AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Seth leaned close as Chucky scooted by, adding, “No. You will not talk to her later, or meet her for any reason. You will stay away from her from this moment forward, or I’ll call the sheriff.”
Chucky scoffed. “How is this any of your business, sir?” he mocked. “I spoke to Jessica’s supposed husband on the phone the other day. He sounded completely different than you.”
“Maybe I’m her other husband.”
* * * *
Seth wanted nothing more than to punch Chucky in his smug smiling face and knock his stupid teeth down his throat. Hitting him repeatedly until the bastard agreed to leave the state of Montana and promise never to return was yet another dream he contemplated.
“Other husband?” Chucky asked with a nasty laugh. “You really are a whore, aren’t you, Jessica?”
Seth took a long step closer, pulling her with him since she was practically sealed tight to his side anyway. Gray put a hand up, blocking Seth from moving into Chucky’s reach, at the same time he wrapped his other hand around Chucky’s shoulder and shoved him sideways several steps and out of the short hallway.
“Let’s go find that hotel guest area, sir,” Gray said, giving Chucky another stiff push in the opposite direction of Jessica’s office.
Chucky looked like he was about to protest verbally, but Gray kept pushing him further and further away, until they were out of sight.
“I’m sorry, Jessica. Are you okay?” Seth’s embrace tightened around her.
“I’m grateful you showed up when you did. I didn’t want to ruin my manicure punching him into submission then scratching his eyes out, but I’ll admit that was what was on my mind.”
“He deserved it.”
“True. But it’s probably not a good practice for the day manager to assault the guests.”
“As owner, I’d take any accusations on a case-by-case basis. And never fear because you’d always win against him.”
“That sneaky bastard. If he’d registered under his real name I wouldn’t have been so taken off guard.”
“If he’d registered under his real name, I wouldn’t have let him stay in any case. Especially not if he’s truly here checking out the competition, as he so slyly stated.”
“He’s a jackass. He isn’t smart enough to check out the lowest of tasks regarding a hotel.” Jessica pushed out a long breath. “Merely thinking about Chucky makes my blood boil.” She detached herself from Seth and moved toward her office.
Her shiny new nameplate, eye level and next to the door, was likely the reason Chucky knew exactly where to wait for her ambush style.
Seth was a little out of his depth. Did she want him to be her knight in shining armor or did she want the space to retrieve her own chain mail to kick her ex-fiancé’s ass on her own?
She’d seemed glad to see him when he showed up, immediately riveting herself to his side like they were machined to fit together. But then again, she’d been holding her own as he and Gray approached. It wasn’t like she’d been a shrinking flower before he arrived.
Jessica took a deep breath and let it out. “He’s lucky you showed up in time to save him. I was about to go primeval on his ass.”
Seth laughed. “Damn. If I’d known that, I would have brought a lawn chair, a box of popcorn, and let you go for it.”
Jessica gave him a half smile over her shoulder and opened her door, flipping the light on as she crossed the threshold.
She put her things away as Seth hovered in her doorway. “I feel like I should either stay out here to stand as sentry at the door, or hire a bodyguard to watch over you twenty-four seven until dumbass leaves the state.”
“That’s sweet of you, but unnecessary.”
“He doesn’t seem like he’s smart enough to stay away from you and your fists of fury, so do you have a plan?”
A sly smile appeared. “Oh. I’m working on one.” She seated herself primly behind her desk, hands folded on her desk blotter, looking like she’d already formulated a diabolical plan. “Actually, I’ve been secretly working on an idea since he called me a few weeks back.” Her unfocused gaze went toward on the wall to her left.
