“Chill, Daisy, don’t get ahead of yourself. After a few more days, you’ll probably never see Rod again. Don’t try to fix him.”
Tracy still isn’t back when I’ve finished dressing, so I take a stroll around the grounds, lose a little money in the casino slot machines, and have dinner on my own before changing for the late-night party. Time alone enjoying drinks in the open air of the patio bar helps clear the cobwebs from my mind.
Tracy was right in saying I needed to loosen up and have fun. Flirting with Rod and nearly losing any semblance of my self-control with him has been invigorating. Feeling desired and desiring him in return has been life altering for me and my frame of mind. Maybe he’s not Mr. Forever, but he’s a good Mr. Right Now, and maybe that’s all I need.
I don’t have to be afraid anymore.
Walking into the nightclub alone dressed as a sexy, barely dressed genie is more intimidating that I thought it would be. Saying it’s a genie costume may be a little generous. It’s actually more of a sexy Egyptian outfit with a faux leather bikini top, a decorative waistband, and strips of flowing see-through chiffon on the front, back, and each hip that touch the ground. Though I try to convince myself I’m overreacting, being stared at by all the men unnerves me to the point I have to fight against the urge to fly out of here.
I continue walking toward the bar with my spine straight, unwilling to allow their ogling and leering deprive me of meeting my date. My senses tingle, warning me someone unwanted has stepped too close to me. Before I turn to face him, a firm hand wraps around my elbow and halts my forward movement. The sudden jolt causes me to stumble, and he uses my imbalance to his advantage, pulling my body backward against his.
“Look, guys, I caught a genie. Isn’t it against the law for her to leave without granting all my wishes?” An overpowering odor of whiskey assaults me when he laughs.
“No, it’s not. But it is against the law for you to touch me without my permission. Let go of me right now.”
“I like my women fiery and feisty. Must be my lucky night because you’re both.”
He’s drunk and pawing me, despite my obvious attempts to get away from him. His friends are laughing and encouraging it. Not one member of his circle jerk speaks up in my defense.
When he slants his head and leans toward my face to plant his mouth on mine, he closes his eyes for a second. He’s sloppy drunk and his movements are uncoordinated, so I wrench my knee up while he’s not looking and nail him directly between the legs. The sudden impact against his balls makes him involuntarily bend at the waist and release his hold on me. The instant I’m free, I move as quickly as I can through the crowd to get away from him and his friends, but the angry shouts grow closer behind me.
I push through the crowd immediately inside the entryway and stop short when I run into Captain America himself. One look at my face and he knows something is terribly wrong. Then the irate rant from the drunk man storming up behind me, calling me names, and telling me he’s not finished with me yet, catches Cap’s attention.
The drunk guy with swollen balls steps behind me and glares at Rod. “Step back, fella. I’ve already captured this genie. She’s fulfilling all my wishes tonight.”
Rod drops his gaze to mine and rage fills his eyes. “This guy a friend of yours?”
“You heard me, buddy. Fuck off.”
Rod keeps his gaze trained on mine.
“No, he’s not a friend of mine at all.” Then I recount the story for him, right up until I ran into him during my escape.
Rod nods, then turns his attention to the drunk man and his friends. Without saying a word, he gently pushes me behind him and uses his body to shield me. “She’s already told you no several times, in obvious ways. You don’t seem to take a hint, so I’ll be blunt. You’re not fucking touching her. Walk the fuck away before the EMTs have to carry your sorry ass out of here on a stretcher.”
“Who the fuck are you? Do you actually believe you’re the super soldier himself?”
“Nope. But I am the man who will beat you within a fucking inch of your life if you so much as look at her wrong again. I dare you to try to touch her. You’ll be missing all your fucking teeth in about two seconds.”
The other guy stands stock-still for a few seconds. With a quick move, he accepts Rod’s dare and tries to reach around him to grab me. Rod wastes no time grabbing his shirt with one hand and repeatedly punching him square in the mouth with the other. Blood instantly spurts from his busted lips, a tooth falls to the floor, and the other guy still hasn’t figured out where the hit-and-run sledgehammer slamming into his face came from. His knees buckle and he goes to the floor, so Rod releases his shirt and lets him fall the rest of the way down.
The guy’s friends surround him, looking down at the floor then back up at Rod in disbelief. Rod pushes his chest out, curls his hands into fists, and steps toward them. Two of them quickly grab their friend off the floor and stand him up.
“We don’t want any more trouble, man.”
“Then I suggest you stop your
