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“Okay.” Casey leaned in and gave me another wet, sloppy kiss on the cheek. “I’ll let you leave, but only because I love you so fucking much.” She giggled happily and knocked back the last of her juice before catching sight of her husband. “Oh, there’s Jason! I’m going to go and touch his butt!”
I cackled as she jumped out of her seat and practically ran over to where her new husband stood waiting for her. With a squeal, Casey jumped into his arms and planted a kiss on him that was definitely not appropriate for large crowds. And as promised, she grabbed his ass with both hands and gave his cheeks a hearty squeeze.
“So, pretty lady,” the man who winked at me earlier reappeared suddenly. “What do you say we have that dance? I promise to be a good boy andtryto keep my hands to myself.”
Why I agreed, I have no idea. Maybe I thought by saying yes, he’d realize his pursuit was futile and he’d give up. Or maybe it was an unconscious attempt to make Travis jealous? I really didn’t have the answer. I’d failed psychology in college and could never be mistaken for Sigmund Freud. My dumb choice was how I found myself dancing with the bozo who kept talking about football, blatantly lied about keeping his hands to himself, and smelled like mothballs. If I hadn’t been ready to leave before I’d stupidly agreed to dance with him, I was more than ready now. The universe apparently decided to do me a solid and as if I’d wished it to come true, the song that had been playing ended and I bid Mr. Winker a good night and rushed off, eager to get back to my rented bed and avoid having that conversation with Travis.
twenty-five
Travis
“Stoptouchingher,youfucker!” I snarled through my teeth. I was at my limit. If I had to wait one more fucking second, I was going to explode.
I’d spent the last ten minutes watching that same shithead try to get handsy with the woman I loved. He’d approached her earlier tonight—most likely to ask her to dance. If it was to ask her to go home with him, the fucker was on borrowed time. To my relief, she’d refused at first, before reconsidering . Whether she’d just been worn down, tired, or thought this would get him to leave her alone, I had no idea. I was just surprised she’d agreed, especially after what happened at the club.
They danced through a few songs. Dee was visibly bored and kept flinching back as if the dude’s breath smelled like he’d eaten a turd sandwich. The guy, however, couldn’t read signals apparently. He kept flirting with her, pulling her flush with his body. Dee struggled to keep some semblance of distance between them, but the dude was relentless. The soon-to-be dead man ignored her protests as he proceeded to feel up her back, most likely checking for a bra. Yet that wasn’t the worst of it. What really pissed me off was how the other hand that kept drifting south to grope her ass. Each time, Dee pushed his hand back up, only for the douche to try it again.
They’d danced until the current song ended. I knocked back my whiskey as the loser leaned in and whispered something in her ear. I couldn’t see them clearly but somehow, I knew he’d just propositioned her. I waited for her to slap him or at worst, knee him in the groin, but Dee just pushed herself out of his arms, charged off the dance floor, and stormed off to who knows where. I was out of my seat in an instant.
Anger ignited my blood. Enough was enough. I was done waiting. I’d waited long enough and unlike the night of the party, a considerable amount of whiskey flowed through my veins, giving me more courage than sense. Pissed off, I charged across the dance floor, purposely shoulder-bumping the creep along the way.
“Hey, asshole! Watch it!” he shouted but I paid him no mind because fuck that guy. He was nothing when it came to my goal to find Dee and make her listen to me. The time had come to claim my woman.
I stormed out of the banquet room and searched the halls until I caught sight of Dee entering the room where she, Casey, and the other bridesmaids had all gotten ready. She ducked inside and shut the door before I could catch up to her. Undeterred, I wasn’t about to let a closed door—whether it was locked or not—get in my way. I’d kick the fucking thing down if I had to. I meant it when I said nothing was going to get in my way. Dee and I were either settling this once and for all or I was going to wipe my hands of her. I couldn’t do this hot and cold, back and forth shit anymore. I deserved answers, not to stand in the corner waiting so long I missed my chance. More determined than ever, I reached my destination. Grabbing the doorknob, I silently said, “Here goes nothing,” before taking the next step.
“Why are you avoiding me?” I growled as I slammed the door behind me and promptly locked it. Dee jumped with a squeak, visibly startled. She stood with hand clutching her chest. It was apparent she hadn’t been expecting me.
“Travis? What the hell are you doing here?”
“Making sure you don’t do something stupid.”
Dee’s lips pinched together as she recovered quickly. Her hands went to her hips (something I learned she and Runa had in common) and she shook her head with exasperation. “Whatever I do is none of your business, Travis.”
“Well, I’m making it my business. Do you think I was just going to let you keep avoiding me? Why won’t you talk to me, Dee? Why have you beenavoidingme? I thought we were friends. I thought—”
“We are friends,” she sighed, as she spoke over me. All the bravado drained out of her. Her shoulders slumped as if she were Sisyphus watching that giant-assed stone roll back down the hill.
“Thenwhyhave you been ignoring me? And don’t say you haven’t, because you and I both know that’s not true.”
Dee rooted me with her stare. Her inner war dulled the light in her eyes and all I wanted to do was wave the white flag and surrender. She remained silent as she chewed her lower lip. My dick twitched as I watched her work the soft, plump pillow between her teeth. It was all I could do to not grab her and suck that delicious lip of hers into my mouth.
“Can you not do that?” I asked, doing my best to hold back the painful erection pressing against my zipper. My resolve was quickly fading and I didn’t have much time left before it broke.
“Now you’re telling me what to do?” Her eyes flared wide as her feistiness caught its second wind. “You know, Travis, I don’t know what I’m feeling right now. I don’t know whether I want to slap you or—”
“Or what, Dee? What do you want?”
“Or—” she paused. “Or—you know what? It doesn't matter.”
“What doesn’t matter?”
Dee ignored me and instead asked, “Would you please leave? So I can grab my purse and go back to the bed and breakfast?”
I shook my head and leaned against the door, effectively blocking her escape. “No can do, Deandra.” I used her given name again just to see what kind of reaction it would provoke.
“I thought I told you to stop calling me that?” she seethed through her teeth and marched right up to me. We stood nose to nose. Our chests were mere centimeters from touching. Our breaths were so close that they could have been one as we came to the climax of this war.
“I thought we were friends. Friends don’t ignore each other.”
