Page 115 of Against the Clock

“You could love me,” he challenges, and real pain flashes through his eyes, making him look worse than tipsy.

It makes my throat tighten in dread, especially as his fingers tighten on my bare skin.

“Take your fucking hands off her,” a low voice booms out in the quiet of the hallway.

Daniel. He’s racing towards us and Rhett backs off, laughing, his hands in the air.

I take a breath, going limp with relief. Daniel’s here.

“I didn’t mean any harm, Harrison. Just curious what princess here sees in your old ass.”

“Touch her again, and I will make sure you never see a minute of game time, mother fucker,” Daniel growls. My eyes go wide. I’ve never heard him like this. He’s usually so easy-going, laid-back and fun.

This Daniel sounds like he’s ready to kill Rhett. For touching me.

“Daniel, stop.” My heels click along the slick floor as I close the distance between us. He catches me with one arm, then pulls me behind him, putting his body between Rhett and me. “Please don’t fight him.”

“He’s not going to fight me, princess,” Rhett drawls, advancing towards us. “He’s too cowardly to try to take me—”

Crack.

Daniel’s fist makes contact with Rhett’s jaw. He staggers back a couple steps, then swings his gaze back to us.

“Fuck, good hit,” Rhett finally says.

I’m clinging to Daniel’s jacket like it’s a lifeline.

“Go home, Rhett. Don’t let me see you near her again,” Daniel’s voice is low and dangerous, and I shiver. “Don’t even fucking think about her.”

Rhett gives us one last look, then pulls the doors of the ballroom back open, disappearing inside.

“Fuck, babe, are you okay?” Daniel wheels around, inspecting my shoulder, my face, like he’s expecting to find evidence of Rhett’s hands on my skin.

“I’m okay.” He’s shaking his hand and I grab it, looking for damage. “Are you okay?”

“We’re leaving,” he says. “Text Cameron when we get in the car. We’re going home.”

I nod, because I sure as hell don’t want to spend another second around Rhett.

“I can’t leave Cameron alone with him,” I say, but Daniel’s already pulled out his phone.

“Jacob, hey, listen, it’s Daniel. Rhett’s drunk and he just tried to fuck with Kelsey. Get to Cameron and make sure he leaves her alone. Get her home, and get Ty to take care of Rhett. Got it?”

He’s steering me down the hall while he talks, and I’m grateful for his hand on my back because I’m shaking like a leaf.

He hangs up and I stop, my teeth chattering. Daniel pulls me into him, and I breathe deeply, trying to calm down, his sandalwood scent surrounding me.

“It’s the adrenaline,” he murmurs on the top of my head. “The chattering. It’s the adrenaline leaving your body. I’m so fucking sorry, Kelsey, if I knew he was capable of that kind of shit I would have made sure he was nowhere near you.”

“It’s not your fault,” I force out between my clacking teeth. “You can’t blame yourself for someone else’s actions.”

“But I can blame myself for not protecting you.”

“You did, though,” I say, finally relaxing enough that my teeth stop. “You did protect me. You shouldn’t have hit him, Daniel.”

“Fuck that, Kels,” he says, staring down at me with those intense, piercing blue eyes. “He’s lucky I didn’t fuck him all the way up. You’re mine.”

At those two words, all the feminism leaves my body.

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