Page 83 of Unveiled

My anger is barely contained as I glare at her, waiting for her to come up with an excuse. We came to an understanding the other night. I’m the only one allowed to touch her, especially as intimately as Ethan decided he could touch her tonight.

“He just had his hand on my back, it didn’t -”

“His hand was practically on your ass, Ainsley,” I growl at her, cutting off her excuse. If she thought she could get away with that lie, then she has no idea how long I’ve been watching them.

She sighs, defeat coloring her features. This isn’t an argument she’s going to win, and she knows it. I’m angry and I’m right; she has no side to her argument.

“Why are you like this?” she mumbles, not really expecting an answer, but I’m going to give her one anyway.

“Because you’re mine.”

She falls back into the wall and refuses to make eye contact with me. “I suppose you want me to go home?”

I pretend to think it over for a minute, but I already know the answer. This is yet another opportunity to prove to Ethan that she’s mine, and to show him he doesn’t have a chance with her. Besides, this dress shows off my name carved into her back, as long as her hair is moved out of the way. I like the idea of people in here being able to see it.

“You can stay,” I tell her. Her face lights up, not expecting that. “But I’m staying with you.”

The light that came to her face quickly vanishes as my words settle in her mind. She didn’t really think I was going to leave her alone, did she? Even if I could trust Ethan with her, I sent Jonah home for the night as soon as I got here. She won’t be safe if she’s away from me.

“Fine, let’s go home,” she sighs.

“I’ll be on my best behavior. Promise. No fights, I’ll even be cordial,” I promise her, hoping to wipe the disappointment off her face. While I can make sure my words are cordial enough, she won’t see the glares I send his way.

“Promise?” she repeats, holding out her pinky finger. With a smirk, I grab her pinky finger with my own and together we shake them. Before she can pull away, I grab her face with my other hand and pull her in for a passionate kiss.

I missed her today, and even though I knew she wouldn’t be at her apartment waiting for me to show up, I still longed for it. It helps that I can feel Ethan’s stare on my back, watching me claim Ainsley for myself.

“Best behavior, remember?” Ainsley says as she pulls away from me, looking a little flushed now. I offer her my arm, trying to be the perfect gentleman. She takes it, allowing me to guide her back to the bar. When she tries to jump back onto the stool, I stop her and sit in it myself. She looks at me, ready to protest the new seating chart, but I just grab her hips and hoist her on my lap.

Ethan watches every move, especially as she wiggles her ass on me, trying to get comfortable. He hates me, but then again, he knew better than to fall in love with her. He was my inside man for years, surely he knew he wouldn’t win this battle.

“You’re staying?” he asks Ainsley once she’s settled.

“We made an agreement. Cain is going to be on his best behavior tonight. If you can do the same, then I’m staying,” she tells him, giving him a pointed stare. Of course, he responds with the most innocent smile he can muster.

“I’m sure we can get along,” Ethan answers, smiling at her and sending a glare my way as soon as she turns to the bar to order another drink. He gets my signature smirk in return as I brush her hair over one shoulder, leaving her upper back exposed.

I watch as his eyes land on my name, still healing on her back. Good. I hope every guy in this bar sees the same thing so they don’t bother trying anything with her, or even looking at her too long.

“So, where were we?” Ainsley asks when she turns back with her drink. The second her attention is back, our staring contest ends. “Oh, that’s right. You said you had a funny story about your professor today.”

“Right,” Ethan remembers, plastering on a fake smile as he jumps back into his story. “It was hilarious. His fly was down, and let’s just say his neon polka dots were pretty easy to spot. I pointed it out to someone sitting next to me, and pretty soon, the entire class was buzzing about it. He stopped the lecture when he realized no one was paying attention and picked on some poor kid to tell him what we were all talking about. The kid actually told him the truth, and his face turned bright red. I felt bad for the guy, but of course I laughed as he hid behind a desk to zip himself up. He dismissed class when he was done.”

Ainsley is cracking up at his story, the sound like music to my ears. It’s only slightly irritating that it’s him that made her laugh, but I resolve that irritation by planting a kiss against the back of her shoulder. She shivers against me as she pushes herself further onto my lap, making Ethan’s smile fall just a little.

“So, Ains,” Ethan says, pulling her attention back to him. “Did you schedule your classes for next semester yet?”

“I did, before spring break,” she answers. “It’ll be a pretty easy semester, since I packed this semester so full.”

Ethan sips on his drink as he thinks over what to say next.

“I’m so proud of you for staying dedicated,” I praise her before planting another kiss on her shoulder. As much as I would love to have her all to myself, her dedication to her education is something I’ve always loved about her. It’s her dream to be a writer one day, and she’s doing everything she can to make that happen.

“She wouldn’t have had to add another semester if she had stayed at school last semester,” Ethan mutters over the rim of his glass.

“Ethan,” Ainsley chastises.

“Don’t worry, little one, his words don’t affect me. After all, he’s the one that helped me take you away,” I tell her, but really I’m reminding him of the part that he played. He didn’t even try to fight me when I decided it was time to make her mine.

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