Page 40 of Stranger to Love

She rolled her eyes elegantly. “Profanity is the refuge of the unintelligent, Alex.”

I smirked, leaning in and brazenly nudging her elbow with my own. “A woman can be many things, Dr. Carter. I, of course, happen to be both highly intelligent and simply... colourful when it comes to my vocabulary.”

She let out a quiet scoff, but to my absolute shock, she didn't pull away from the physical contact. A win. That was a definitive, monumental win.

In an instant, the woman in the white blouse vanished from my mind entirely. I shifted more fully toward Dr. Carter, planting my elbow on the wooden bar and resting my chin in my hand. “I’m surprised to see you here.”

“And why is that?” She eyed me out of the corner of her vision.

I smirked. “You don’t exactly strike me as the social type.”

“I am not,” she replied dryly.

I laughed. “So, why are you here?”

“Well, I was minding my own business,” she said, her voice dropping into a dangerous, low register as she narrowed her eyes at me. “And then an incredibly annoying student decided to sit next to me.”

I smirked, my voice dropping an octave. “Liar.”

Dr. Carter tilted her head, her gaze sharp. “Excuse me?”

“You bought me a drink. You weren't minding your own business at all.” I leaned a fraction closer, my chest tightening. “In fact, you were actively inserting yourself into mine.”

I had absolutely no idea where this sudden audacity was coming from, but I was riding the wave. I was going to assume this wasn’t her first whiskey of the night because, in a way that made my entire chest flutter, she didn’t pull back. Fuck. Did I actually stand a chance, or was she just playing some twisted, hyper-intelligent game for her own amusement? Honestly, I was more than happy to play by whatever fucked-up rules she wanted if it kept her this close to me.

Before she could reply, her eyes flashed past my shoulder. Her posture instantly turned rigid, her shoulders squaring defensively. I turned around, a wave of pure, unfiltered rage washing over me as I saw Ali approaching the bar. This fucking guy could not take a hint. He walked up, that slimy grin plastered across his face as if he’d been personally invited.

“You were taking a while,” Ali said, stepping into my space. “I’ve been missing your company.”

Urgh. He must have had a profoundly warped perception of reality if he thought my hostile silence in that booth counted as good company. I reluctantly turned to face him, glancing back toward the lounge; Mia and Adrian were entirely wrapped up in each other, completely oblivious. I was officially going to murder her tomorrow.

“Maybe you should head onto the dance floor, Ali,” I offered, trying desperately to remain civil instead of screaming at him to fuck off. “There are plenty of women out there tonight. You might actually catch someone’s eye.”

He chuckled arrogantly, looking at me as if I’d just handed him a perfect chat-up line. “I only have my eye on one woman tonight.”

I chewed the inside of my cheek, desperately trying to keep my temper in check for Mia’s sake. If this guy was Adrian’s best mate, I couldn't be the reason her relationship blew up. But absolutely, fuck no. I shook my head flatly. “Look, mate. I think you've got the wrong idea.”

He smirked, stepping closer, entirely convinced I was playing hard to get. “Oh, come on. You knew you were meeting me tonight, and you dressed like that.”

The words made my blood boil. The confidence I’d felt in the mirror this evening—the desire to just feel good about myself—shattered. Nothing to do with you, you narcissistic prick.

Before I could open my mouth to absolutely destroy him, I jolted.

A heavy, incredibly strong hand settled protectively around my waist, her fingers gripping my side with an intense, unyielding firmness. My heart slammed against my ribs. Dr. Carter. Her toned arm had wrapped completely around my waist, pulling my back flush against her front. I thought I might actually faint.

Ali cocked his head, his smirk faltering slightly as he offered her a hand. “Ali. You must be a friend of Alex’s.”

Seriously dude, who the fuck do you think you are?

I felt Dr. Carter’s entire body stiffen behind me, her muscles coiled as if she were actively restraining herself from violence. I turned my head just enough to look at her. Ali wasn't the massive bloke who had pinned me in the alleyway, but the look Dr. Carter was giving him made it clear he might as well be.

Then, her expression shifted. A dark, amused, and utterly lethal smirk spread across her beautiful face. Her dark eyes peeled away from him to look down at me, and fuck, those brown depths looked capable of orchestrating world destruction. Her grip on my waist tightened further, her fingers digging into my skin.

She leaned down, her breath brushing warm against my ear. I forgot how to inhale. She whispered, loud enough to cut through the bass but quiet enough to remain strictly between us: “Do you want to go with him?”

Not a chance in hell.

She pulled back slightly to look at me, and I simply shook my head, my voice entirely lost to the suffocating heat of her hand on my body. Dr. Carter lifted an eyebrow, her gaze snapping back to Ali.