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The genuine shock on his face astonished her. “That...that it’s not going to work out,” she’d clarified, still trying to be as pleasant as she possibly could.
“But...how did you come to that conclusion so fast?” he’d asked, raising his voice. “You’re judging me based on...what? The fact that I’m no good at pool? I’m not one of the losers who live around here and spend all my time at the pool hall, okay? I have degrees, a practice. Do you know how many other women have messaged me on the dating app? I could’ve spent the weekend with any one of them. I chose you because I thought you’d be a hell of a lot more fun, soI’mthe one who’s disappointed.”
“You entitled son of a bitch!” she’d snapped. “If you want the truth, I think I’m just as special as you are.AndI’m good at pool.”
He hadn’t been happy that she’d fought back instead of apologizing and changing her mind. His attitude suggested he was used to getting his way. “Being with a guy like me could change your life.”
There’d been people streaming out of the bar. Ellen had held her temper as best she could, but she’d told him that she was done and didn’t want to hear from him ever again. Then she’d turned to get in her truck.
He’d reached out to stop her but let go when Kurt came out and yelled good-night. The fact that she could simply call out to her friend if she wanted to had prompted Jordan to back off enough that she could get inside her truck, start the engine and leave.
She’d thought that would be the end of her adventure with Dr. Jordan Forbes and was eager to get home where she could begin to forget her latest dating debacle when she’d noticed the car behind her was making all the same turns.
She dug through her purse to find her phone, scrolled to Talulah’s number and kept her finger hovering over the Call button as she drove the last two miles to her house, parked in her driveway and got out.
Sure enough, it was Jordan behind her. He pulled in almost to the bumper of her truck before shutting off the engine of his Audi and opening the door.
“What are you doing here?” she demanded.
He stepped out of the car. “I just want to talk to you, okay? Things got out of hand in the parking lot at Hank’s, and I’m sorry for that. I don’t want you to have a bad impression of me. I don’t want our weekend to end like this, either. We can work things out. Let’s just go inside.”
This guy was nothing like he’d seemed. Ellen couldn’t believe the change even a small amount of resistance had brought about. He’d expected her to be a pushover, someone who was glad to have him in her life and probably in her bed. And he couldn’t tolerate rejection. She’d already told him she didn’t want him to come over; there was no way she was going to let him in her house. “I told you at Hank’s that I don’t want to talk, Jordan. You need to go back to the motel, get some sleep and return to Libby.”
An angry scowl cut deep crevices in his forehead. “You can’t make me leave Coyote Canyon. You don’t own this town.”
“It was a mistake for me to have you come. It was too soon. We didn’t know each other well enough.”
“This is how you get to know someone!”
“I’ve seen all I want to see, okay? God, I’m sorry I agreed to meet you. Look at how you’re behaving. Just make things simple and...and leave me alone.”
His hand whipped out, knocking her phone to the ground so fast it shocked her. “What the hell!” She bent to pick it up, but he caught her by the wrist and dragged her up against him.
In that split second she knew she should’ve called Talulah and Brant while she had the chance. This guy was an arrogant asshole. He might even be dangerous. “You bastard!” She tried to knee him in the nuts so she could free herself, but he anticipated her move and shifted just in time.
“Call me what you will, but I won’t let a stupid blue-collar bitch like you play games with me.”
“I’m not playing—” she started to say when his wet mouth landed on hers.
Other than Brant, Ellen hadn’t dated men with impeccable reputations. She’d be the first to admit that. But she’d never beenassaulted. She’d worked around the opposite sex her entire adult life, believed she’d be able to fight her way out of any attempt at dominance. But she couldn’t escape. Jordan had too tight a hold on her, and the more she struggled, the angrier he became.
“Stop it!” he yelled, sliding his hands up her arms to her shoulders and giving her a good shake. “You’re the one who asked for this. You invited me to come, and here I am. We could be having a great time—we could even be making love right now—if you weren’t acting this way. Instead, you’re trying to end things for no reason whatsoever.”
She could feel the rage welling up inside him, was prepared for a fight—one she was pretty sure she’d lose. She knew she had to act quickly. Screaming as loudly as she could, she raked her nails down his face at the same time.
She fully expected him to hit her but that didn’t happen. A man came charging out of nowhere, roaring something unintelligible—like a battle cry—and the next thing she knew, she was pulled away from Jordan and she stumbled.
The jolt when she hit the ground knocked the wind out of her. Only after she could haul in a big, stabilizing breath was she able to rise up on her elbows. Then she saw who had interceded. It was Hendrix! She had no idea where he’d come from or why he would be anywhere near her house tonight, but he’d stopped Jordan and was now making him pay.
Determined to reach her phone, which had skidded to the edge of the grass, she staggered to her feet.
Fortunately, despite a cracked screen, it still worked. She dialed 9-1-1 amidst the grunts and groans of Hendrix and Jordan going at each other. But the fight was over before the call could even go through. She watched Hendrix shove Jordan, who was bleeding from his nose and mouth, back behind the wheel of his Audi and heard him tell the dentist to get the hell out of Coyote Canyon and never come back.
“K-keep him here. I’m c-calling the police,” Ellen told Hendrix, stuttering and shaking from the adrenaline surging through her.
Hendrix’s chest rose and fell quickly as he labored to catch his breath. “Don’t bother.”
A voice came on the phone. “9-1-1. What’s your emergency?”
