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I look at Tate, scrunch my nose, then stick my finger out at him for no good reason. “Fine. He comes, but he stays to himself. If I see even a sliver of him in my peripheral, he’s fired.”
“You can’t fire him,” Theo says.
Tate sports a semi-smile.
“Not a sliver!” I yell again. “I’ll pick you up at eight.”
Fay squeals, we say our goodbyes, and I shove my phone in the side pocket of my yoga pants. “Not a sliver. You hear me? Jorge and I have a long-term relationship you have no business interfering with. He throws me off, it’s because I want him to. Don’t go pummeling him.”
I almost trip at his low chuckle as I walk away. The sound is what sex dreams are made of. Ignoring it, I keep walking. I need to get ready for Jorge,notthink about his laugh or that half-smile. Or the way his arm felt touching the back of my neck.
Chapter four
Mindy
“I don’t know if I can do anymore.”
“Don’t be a quitter,” I say, pushing a shot toward Fay.
“No, like, for real. I’m starting to spin.”
I wave her off, feeling a bit unbalanced myself. “It’s just the aftermath of Jorge. He really threw you far.”
“Right? He’s so aggressive tonight. Normally, I can hang on much longer.”
I lift my shot, clink it against Fay’s, and we take them down. We’ve been at it all night. Drinking. Dancing. So much laughing. I miss this. Fay and I would do this on the daily before Theo came along and she fell in love. Not that she became a bad friend, but her time just became limited. I got it. Who wouldn’t be preoccupied with a guy like Theo Monroe at your side? We still have our girls’ nights, but they are few and far between, and she’s more reserved. It’s understandable. She has an amazing future ahead of her. Marriage. A restaurant. Probably going to spit out a ton of babies. And I… just have me.
“Let’s go dance.” I grab her arm and pull her off her stool onto the crowded dance floor. The music changes to some honky-tonk song. Not my first choice or anywhere near the top of my list, but I move my hips anyway. Grazing my hands up my sides until they’re above my head, I dance in a circle. Two guys behind us whistle, but we ignore them and do our own thing.
“Hey, sweetness, care if I cut in?” I look over at the tool and shake my head. Taking Fay’s hand, I pull her closer. We move to the rhythm, and I close my eyes, feeling the beat thrumming through my veins. A hand wraps around my arm, and my eyes pop open. “Hey, I’m talking to you.” I rip my arm out of his grasp and turn to kick him in his dick but never get the chance.
“Step away, asshole.”
So much for being a good boy and staying scarce. “I was handling him,” I bite out.
“Ladies, I think the night is over.” I whip around at the sound of Theo’s voice. Crap. He looks about as pleased as Tate. But that could be because his fiancée is about to vomit on the floor. Oops.
“Bye, Minds. Love you. Had so much fun…” Her voice trails off as Theo hauls her away.
I turn to Tate. “I was dancing.”
“And now, you’re not. It’s time to go.”
“You don’t get to tell me when it’s time to go.”
“Yeah, asshole. I think the lady wants to stay and dance.”
I turn to punch the dickwad in the nose, but Tate beats me to it. His fist smashes into the dude’s face, laying him out, then turns to me. “Time. To. Go.”
He may have said those words or growled them. Either way, I allow him to drag me out of the bar. Once outside, I rip my arm from his hold. “How dare you.”
He whips around, and I stumble back. Reaching out, he snags my arm before I fall. “How dare me? You have any idea what kind of danger you could be in? Then goin’ out to a place like this dressed like that?”
My mouth drops open. He isnotinsulting my outfit. “This outfit is hot. Not my problem you don’t enjoy it. That guy inside did. So, if you’ll excuse me. I’m going to go back in and—”
A feral growl and an array of cuss words flutter out as he throws me over his shoulder. The growl from me, the cuss words mostly Tate.
“Put me down!” I slap his back, and he hoists me farther over his shoulder. “I’m serious. Put me down. Right now.” I stretch my arm out and take a whack at his tush. Too bad it hurts my hand more than it fazes him.
