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Tucker looks at me for a long moment and nods.
He flashes Maddock one more furious stare before he wraps his protective arm around me and leads me out of the bar.
“Yeah, that’s what I thought, pussy,” Maddock calls out to him as we go. “I’ll see you on the ice tomorrow for a rematch you little bitch.”
I can tell that Tucker wants to shut him up, but he ignores him and takes me outside to his truck.
Everyone is looking at us as he opens the door and helps me in.
This is so humiliating.
He hands me some tissues and I hold them to my bloody nose.
I want to die as he closes the door and hurries around the truck. My favorite dress got ruined. This whole night got ruined.
He climbs into the truck and takes the bloody tissues away, handing me fresh ones.
“Thank you,” I whisper as I wipe my chin with them. I think the bleeding has stopped. He’s turned in his seat, looking so concerned as he watches me look in the mirror on the visor.
“I think I have a wet nap somewhere,” he says as he opens the middle console and searches through it. He hands me two of them and I tear them open and wipe my face.
“I’m so sorry,” he says, the pain and anguish clear in his voice. “I never wanted you to get hurt.”
“You’re not the only one who’s tough,” I say with a grin as I close the mirror and turn to him. “It was just a bit of blood. I’m fine.”
Even though my nose is still hurting, I’m wanting him more than ever. He pushed down his violent urges for me. He stopped for me.
I’ve never met another man who would do that.
“I’ll take you home,” he says as he starts the engine.
I put my hand on his forearm and he looks at me.
“Take me to your place instead.”
Chapter Eight
Jane
Talk about embarrassing. Leave it to me to get a bloody nose in the coolest, trendiest place in the city. Well, my short stint at the cool kids’ table didn’t last long. I’m back to being the teacher’s pet, straight A nerd.
My face is clean now, but my go-to dress is ruined. I dripped blood all over the cute frills in the front.
I can’t imagine what I looked like on the dance floor. Watery eyes, blood dripping onto my lips. Oh crud. Every time Tucker is going to think of our first kiss, he’s going to see my bloody face and it’s going to ruin it. It’s too bad because it was an epic first kiss.
In a way, it fits. He was bloody when we first met, and I was bloody when we first kissed. Fate must be a masochist this week.
“I’m so sorry, Jane,” Tucker says as he squeezes the steering wheel with his big hands. We’re out of the city and pulling onto the quiet highway. He’s looked devastated the entire time.
“It’s not your fault,” I tell him.
“I never wanted you to get hurt,” he says, shaking his head. I can tell he’s cursing himself in his mind. “I hate myself that I hurt you.”
“I’m fine.”
“It’s something I would never do.”
“I know. I’m okay. Really.”
