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“Right. You’re a good dancer, Kyle. I, however, have two left feet when it comes to these fast tunes. I’m a danger to myself and everyone near me. I’m just here with my girlfriends. You know...a girls’ night.”
“You sure you want to go with that story? Because it looks like yourgirlsdeserted you. Can’t have a woman as pretty as you sitting here all by herself.” He reached for her hand, and she drew back as his fingers brushed her skin.
His glare from close-set, gray-green eyes sent an instant shudder down her spine. His smile reverted to a baring of his teeth as he stood and seized her upper arm in a brutish grip. Her chair toppled as he yanked her off the seat. “Come on, sweet thing. We’ll ask the band to play something you’d like to dance to.”
Jordan couldn’t stop the cry of pain and surprise as he dragged her into the crowd of dancers. A heartbeat later, she set her feet and refused to move. “Let. Go. Of. Me!” She raised her voice, and each word seemed to crack like thunder above the band’s performance of Chris Young’sAw Naw.
In her peripheral vision, she noticed other people stepping out of Kyle’s path and pausing to watch. When she stopped, he kept moving, and she wrenched her arm from his hold. The same instant he turned with murder in his eyes, self-preservation kicked in, and she drew back her hand. The nearly-full margarita, which she’d forgotten she still clutched, prevented her from forming a fist, but the roundhouse swing was too far gone to stop. At the final second, she pulled her punch, the glass missed his jaw, but the sticky, green liquid splashed on his face and dripped down the front of his shirt.
The bar erupted in applause and laughter. Kyle’s stunned expression turned to fury as he advanced on her, ripped the glass from her hand, and raised it as though he would strike her. She stumbled back, catching Liz and Katie over his shoulder, heading toward her, but help wouldn’t reach her in time. He hurled the glass. The crowd gasped collectively. Jordan lifted her arm to protect her head even as she braced for impact. Her alarm reflected on the faces of her friends as they gaped, unable to do anything else.
A brown-skinned arm reached around her and swatted the glass from the air. It shattered on the dance floor. The handsome black man who’d made eye contact with Jordan and smiled earlier sidestepped her, latched onto Kyle’s arm, and twisted it behind him until her attacker had no alternative but to drop to his knees.
Her rescuer leaned toward him and whispered something, to which Kyle shook his head and swore. He changed his tune abruptly when the stranger applied pressure on his arm.
“Okay, okay, just let me go.”
“Apologize.” The deep, authoritative command spread like cool water over Jordan’s frayed nerves.
Kyle squinted at her the best he could from his position. “I’m sorry, okay? I’m sorry.”
Her knight met her gaze, and his voice softened. “He could have hurt you with that glass. I’m sure the police chief would lock him up if you want to press charges.”
Jordan couldn’t look away from the dark eyes staring into hers, but no good would come from filing a complaint. Not in this town. “No harm done.” She shook her head and tried to smile.
The man jerked Kyle to his feet and shoved him toward the door to another round of applause.
“Honey, are you okay?” Liz hooked her arm around Jordan’s and led her back to the table.
“Yeah, I think so.” It had all happened so fast Jordan hadn’t had time to grasp the entire sequence of events. Reality would probably hit her later. Right now, she was sorry the man who’d no doubt star in her dreams tonight had left before she could thank him.
Katie sat beside her and gave her a tight hug. “I was so scared for you. My God. What a jerk!”
“Do you want to go home? Of course, you do. Who would want to stay after being assaulted like that? Honey, you should have called the police. That guy should be in jail.” Liz could talk faster than anyone Jordan knew when she was excited, making her smile.
“I will go, but first, I’m going to have a drink with my best friends.” She squeezed their hands. Before Jordan could wave to Roxy, a fresh margarita settled on a coaster in front of her, and she looked up to see her dark-skinned dream man standing over her.
He’d come back and was even more attractive up close and personal. The concern in his dark brown eyes bathed her in a sensation of déjà vu. Realizing she was staring, Jordan shifted her gaze to Liz, who dropped into the chair beside her.
“On behalf of men everywhere, I apologize for that piece of shit.” His calm, smooth voice sent tingles along Jordan’s neck. “Can I get you ladies anything?” He shifted his gaze to Katie and then Liz.
Liz shot Jordan a curious glance, then smiled at the man. “Well, if it isn’t the handsome stranger who rescued our friend. Only if you’ll sit and have a drink with us.”
He turned toward the bar, got Roxy’s attention, and pointed to their table, allowing Liz an opportunity to raise her eyebrows and fan herself as though he were the hottest man she’d ever seen. Then he took the seat across from Jordan and set down his Corona.
Liz stuck out her hand. “I’m Liz Graften; this is Katie Berman, and the subject of our gratitude over there is Jordan Hayes. Thank you for what you did.”
Jordan didn’t see her friend’s serious side often, and it started her wondering just how close to death she’d been.
“Travis Monroe. No big deal, and the best way I could think of to get Jordan’s attention.” His confident, relaxed tone enthralled her, and though it seemed he was speaking to all of them, his gaze never wandered far from hers.
“Wait. What were we thinking? We should be buying you drinks for the rest of the night.” Katie looked ready to tear up. “Jordan, I’m so sorry we left you alone. Can you ever forgive us?”
Shehadbeen feeling deserted, but that didn’t change the facts. “You’re not responsible for the actions of one uncouth jackass with a superiority complex. We’ve gone out plenty of times without being accosted by drunks. And anyway, I’m fine now.”
Roxy appeared and set down a lemon drop martini for Katie and Crown on the rocks for Liz. Amusement quirked Travis’s lips for a second as he handed the waitress a couple of bills and said, “Keep the change.”
Liz raised her glass. “We owe you one, Travis.”
