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Christ, I've never been in a situation like this before. I better stick with gratitude and keep the not-so-witty comments to myself.
"Ivy, you can trust me and know you can walk out at any time," he responds drily.
Easton already won my trust. He doesn't need to justify himself, but I realize that under the circumstance, he cannot crack jokes without coming across as insensitive, which elevates him, in my estimation.
“Do you want to go to the police and press charges?” he asks.
“I don’t think so,” I answer, shaking my head.
The thought makes me uncomfortable. I don’t want trouble, and would prefer to put the incident behind me.
Now that the adrenaline spike has eased, my bladder pipes up, reminding me I need to find the bathroom.I involuntarily squeeze my thighs together, and Easton notices.
"I never made it to the bathroom," I explain.
"Follow me," he says as he escorts me to the door and waits outside.
"Are you waiting for me?” I prop a hand on my hip.
“I’m not letting you out of my sight.”
He glances at my sassy pose and half smiles, but the tension in his jaw draws the corners of his eyes downward.
I take a deep breath and stride into the bathroom.I need a few moments to pull myself together and hardly recognize the woman in the reflection when I step up to the mirror. I look more like a vixen than a virgin with my flushed cheeks, glowing skin, and glimmering eyes.
My head is spinning, but my gut says go for it. He is a man I could fall for, but it will only be for one night and then I’ll never see Easton again. It’s not ideal, but I need to learn how to live a little.
I’m sure a casual encounter will work out fine and will need to trust that the universe has my back.
Easton
I swore off violence after retiring from the military and wanted to use my skills for something else without ever needing to hurt someone again.
When Ivy lashed out at me, I knew she was defending herself against someone else. Her breathing was ragged, her eyes full of fear.
Despite being proud of her for escaping trouble, I was torn up at seeing her in distress. My fighting instincts kicked in, and I had to use all my self-control to stay with her and not race after the attacker.
I get why she might not want to press charges against him, but I can't let it go. He needs to face the consequences of what he did. I have this strong urge to protect and defend her.
I don't know what to do with these feelings but as we are preparing to leave the bar, I snap when I see him lounging at the bar like nothing ever happened.The nerve. I want to break his fucking neck.
"Wait for me beside the pool table, and you'll be safe."
"Easton!" Her eyes are wide with fear. "What are you doing?"
"That asshole needs to learn how to treat women."
I'm so angry I can't think straight. I march to the bar with my hands clenched into tight fists.
"Hey, pal," I say, my voice low and dangerous.
He takes one look at my face, and his eyes widen. He knows I'm here for him, and he knows what's coming.
"Get up," I grunt.
He slides off his seat, and the second he's standing, my fist connects with his jaw.Something snaps under the impact, and he turns away from the force of the strike. That's when the anger I've been holding in for so long decides to come out. It's white-hot and out of control.
I hit him again. This time he falls to the floor. The next thing I know, I'm straddling him with my fist cocked back, ready to land a blow.
