Total pages in book: 32
Estimated words: 29210 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 146(@200wpm)___ 117(@250wpm)___ 97(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 29210 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 146(@200wpm)___ 117(@250wpm)___ 97(@300wpm)
She was leaned back as far as she could, clearly not liking his close proximity. So when I was right next to him, I didn’t even stop myself from reaching out and curling my fingers around his arm, forcing him back, and feeling pride when he stumbled backward. His eyes went wide, as he was clearly surprised by my sudden actions.
I let another low growl leave me and saw the way his throat worked, his flight-or-fight instantly going to flight mode. I was bigger than him, stronger. But he was smart, even while drunk, because he mumbled his apologies, that he didn’t know she was taken.
She’s mine.
Those two words played through my head over and over again.
I watched him the whole time he moved farther from us, made sure he was far enough away for my liking before I finally turned my attention to Leila. She looked at me with wide eyes, although I knew it wasn’t a surprise how I acted. I’d been going all caveman since the first time we met.
I chalked it up to being an overly protective best friend, someone who was just “looking out for her.” And of course that was the truth as well, but it was also because I was selfish of her, wanted her for only myself.
Because I’d wanted her as mine for longer than I’d ever admit.
I sat down, and I knew I had a scowl on my face. It wasn’t directed at her. I was jealous and annoyed by that drunken asshole.
Normally, the testosterone was flowing heavily though me, especially when I thought about Leila. But I’d had a couple beers already, and that meant it was really fucking potent in my veins, my possessive, territorial need for her off the fucking charts.
I was insanely jealous when it came to Leila.
“Please don’t tell me you’re grumpy all of a sudden because some drunk came over and thought he actually had a chance.” She was definitely tipsy. I could tell by the rosiness in her cheeks.
I shrugged. I had nothing to say, because I was grumpy, but not because of the drunk. But I sure as hell wasn’t going to tell her why my attitude had soured so fast.
I looked over at the little asshole who’d been talking to her. He moved on to his next potential piece of ass, and the growl left me again. I felt Leila looking at me, but instead of saying anything—because honestly, I should’ve been embarrassed by the way I was acting—I reached out for the shot sitting in the center of the table and downed it. I gestured for the waitress to bring another round. If Leila was going to get drunk, then so was I.
We could be sloppy and irresponsible together tonight.
I glanced at her and saw she still watched me, this curiosity on her face.
“Are you gonna tell me why you wanted to come out tonight and why you’re tossing back the liquor?” She glanced away, and I knew it had to be something that would probably piss me off if she was clamming up the way she was. “Leila, I want to know what’s going on. The fact that you don’t want to tell me lets me know it’s probably going to piss me off.”
She didn’t say anything for a moment, and the waitress had time to come back and set two more shots down in front of us. I picked mine up and tossed it back, and Leila did the same a second later. Then she exhaled, leaned back in the seat, and I could tell she wasn’t just concerned to tell me, she was also embarrassed.
“I got fired today, Devon.” She let those words hang in the air between us, but I knew that wasn’t just it, so I waited until she told me the whole thing. “I didn’t get fired because I couldn’t do my job.” There was a long pause. “I got fired, because I wouldn’t fuck the boss.”
It took a second for those words to really to sink in, to penetrate my slower alcohol-soaked brain, but when they did, these filthy fucking degrading images crossed through my mind. I saw fucking red.
I gnashed my teeth together, curled my hands into tight fists on top of the table, and leaned in close. “Did he fucking touch you?” Those words were nothing but a distorted growl from me, but Leila didn’t seem fazed at all.
She leaned forward as well, her knuckles brushing against mine, her skin warm and smooth, her hands half the size of mine. She was tiny, and the fact that someone tried to take advantage of her, fired her because she wouldn’t put out, had me wanting to go kick his ass.
“No, but I have no doubt that was what it would have led to.”
I breathed out slowly, feeling so pissed I could’ve spit nails, but I didn’t want to make a scene. I didn’t want Leila to feel any worse than she did.