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I pushed away from Phoenix, giving him a hard glare even if he was even more handsome than the night before.
“This not so nice man assaulted me,” I said in a pouty voice, glaring at the guy. “I was just ridin’ the bull like you told me I could do.” I could tell Bart was obviously drunk, slightly slurring his words. Then he lifted his fists, shifting from foot to foot as if he would be stupid enough to throw another punch.
“Sweetie,” Phoenix continued. “I didn’t say tonight. There’s a big contest going on tonight.” Then he lowered his head, whispering in my ear, his tone more dominating than I’d heard, sending shivers down my spine. “It’s obvious you need to be disciplined more often. You don’t know these boys.”
Disciplined. Oh, no. That wasn’t going to happen again.
“Need some help, bro?” one of the men who’d stopped the fight asked as he swaggered closer.
I’d been stupid enough to think that going out on my own would clear my mind of all the naughty thoughts I’d continued to have about Phoenix. Like that was going to happen any time soon.
“The man was messing with my girl. Maybe we need to show our boy Bart here a lesson, Marshall. What do you say?” Phoenix asked, grinning.
Phoenix pushed me behind him then glanced at the burly asshole who’d slapped me on the ass and cupped both breasts when I’d left the restroom before I’d gotten on the bull. While the dude was large, Phoenix was several inches taller and outweighed him with a solid thirty plus pounds of muscle. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you, Bart. You won’t like what happens if you do,” he told the guy.
“Who do you think you are?” Bart asked. Why did I have a feeling a huge fight was beginning to form? “She ain’t your girl, Phoenix. I know better. You think every chick is your girl.”
“Ouch,” Marshall said, laughing.
I couldn’t continue this charade. If I did, then he’d think he had control over me. That couldn’t happen.
“I can fight my own battles,” I told him, pushing my way back to the center. As the crowd started to shift into a wide circle, I heard the chanting begin and cringed.
“Fight. Fight. Fight.”
What were we, back in high school?
“Bart. You’re either going to leave of your own accord right now or I’ll have no choice but to arrest you for disorderly conduct. Which would you prefer?” the other guy said, obviously another one of Phoenix’s friends.
“Ooh la la, the sheriff,” one of the other girls chimed in.
“Fuckin’ bitch,” Bart said as he glared at me.
My natural tendencies kicked in and I lunged for him, getting off a hard right hook before Phoenix pulled me back.
“That’s it, Bart,” the sheriff hissed. “Get out of this bar right now.”
“Come on, sweetheart. The party’s over,” Phoenix said as he pulled me away. Then he whispered in my ear once again and the same electricity from two nights before skittered through me like wildfire. “You should know better than to pick a fight with someone bigger than you.”
“I just said that I can take care of myself.” That’s the lie I’d told myself for years. I’d taken martial arts years before, knew how to shoot a weapon. And put a bow in my hands and I could shoot an apple off the tin can three hundred yards away, but I couldn’t tell a man from a monster to save my life.
“Hmm… I don’t think you can.”
When he grabbed me around the waist, pulling me closer, I pressed both palms against him, but my body’s reaction was the same as it had been the first time I’d laid eyes on him. I was wet and hot all over.
Treacherous bitch.
He fisted my hair, the look on his face primal. Then he captured my mouth, dragging me so tightly against him my breath was stolen. I wanted to push him away, but the taste of him was incredible, more so than it had been before. He slipped his tongue past my lips, taking his time to sweep it back and forth.
“Whew,” one of his friends said from behind us.
I couldn’t help but think Phoenix was showing off for his buddies and that pissed me off once again even as he ground his hips against me. When he broke the kiss, sliding his hand down to cup my buttocks as if he owned me, the natural fighter in me made another appearance. But this time he was too quick, grabbing my arm before I could slap him across the face for being so forward.
“Hmm… Tsk. Tsk,” he growled.
There was a different gleam in Phoenix’s eyes and when he threw me over his shoulder, I immediately pummeled my fists against his back. “What are you doing?”
“Teaching you some damn manners.”
