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Derek eyes the group of teenage boys behind me. “I see you came with your buddies. Must be nice to finally have friends on the same intellectual level as you.”
He thinks that’s an insult? This fucker really did peak in high school. “Is that why you’re here alone?” I cross my arms and widen my stance, letting my size be my insult. The group of boys behind me quiet down and move closer. “I came with my son and his friends, if you must know.” This asshole doesn’t deserve an explanation, but Liam deserves better than this.
“Yeah. Besides, he has a date.” TJ, the scrawny one, steps up beside me, mimicking my pose. Shit. As much as I appreciate this kid trying to make me look good in front of Derek, I do not need him throwing Frankie into this conversation. There goes any chance of me ending this conversation without him spotting her.
“He does, does he?” Derek scans the crowd of boys. “Which one of you boys has he groomed into being his date then?”
I’m seeing red, but it’s the boys who bristle and speak up. “No, man, that’s some red-hat, toxic, Q-shit. We don’t fuck with that.” TJ points at Frankie, who’s just emerging from the gaggle of girls. “She’s his date.”
“Frankie?” Derek’s question stops her in her tracks. “You’re here with Julian?”
I expect her to lock up like she did last time, and I don’t know what to do. Do I stay where I am and redirect Derek’s attention back to me? Do I go to her? Does she even want my help? I want to put myself between them, keep her safe from his power-hungry need to dominate her. But I have no idea if she wants me to save her, or if I scare her as much as he does.
Indecision tears at me, unfamiliar and unwanted.
Frankie takes two slow steps toward me, then glances back at Emma. Something she sees in Emma must decide for her because she turns and skips toward me. Her hands slip around my arm, one hand sliding down to twine her fingers with mine. When she speaks, it’s in an assertive voice I’ve never heard from her before.
“Hi, Derek. Did you need something?” She looks up at me, a genuine smile on her face, squeezing my hand. “Hey.”
“Seriously?” Derek doesn’t finish, just points his finger from her to me, eyebrows furrowed. “You guys are actually dating?”
“What we do outside of work is none of your business, Derek.” Frankie speaks before I can. Damn, I never would have thought she could bluff like this. Where has this mini-badass version of Frankie been? “You think we’re faking it? You’re as bad as Lauren.”
A laugh bursts out of me at the comparison, because it’s true. I turn to look down at Frankie, still chuckling, and find her grinning up at me, laughter sparkling in her eyes. The sound of Derek sputtering fades away, and everything narrows down to the delight on Frankie’s face. I’m so proud of her for standing up to him, for putting him in his place. I don’t know if I want to high-five her, swing her around, or kiss her.
Kiss her?
Shit.
My laugher chokes off, and she must see something in my face because the delight drops off hers, replaced by confusion.
And then Derek’s words penetrate. “Seriously, Frankie. You can do better than this high school dropout.”
Frankie pulls back on my arm as I take a step toward him, a couple of girlish gasps reminding me of our audience.
“Derek, don’t,” is all she says, and he snaps his mouth shut. Frankie tugs on my arm again, but I don’t step back. Instead, I loom over Derek, just enough to remind him he may be tall, but at six foot seven, I’m taller.
Frankie steps up, wedging herself into the space between us. Turning to face me, ignoring Derek, she places a hand against my chest, pushing gently. His eyes narrow when she turns her back to him, and satisfaction more than the pressure of her touch allows me to take a half-step back, and then another. Frankie steps with me, her body pressed against mine.
She glances over her shoulder at Derek. He’s still watching, eyes darting from her face to mine, a disbelieving smirk on his smug face. Frankie’s hands against my chest tighten, gripping the edges of my leather jacket in a familiar way. We back up another step, Frankie guiding me. I’m still staring Derek down when she tugs on my jacket, drawing my face closer to hers. She rises on her toes, closing the gap between us.
“What’s up?” I brace myself to be scolded, to be told to calm down, to let it go.
“Kiss me.”
I blink, but she’s still there, face inches from mine, determination in her eyes. That was not what I was expecting. “What?”
“If you kiss me, he’ll leave us alone.” Does she even know what she’s asking?
I’m so tempted, though.
“You don’t have to do this. It’s fine. Besides—”
Her lips on mine cut off whatever else I was going to say. I barely register how soft her lips are before she pulls away, falling back on her heels before I can react. Instinctively, I dart one hand behind her back, keeping her from falling any further. Her cheeks are bright pink and she doesn’t look at me.
A disgusted snort has both of us looking up. “I won’t say what I’m thinking since there are children present. But I’ve seen better acting on OnlyFans. You’re not fooling anyone.”
This time, when Frankie pulls on my jacket, I don’t hesitate. I wrap my arm around her thighs and haul her up against my chest. Her legs dangle in the air, one foot banging against my knee, her chest pressing against mine. We lean in, lips meeting in a crash. Frankie tastes like sugar, a tiny squeak escaping her as I deepen the kiss.
