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A deep, male voice broke into their intimate moment. When Catherine looked to see who it was, she cringed. It was the stranger that had been staring at her earlier.
“Miss, would you care to dance?” The polite question would normally get a polite rejection, but Catherine was still creeped out by the way he’d watched her. When she started to speak, Dean spoke over her.
“No, she wouldn’t,” he said in a tone that brooked no argument.
The man’s eyebrows rose, but his gaze didn’t waver from hers. “The lady can speak for herself, can’t she?”
Catherine squirmed under his scrutiny, but his rudeness didn’t sit well with her Southern manners. “My dance card is full, thanks.”
Dean’s arm tightened around her. It was a possessive move, as if he were staking a claim. Catherine should’ve been perturbed, but she was too busy being grateful for his presence to think about her need for equality and independence.
When the guy still didn’t get the message, Dean said, “The lady’s with me. Get lost.”
Okay, that was going too far. Her anger came rushing to the surface, and she oh-so-casually stomped on Dean’s foot. He simply frowned down at her, completely unfazed. Mental note, the man was made of stone. Still, Dean was a better alternative than the man standing in front of them. So, she stayed silent. For now. She’d have a little talk with him later about his poor choice of words.
Finally, the stranger turned his attention to Dean. “I don’t see a ring on her finger.”
Dean dropped his arm from around her middle and stepped closer to the man who seemed to be itching for a fight. “You really don’t want to push me,” he warned.
Catherine could practically feel the tension mounting. She was about to intervene in the hopes of heading off a fight when Wade and Gracie suddenly showed up by their sides. She felt instantly better at having Gracie there. The stranger, who was clearly a few bricks shy of a full load, appeared not to even notice Wade’s big, menacing form. When he turned to her and smiled, Catherine felt sick to her stomach.
He inclined his head. “Maybe some other time then.”
As he walked off she heard Dean call him a not-so-complimentary name. She poked him in the ribs and he glared at her. “Don’t give me that look,” she said, pointing a finger at him. “What’s with the ‘the lady’s with me’ craip?”
“The ass wasn’t going to stop until he knew you were off limits. I sort of got the feeling you wanted him gone.” He quirked a brow. “Was I wrong?”
Catherine felt a headache coming on. “No, you weren’t wrong,” she gritted out. “That’s why I chose not to dance with him.”
“I—”
“Dean.”
Wade’s tone had them both going silent. Dean looked over at his brother and said, “I’m a little busy, bro.”
Catherine didn’t know Wade well, but even she could see he wasn’t a happy camper. Whatever he had to say, it wasn’t going to be good.
“I can see that.” Wade looked at Catherine for a second before going back to glaring at Dean. “But we need to talk.”
“It can wait,” Dean said, stepping closer to Wade, which effectively cut off Catherine’s view of Wade’s face.
“No, it can’t,” Catherine heard Wade reply, his tone rising.
She could well imagine Dean’s anger in that moment. When she felt a soft hand on her shoulder, Catherine looked to her left to find her sister standing there, concern causing her brows to scrunch together.
“Maybe we should let the guys talk a minute,” Gracie said into her ear.
Catherine nodded. There was simply too much testosterone for her peace of mind. She was about to let Gracie tug her to the other side of the room, back to their table, but Dean stopped her with a hand on the back of her neck. She glanced back at him in question.
“Don’t go too far,” he gently ordered, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth. It was the sexiest thing Catherine had ever seen. After she nodded, he released her. When he began walking toward the restrooms with Wade, Catherine found she couldn’t look away from his drool-worthy body. There was something completely wild and untamed ab
out Dean. It turned her on something fierce. She sighed as she realized her night wasn’t quite going to turn out the way she’d hoped.
Catherine turned her attention to Gracie. “Okay, what’s going on?”
“Come on,” Gracie persuaded as she dragged her to the stools they’d vacated earlier. Once they were seated, she said, “Wade thinks Dean might not have good intentions where you’re concerned.”
Catherine rolled her eyes. “Dean asked me to go home with him, if that’s what you mean.” Gracie’s eyes widened. “But I’m a big girl, Gracie,” she rushed to say. “I don’t need Wade’s permission.”
