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“Ty! You’re back.” Brenna’s shout had the laughter and yelling disappearing as all eyes turned his way.
After he scooped his jaw off the floor, he said, “Don’t let me interrupt,” as he walked toward the bar. The shock of this strange party hadn't killed his need for something to relax him. Instead, seeing Pulse groping Kelsie made him need something more. He remembered the joint he’d been saving for his final night on Marco Island. Maybe he’d head out back and put it to good use.
The festivities didn’t start back up. It seemed his presence killed the vibe. He couldn’t say he minded as he spied Kelsie tap Pulse’s shoulder, asking to be put down. When her feet hit the floor, and she stepped away from Pulse while staring at Ty, he let out a breath he hadn’t realized had stalled in his lungs.
“The prodigal son returns,” Jinx said as he strolled up behind Ty. “Get you a drink?” He circled the bar.
“Thanks. You know what I like.” Aside from Curly, Jinx was probably his closest friend. They spent the most time together since Jinx worked for him. He loved the big guy’s ridiculous personality, but tonight, he was wary of what might come out of the jokester’s mouth.
“So, was it me telling you the dude was hot?” Jinx asked as he fetched a bottle of tequila from the shelf.
“Huh?” Ty said as his ass landed on a barstool.
“The reason you left to come back as soon as you got my text. Was it the dude being hot or him upsetting Kelsie?”
Both.
“It was you saying you liked pussy. Thought you might go sniffing around someone new and leave Harper in the dust.” He pressed his lips together to keep from smirking.
“Not funny,” Jinx said, pointing the neck of the tequila bottle his way. “That’s the kind of shit that gets a man sleeping on the couch. I happen to like it in my bed. So does Harp.” He waggled his eyebrows.
“How do you know I wasn’t already on my way when I got your texts?”
“If you could have seen your face when you walked in, you’d know the answer to that.” Jinx slid the generous glass of tequila Ty’s way.
“What the fuck’s that supposed to mean?” He snatched the glass and brought it to his lips for a taste.
Ahh, the good shit. Jinx never disappointed.
“Your eyes went straight to Pulse’s hand on your gal’s thigh. She looked cute in that little black outfit.” He winked. “Bet Pulse thought so, too. He almost fell over when she asked to play the game with him. We all assumed she’d watch, but nope, the girl has grit. It took her a few minutes to get comfy, but Pulse was real patient and gentle.”
Ty couldn’t keep his nostrils from flaring as the image reappeared in his head.
“There it is,” Jinx said as he snickered and pointed at Ty’s face. “Same damn look.”
“Fuck off. There’s no look.”
The big man continued to laugh at him. “You’re fighting a losing battle, my man. I recommend you just give the fuck in and go after her. She’s not exactly subtle over there, staring at you like you’re the last ice cream sundae on earth, and she’s starving.”
Christ, how he wanted to glance over his shoulder to see Kelsie’s expression, but he resisted. “Give me another,” he said, sliding the glass back to Jinx. He was playing a stupid game he’d already lost. Jinx knew he wanted Kelsie. He could deny it until he sprouted wings, but no one believed him.
Observant assholes.
He accepted the refreshed drink and took a long sip. There was nothing like the burn of a good tequila. After he set the glass down, he looked at Jinx, who seemed to be patiently waiting for him to say something worthwhile. “You know what she went through, or at least the gist of it,” he said in a low voice as he averted his gaze to the tequila in his glass. “How do I know if I go too far? She has to have pretty significant boundaries. Don’t you think? How would I even navigate that? What if I fuck up and do something that triggers her? You know how seriously bad things got for her before she ended up here. And for fuck’s sake, she’s so goddamned young.” He tossed back the rest of the tequila and shoved the glass away.
She wasn’t so young, for fuck’s sake. She was too young.
“You’re asking the wrong person, brother,” Jinx said. He rested his massive forearms on the bartop and speared Ty with a rare serious stare.
“Who should I ask? I’ll take help from anyone at this point.”
“You being dense on purpose?” Jinx smacked Ty’s forehead. “Ask her, dickwad. She’s the only one who can tell you what her boundaries are, if you’re going too far, or what the fuck she wants. How the hell am I supposed to know?”
Talk to her. He grunted. Jinx made it sound so simple.
But talking was a slippery slope. It led to vulnerability on his part, and after his divorce, he’d never taken that route with another woman. The fact that Trina could still cut him to the core, even years later, made him that much less willing to lay himself bare.
Emotionally speaking.
