The guy practically leaps out of his car, as she steps down. Even from here, I can sense the tension in her body.
My hand curls around my keys, the metal teeth biting into my skin.
Go inside, Ted. It’s none of your business.
The guy is emphatically waving his hands at her, and though I can’t hear them, I note how she crosses her arms across her chest. It’s a defensive pose, and she doesn’t step down from the porch—almost like she is trying to bar the entrance from this guy.
Ted, she is JJ’s problem. If that. Go inside.
He puts one foot on the bottom step as if to climb them and she takes a step back.
Before I know it, I’ve covered half the distance to her house, shoving my keys in my back pocket.
“Hey, what the hell is wrong with you?” I yell out when he takes another step up. I stay several yards away, not wanting to get much closer to Goldie’s intoxicating smell. It turns my brain fuzzy and heats my blood.
Both of their heads swivel toward me. Goldie’s eyes are rounded, making her look like a doe caught in a headlight. The ginger haired guy’s mouth twists in displeasure, unhappy with the interruption.
“You can’t drive like that in a neighborhood like this,” I say, putting my attention on the man. “Sometimes kids play out here.”
He rolls his eyes, but steps off the stairs. Something slight unclenches in me. As if I appreciate him getting off my territory.
But this isn’t my territory. I shouldn’t feel this way.
“I wouldn't hit any kids,” the tall ginger shoots back as if I’m the dumbest person in the world for uttering such a thing.
I glance at Goldie who looks between us like she isn’t sure which of us to be more wary of. Her arms are still crossed over her breasts. Her face and arms are generously smudged with dirt and grime. She's absurdly appealing, dirty like this. And then thoughts of showering off that voluptuous body assail my mind.
Pushing those thoughts away, I focus on the idiot again.
“I also don’t appreciate you trying to climb in my trunk to visit your friend here,” I say, waving at Goldie.
“Friend?” he scoffs. Then he turns to look at her, a glaze coming over his eyes. “We’re more than that.” His voice trails off as if he has receded into some kind of fantasy world and Goldie is at the center of it.
Is she screwing around on JJ? Not that I should care. He’s never been known to be committed or faithful. Still, a spike stabs me right in the chest.
“How did you find out where I live?” Goldie asks, her arms dropping to her sides as she takes a step forward. Her posture has gone from protective to defensive.
He laughs. “We live in the age of information, baby. It’s not hard to get anyone’s details these days. And I knew you’d feel special when I came here for you. Seeing you at the Poison Apple, isn’t enough.”
Every alarm bell blares in my body. I am not fucking moving from this spot until this guy gets gone.
She shakes her head and runs a hand over her face, smearing more dirt on her forehead. Fuck, why do I like the way she looks dirty so much?
“You shouldn’t have come here. I have a boyfriend.”
It’s like watching a log being split in his chest. The gleam in his eye dulls, shoulders curving forward as if he’s taken a physical blow.
I knew she was seeing JJ, but hearing her say that also feels like a donkey kicking me in the chest.
His eyes darken as he turns toward me. “Is this him?”
The laugh that escapes Goldie comes out as a surprised bark. “Uh, no, definitely not.”
“Likewise, sweetheart,” I shoot back. Turning to the crestfallen guy, I say, “I may not be her beau, but I know him. And you don’t want to be here when he gets back.”
A slight exaggeration on my part. Okay, a huge exaggeration. JJ is conflict averse and has no problem shoving his hands in his pockets and walking away from a potential scuffle with anyone. He’d rather buy the guy drinks and chat over a mutual conquest than get in a territory war over a female. Oddly enough, that has worked pretty well for him.
When the red-haired guy doesn’t move, I stalk forward, not bothering to keep my distance.
