“The night you called her a kid and tucked her into a cab before sending her off.” Mike chuckled. “Yeah, I’ve heard about that night more than I’d care to.”
“That’s not how I remember it.” They all grew silent, watching me carefully. “She was flirty, yeah, but taking advantage of her in that state would have landed my ass six feet under. If her daddy didn’t kill me, then you all would have.” They each nodded in agreement. “So, yes, I did call her a cab, and yes, I did make sure she was safely tucked inside with the female driver.” I emphasized the female part. If it had been a male, then I surely would have been riding along. “But I never called her a kid.”
“Not the way she remembers it.” Again, Mike chuckled because he was eating up my discomfort. If anyone knew me well enough to know that I wasn’t a bad guy, it was Mike. The rest of the men in this family were all still trying to figure me out. I hadn’t gotten the seal of approval quite yet. “In fact, you may as well have told her that she was the last girl you would ever be interested in because she was and still is pretty embarrassed by that night and, well, you in general.”
“Never looking him in the eyes again.” Rhett chuckled. “At least, that’s what AJ said Chloe decided.”
“Him being me, I guess?” Why did that thought make my stomach flip with discomfort? They each nodded, watching me close as I once again looked toward Chloe. I caught the end of some guy leading her toward the dance floor, just before circling his arms around her. She laughed at something he said, and the way she threw her head back happily again made my chest feel hollow. Only this time it was because I didn’t like the idea of any man making her laugh like that unless it was me.
“Looks like you don’t have to worry about breaking her heart slowly.” Mike gripped my shoulder and gave it a little squeeze. “From the looks of it, Ripp Daly is taking her off your hands.”
What kind of fucking name is Ripp?
I tried to hold it together, tried to ignore the bubbling irritation in my chest, but it was too overpowering to control. “Fuck that.” The words left my lips before I got the chance to stop them, and I handed him my beer. I closed the distance between us fast, and all I heard behind me were the sounds of the guys chuckling knowingly. I guessed they’d accomplished getting the rise out of me they were aiming for.
Chloe glanced in my direction just as I stepped up behind the guy I now knew as Ripp. Which is exactly what I may do to his arm if it wanders any further south on Chloe’s waist. Rip his head off.
I noticed the way her throat bobbed when she swallowed hard as her shoulders visibly tensed and her eyes locked on my own. I didn’t like seeing this reaction to me. I wanted her comfortable with me; I wanted a peace. I would never willingly hurt this woman.
“Mind if I cut in?”
The guy looked back over his shoulder and arched a brow. He made no move to step aside, which only managed to infuriate me more. Doing my best to rein in my irritation, I flashed a smile at Chloe and immediately watched as she averted her gaze. The way she avoided me made me want nothing more than to drag her off somewhere secluded and force her to stop shying away from me.
“Kitten?” I didn’t know what possessed me to use the endearment, but when I did, she quickly looked up. I half expected her to blush, maybe give me that sweet, shy smile I’d seen so many times before, but instead all I got was a narrowed gaze. Her eyes zoned in on me, her mouth pressed in a tight line.
“I think Ripp and I are just fine.” When she grabbed on to the guy a little tighter and held him in place, I honestly wanted nothing more than to toss his ass. If that wasn’t bad enough, when the dick looked back at me and offered an arrogant grin, I wanted to wipe the cocky gleam from his face. The douche knew I’d just been dismissed, and honestly, what the fuck was I supposed to do with that? I couldn’t stand here in the center of the dance floor and make a scene, demanding she stop hiding from me and allow me to explain. My actions would only gain the attention of all the men that I knew would be first to lay me out if I’d thought twice about hurting this beautiful girl in any form. Or I could accept that she’d chosen this asshole over me…for now, anyway.
It stung, it burned like a bitch, but I stepped back and swallowed my pride. Now wasn’t the time. But there would come a time when she would have to face me, and it would be then that she and I would hash out this misconstrued story she had playing out in her head.
Chapter Three
Chloe
“A friend of yours?” Ripp asked, and it didn’t take a genius to see how pleased he was that I’d chosen to stay dancing with him. What he didn’t know was every single fiber of my body would so much rather be in Landon’s arms than his. The problem was a girl’s heart could only take so much confusion and rejection.
I couldn’t get that dismissal out of my head, the way he hurried me along at the bar, tucking me into a cab and basically out of his way. Out of the way so that he could then go back inside and find a better source
