Page 48 of King of Temptation

My lip curls. Who asks that? Leo’s words are echoing in my head about how Bobby is just a manipulative asshole. I think Leo is right.

I try to jerk away, wanting to get to Leo’s office and end this painful conversation.

Bobby’s hand bites into me instead of letting me go, as he pulls me close, his lips pressing to my ear. “I always knew you were a slut underneath that cold exterior?—”

I take my heel, the three-inch spike, and lift it up, kicking out, raking it down his shin.

He loosens his grip, I hear his crying grunt of pain as I spin away, bouncing off the wall before I try to move down the hall.

But he recovers and grabs me again and this time his touch is really rough as his fingers bite into my biceps, probably leaving bruises. He yanks me and I half fall against him. “See, I knew you were hot even if you played frigid.”

“Fuck you,” I spit back, even as tears sting at my eyes. “If I was frigid, it’s because I knew that under your nice-guy act is a complete jerk.”

“You want to fuck me?” he’s pulling me roughly against him, his friends forming a circle around us that blocks me from view. Now, I’m really getting scared as I try to scream.

But his hand presses hard over my lips, his eyes mean and angry. “I treated you like a girlfriend when I should have…”

But he doesn’t finish as one of his friends flies across the hall, crashing into the far wall.

I stare, not sure what happened, when Leo’s face appears between me and Bobby. “One more word out of your stupid fucking mouth and they are going to find your body torn apart in the desert and picked over by the buzzards,” Leo snarls.

I go limp with relief as Bobby turns toward Leo. “I don’t know who the fuck you think you are, buddy, but why don’t you mind your own business?”

“See, that was like fifteen words,” Leo says with a lethal smile that might make another person’s blood run cold. I’ve never been so happy to see anything in my life.

And then he grabs Bobby by the neck, yanking him away from me like my ex is a rag doll and not a man who is nearly six feet tall and at least one hundred eighty pounds. Leo’s got him up on his tiptoes with only one hand as he snarls in Bobby’s face.

“You know who I am, sunshine?” He gives Bobby a rough shake. I swear, I hear Bobby’s teeth rattle. “I’m the man who kicks your fucking ass.”

“Holy shit,” one of the friends points at Leo. “You’re a Kincaid.”

“I’m a Kincaid,” he answers. He’s practically spitting in Bobby’s face. “I eat stupid frat boys like you for breakfast.”

I’m still against the wall and I haven’t said a word. I don’t want to make it worse but also…my legs are jelly.

He pulls Bobby back and then pops him in the nose with a single punch. It doesn’t even look that hard but it’s like Leo opened a floodgate, Bobby’s nose starts gushing blood as he lets out a scream.

Leo drops him then as I start sinking down the wall. He’s next to me in a second, pulling my body against his, lifting me in his strong arms.

I wrap my arms about his neck, a clear view of Bobby on the ground as Leo carries me away.

A little sob escapes my lips, my body jerking with the cry. Leo only wraps me tighter in his arms. “You’re safe, sweetheart. Don’t worry. I’d never let a scumbag like that hurt you.”

A few tears leak out of my eyes. “I thought…”

One of his hands come to the back of my neck while the other is still wrapped around my thighs as he cradles me. “Don’t think. Not now. Just put your weight on me and know that you’re safe, that I’m here, and that I’m not going to let anyone hurt you.”

I do exactly as he commands, not even paying attention to where he’s carrying me until he knocks on a door.

That’s when I realize he’s taken me to the locker room.

Several of the dancers are still there, all of them staring at us with big eyes as Leo goes in, grabs my bag from my locker, and leaves again, never setting me down. I don’t even have time to wonder what they might think…

Because Leo carries me straight out the back door to his car.

“Leo,” that finally pulls me from my stupor. “I need to dance, I…”

But he just scowls. “You need a hot bath. I’m taking you home.”

---