Page 39 of Mine to Take

For the time being.

I lift my chin. “I asked where your girlfriend was.” The question is out of my mouth before I can think better of it.

His expression turns stony as his phone buzzes with an incoming message. “None of your damn business.”

He glances at his cell before his thumbs fly across the screen.

Is that her?

Is she texting him?

I’ve never wanted to wrestle someone’s phone away from them more than I do at this moment.

What the hell is happening to me?

I almost shake my head to loosen those disturbing thoughts.

From the corner of my eye, Hayes’s shoulders shake as tears gather in his eyes. He’s practically dying over there.

I turn toward my teammate with an arched brow. “Do you have something to add to the convo?”

The sound of his laughter grates against my nerves.

It’s only when I continue to glare that my teammate clears his throat. “Nope. I’m just watching the show and waiting for everyone to get caught up to speed.”

River’s phone dings for a second time and then a third in quick succession.

I grind my molars in silent aggravation. I just want to rip the device away and?—

That thought is enough to stop me in my tracks.

Jealousy.

That’s the emotion attempting to eat me alive.

It’s not something I’ve ever experienced before.

Not even with Sabrina.

I liked the girl, but we were young and it was never that deep. What really pissed me off was that she dumped my ass for River fucking Thompson.

For some reason, this feels different.

And I have no idea why.

It doesn’t make a damn bit of sense.

I don’t even know her name. I only know what she sounds like when her pussy clenches around my cock and she’s making those sexy purring noises deep in her throat.

Those thoughts are enough to have my junk stirring to life. And that should definitely not be happening when River and I are seconds away from coming to blows.

Anytime I even think about the blonde, this is the direction my thoughts trip down.

I draw a deep, cleansing breath into my lungs and attempt to wrangle all of these out-of-control emotions back under submission again.

River shoots a frown at Hayes. “Get up to speed with what?”

My teammate sends an innocent look my way. “Nothing. Just making small talk. Right, Mav?”