Page 14 of Old-Fashioned

Five minutes later I was sure I had ground my molars to nothing but dust when she walked away from their table and made her way to the bar.

After I got her drinks for her, I leaned in and whispered, “They give you shit. Any fucking shit, you let me, or Frank know. You got me?”

Something in her eyes flickered.

It wasn’t that light, no, it was something else.

And I knew it was something else when she smiled softly, a hint of a blush crept into her cheeks, and she winked, “You got it, Boss Man.”

And with that, she took her tray and delivered her drinks.

“I got eyes on her,” Frank told me as he stepped behind the bar and took up sentry.

Three minutes later I growled, “If they stare at her ass or tits one more goddamned time as she’s coming or going, I’m going to be behind bars.”

Frank didn’t laugh.

No, he just looked at me, took in my rigid stance, and nodded.

Fifteen minutes later I couldn’t help it.

I’d had enough.

And I’d had enough when they made comments about the drinks they ordered, the way they licked their lips as they said it.

If I was behind bars, I couldn’t keep her safe. I repeated that in my head, over and over, as she left their table and came to the bar.

And I didn’t like the look on her fucking face.

I didn’t fucking like it at all.

“You’re off,” I told her. Then I looked at Frank and said, “Follow her to her Jeep. You don’t leave until she locks her doors.”

“You got it.” He said immediately.

My eyes went back to Birdie who was looking confused, and it was adorable, but I was in no mood for all that. Not after I had to watch what I did.

Yes, I knew I acted like a fucking neanderthal, and I knew I couldn’t have her. Fucking knew it. But there was only so much a man like me could take.

“I can handle them, Boss Man,” she told me as she leaned into the bar.

I softened my features and let a look I didn’t know I could give, morph over my face, and then I said low, “Know you can. But I fucking can’t. For my peace of mind, Birdie, please, cash the fuck out, let Frank walk you out?”

She didn’t move. She didn’t speak. Not for long moments.

I was about to open my mouth before she beat me to it and in a soft voice, I had never heard before, she whispered, “Okay, Abel.”

And…

Holy. Fucking. Shit.

My name on her lips.

Hearing my name on her lips for the first time.

Hearing her say my name like that?

It took everything I had in me to not cup the side of her head and plant my lips on hers.

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