beautiful blue eyes with mine as he gave me the most serious tone he’d delivered all evening. “I would eat the hell out of you.”

A pool of heat filled me up as his words simmered in my head and in my lower region. “Is that a sexual reference?”

“What? No. All I’m saying is that I would willingly eat you.” He cocked a brow with a smug smirk. “I would eat you…all…night…long.”

I shoved him away from me and continued walking. “You’re annoying.”

“Maybe you should eat me to shut me up.”

“No, I’m going to feed you to shut you up,” I explained right as we stopped in front of Grant’s Wings. “Welcome to Grant’s. This, my friend, is where all dreams come true.” I gestured toward the small restaurant as if we’d just found our way to Disney World.

Captain got a goofy look on his face, and I was learning fast that whenever he got a goofy stare, his mind was thinking something ridiculous.

I sighed. “What is it?”

“Nothing, nothing. It’s just that you called me friend.”

“Oh gosh. Don’t let it go to your head.”

“I’m not. I mean, I am, but I’m not. All I’m saying is that we’ve already progressed from perfect strangers to friends.” He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and gave me a tight squeeze. “And everyone knows every great love story begins with friendship. Ask Harry and Sally.”

He ordered three different types of wings, and I was deeply offended when he got boneless. ‘Boneless wings’ was just a code word for chicken nuggets. He watched me as I taught him how to successfully remove all the meat from the bone of a wing, and then I sucked it down, cleaning the bone completely with one swipe.