“Good to see you, too,” she said with cool detachment.
Inside, she shivered with awareness and need that refused to be stilled. Michael Reynolds. Her older brother’s best friend, and her first love. Unrequited, of course. He treated her like she was his kid sister for the most part. In the meantime, she was burning up from his innocuous touch.
“Let me take you home,” he said. “Your grandmother’s worried about you.”
Damn it. She wasn’t finished flushing out the anger and melancholy from her system. Her insecurities were rampaging in her mind, and she couldn’t handle any more heartache tonight. So she closed her eyes again and danced to make Michael disappear, as well.
Since he still held her arms, she placed her hands on his broad chest and assumed the junior high slow dance position. But rather than shift awkwardly from foot to foot, she swerved her body in languid waves in time with the music. Michael stood frozen for a few beats, then expelled a sound between a cough and curse.
“I’m taking you home. Now.” He abruptly picked her up off the floor with an arm under her thighs and the other cradling her back, frowning down at her with the same look everyone bestowed on her. Disappointment.
Enough.
“Stop with the Kevin Costner impersonation, and put me down,” she said, pushing against his shoulder.
“No way.” A hint of humor sparked in his eyes. “I remember how fast you can run. I’m not in the mood to chase you.”
Adelaide spied movement from the corner of her eyes. The club bouncers were heading toward them with fists clenched. They knew she was Colin’s cousin and were a protective lot, and Michael was carrying her out of the club, looking angry as hell.
“Oh, for God’s sake. I’m not a ten-year-old, Michael.” She struggled in earnest. If the idiot didn’t put her down, he would get beaten to a pulp by the bouncers before she could de-escalate the situation. “You need to put me down. I’ll walk out with you.”
“Adelaide? You all right?” Too late. Four of the loyal bouncers had surrounded them. “I suggest you get your hands off of her, buddy.”
“I suggest you go back to your posts, gentlemen.” Michael’s arms tightened around her, and a dark, recklessness entered his eyes. Why was he acting like this? “I’m escorting Ms. Song home.”
A baseball mitt–sized hand with an impressively large signet ring closed around Michael’s shoulder. He tensed for a second then he loosened his arms and set her down. Now he’s letting me go? I’m the only thing between the giant fist and his face.
Adelaide spun around to face the guys and plastered the back of her body against Michael’s chest and thighs. Reaching her arms behind her, she held tight to whatever part of him she could reach. She wouldn’t be able to hold on to him if he really wanted to move, but she could hopefully slow him down. Every second was precious for de-escalating the impending disaster.
When his body went taut and hard, Adelaide flexed her hands, wondering if he was getting ready to pounce. Through the roar of her instinct to protect him, she belatedly realized which part of his body she was holding—the exact point where his incredible ass met the back of his thighs. She gingerly cupped her hands to make certain.
Yup. I’m grabbing his ass.
She released his backside faster than she could gasp and gripped the sides of his pants in her fists, gathering as much fabric into her hands as possible.
“Settle down, guys.” She injected her voice with steel to hide the slight tremor behind it. “My big brother decided to send his best friend to rescue me from myself. You know...from the drinking, dancing and general debauchery.”
To her gratification, all the bouncers sputtered in outrage at the very idea. At least they knew what she was made of. She could take care of herself and then some.
“I know, I know. It’s ridiculous, but he’s practically my brother. Sometimes he treats me like the little girl I was when we were growing up together. He must see some invisible pigtails on my head.” She scanned the immediate vicinity and saw the beginnings of curious eyes swiveling their way. “But you guys are my friends and know I can handle this, right? So please go back to work before we create a bigger scene.”
As the mountainous bouncers retreated, baring their teeth at Michael for good measure, Adelaide stepped away from him. He felt the loss of her warmth acutely. Michael wanted to draw her back to him and return her small, strong hands to his ass. Hell. He was a complete dick. This was Adelaide. Garrett’s baby sister.
She was right. He practically was her brother. He’d watched her grow from an adorable baby with alarmingly pudgy cheeks to an angry, sullen teenager. In many ways, he’d continued to think of her as that rebellious teen rather than the grown woman she was now. But practically her brother? Her words settled like a lump of coal in his stomach.
“Come,” Adelaide commanded between gritted teeth, grabbing his hand in a death grip, and led them toward the exit.
He followed without argument.
When Mrs. Song called to ask him to check on Adelaide, Michael had tensed with concern. Grace Song was not a woman who fussed. She ruled Hansol Corporation and her extended family with an iron rod and swung it with chilling accuracy as needed.
If the formidable Song family matriarch had a soft spot, it would be for her only granddaughter. In her eyes, Addy was still the seven-year-old girl who’d lost her mom to cancer, which had caused her father to withdraw into his grief. Both parents, suddenly out of reach. Mrs. Song granted Adelaide more leeway than any of her children or grandchildren. If she was reeling her granddaughter in, something big must’ve happened.
Michael had shoved aside a pile of work to come searching for Adelaide, and found her dancing on a stage at Colin’s club with
