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“Sure as hell didn’t look like nothin’, baby.”
We stand in the parking lot passing the minutes by as Colton takes his sissy tantrum over Luke and me ending up at the same place at the same time. It’s coincidence, but to Colton it’s anything but. Finally having enough of his shit, I climb inside the car and dare him to touch me. Throwing his hands up in defeat, he stomps off to his truck.
Mascara-laced tears run down my face. I let the rumble of the Camaro settle my nerves briefly before I streak the rubber against the road and speed toward home.
Chapter 26
Carly
By the time I get home, my food is cold and my appetite is diminished. I put the food in the refrigerator, then climb the steps toward the bubble bath that’s calling my name.
I start the bath water and turn it to a scorching heat that will surely singe my skin, before adding some cherry blossom bubble bath. I pull my hair up on top of my head, then strip the clothes from my body. I set my phone on the docking station and let Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep” fill the room. I grab my Kindle from the nightstand and carry my tired, vanquished body toward the promise of a relaxing bath.
Testing the water with the tip of my toe, I jerk back quickly from the sensation of heat before stepping in and sitting in the water quickly. I lay back in the bubble-filled tub and stretch my limbs and allow the warmth of the water and the scent of cherry blossoms carry away the tension from this day. I grab the Kindle from the tub tray and open the app. These fictional men are so much more pleasing and less dramatic than the real jackasses in my life. Don’t judge me; I love my smut novels.
After reading seven chapters, I’ve soaked in the bubble bath until my skin reflects that of a shriveled prune. The scalding water has turned luke-warm, and the bubbles are now small suds dancing across the water. I pull the drain from the tub and set the tub tray on the floor before starting the shower. I wash off quickly, leaving my hair for another day. I step out of the shower and wrap a towel around my body, before padding through my bedroom for my favorite sweats.
Just as I’m getting dressed, the doorbell rings. My heart sinks to the bottom of my stomach because I know on the other side of that door will either be an amused Luke Ashton, or a very pissed off Colton Weston. I take my time making my way down the stairs, as I try to steady the nerves that are threatening to jump right out of my skin. The doorbell rings again just as my feet hit the bottom stair. I pad over to the front door, twist the locks, and pull the door toward me. Before I can even peek around the door to see who is on the other side, Colton stomps inside. Should have known.
“Did slamming the car door in your face give you the impression that I needed a follow-up visit from you tonight? Or are you a glutton for punishment?” I sneer at him, slamming the door shut. He’s one ballsy son of a bitch to show up here after the shit fit he took at the diner.
Colton’s head snaps to mine, throwing daggers at me with his eyes. “What the hell was that back at the diner?” Colton growls.
“I’d love to know the same damn thing,” I throw back at him. He takes two steps forward and closes in the distance between us.
“Really? ’Cause I’ll tell you what I saw, Carly Jo. I saw some dick with his hands on my woman. I saw a smile on my woman’s face that only I should put there.”
“So you’re pissed because someone else made me smile?” I ask, laughter bubbling in my voice.
“No, I’m frickin’ pissed because he touched you, and you loved it. I’m pissed because after every damn thing we’ve been through, I’m here trying to love you, but you keep pushin’ me away,” he growls at me.
“My god, you’re so frustratin’. You would turn somethin’ as simple as me pickin’ up dinner into an argument.”
“Simple? Tell me how Luke Ashton putting his nasty ass hands all over you is simple.”
“Colton, calm your ass down! I stopped by to pick up dinner. Luke was there, so he sat with me while I waited for my order. Just friends talking is all,” I explain, trying hard not to yell, but he’s pissin’ me off!
“Friends? Bullshit!” He chuckles. “I’ll be damned if that’s gonna happen.”
“Like there’s a damn thing you’re gonna do to stop it! Luke is my friend. I’ve had lunch with him at the diner several times. Hell, he came over a couple weeks ago and watched a movie with me. I don’t see what the big deal is!” I yell in his face. Colton’s eyes widen as he looks down at me. He inches closer to my face, a little too close for comfort.
“That little shit was here? In your house?” His voice is a low mumbled growl.
“Yeah.” Colton turns away and paces the floor. His body is hard and rigid in built up anger. “You’re acting like a jealous teenager, Colton, it’s pathetic. Luke just needs a friend. He’s harmless.”
He stops dead in his tracks and slowly turns to look at me. His head is hung low, and his eyes are scrunched into a piercing scowl. He brushes his fingers through his hair and shakes his head as he tries to fight back the anger boiling in his chest. I can see it. It’s written all over his face, even in the stature of his body. His fists are tight at his sides, his chest heaving up and down quickly as his breaths grow quicker. A low, rattling growl builds deep in his chest.
“Damn, you really have been blind to men for far too long. Luke ain’t harmless, Carly Jo. He’s a piece of shit, not worthy of a woman as beautiful and gracious as you. A frickin’ blind man can see that he wants you. When I saw his hand on you and the thrill in his eyes, it took everything in me not to strangle every last breath from his body with my bare hands. I swear my hand to God if he lays another damn finger on my woman, I’ll kill him. Stay the hell away from him.”
My mouth drops at his threats, and anger roils deep in the pit of my stomach. “Your woman? I’m not your friggin’ property, Colton!”
“You’re not my property, but you are a part of me, whether you’re willing to accept it or not,” he whispers from across the room.
Silence falls across the room. Emotions roll through my body, and I feel paralyzed. He’s right. My heart races, pounding rapidly against the walls of my chest, vying for its escape to the one it rightfully belongs to. I pinch my eyes shut and try to take a deep breath, but the emotions are too thick. I can feel them all over me.
Colton’s fingerprints invisibly marked all over my heart, body, and soul. Those fingerprints smear and smudge in all the right places, right where Colton has affected me the most.I release a defeated sigh, as I hear his feet shuffling quickly across the floor, but I keep my eyes forced shut. He grasps my face in his hot palms and whispers against my lips, “Say somethin’.”
But I can’t. It’s hard enough mentally accepting that he’s right. I do belong to him. But to uncage my heart and set it free to be shattered by Colton is unimaginable. I feel the heat from his rage radiating over my body as trembles slither up my spine. Colton’s lips crash down onto mine. Our tongues tangle and dance together passionately. He licks, bites, and sucks my lips and tongue roughly. He breaks contact briefly, then tosses me over his shoulder. He climbs the stairs, taking two at a time, keeping a tight grip planted on my ass. He kicks open the bedroom door, then slides me down the front of his hard, heated body.
