“I said no.” She yanked her arm away, turned to leave, and bumped into Gabriel.
He wrapped his arms around her. “You okay?”
“What do you want?” she growled.
“To grovel,” he said.
“Hey, dude, we’re hangin’,” said the stranger.
Ignoring him, Halston said, “Go ahead, grovel.”
He clasped her hand, sending tingles flitting through her, and led her to a dark corner of the dance floor.
“Please dance with me, No Name.” He pressed his hands together in prayer pose. “I will do anything to repent. Anything.” Then he shot her a smile.
One simple smile that sent a bolt of lightning zinging through her. Yes, she was attracted to him, along with most every woman in that club.
The stranger loomed into view, leading with fisted hands.
“That creep is coming,” she said. “Fists over your right shoulder.”
Rather than cower, she shoved Gabriel out of the way as the stranger’s arm came swinging toward her.
She blocked his attack, stomped his foot—with Caroline’s four-inch boot heel—and punched him in the gut.
Then, she grabbed him by his arm and hauled him through the crowd over to Hawk. “He went to punch Gabriel. I stopped him.” She shoved the stranger to the floor, then waited, hands on hips for Hawk to hurry around the bar.
Seconds later, Gabriel was by her side, his expression one of surprise and awe.
“I’m pressing charges,” said the stranger.
“I wouldn’t if I were you,” Gabriel hissed. “I’d walk.”
Hawk snapped the clubbers pic, then got busy on his phone. When finished, he said, “You went to strike this man, but this woman stepped between you.”
“That’s not it at all,” protested the man.
Hawk yanked him to his feet. “Tell me what happened.”
“She and me, we was dancing. She said no, I wanted more, so I went after her. That dude got between us. I went to move him.”
“So, she told you no, but you didn’t stop?” Hawk asked.
“Just one slow dance. She’s got a hot body. I was hoping she’d go upstairs with me. Play out a pirate scene.”
Hawk eyed Gabriel and Halston. “Do you want to press charges?”
Neither did.
Halston had come to the bar to have fun. This was not her idea of a good time. “I’m out.”
As she made her way to the front door, Gabriel caught up with her. “I didn’t get a chance to finish groveling… and to thank you. Please, dance with me.”
As she stared into his eyes, the anger stood down, but a different emotion took hold.
Lust.
The song had changed to an upbeat tempo, and she started tapping her foot in time with the beat. “I’ll dance with you.”
