Page 42 of Knocked up By the Minotaur

“You only ever let your waves loose for me,” I say, sending a glare over at the insipid, pale male we left behind. “He doesn’t deserve to see your pretty hair.”

“I… took it out just before you came,” she mutters, as if embarrassed about the fact, but a small, tense little something settles in my chest at those words. She let it loose for me, knowing I was coming, and not him. “Anyway, quit flirting and pay attention. That was all a little overkill back there, don’t you think?”

I frown. “No.”

“What do you mean, no?” she scoffs. “You had the whole room thinking you were going to skewer Brad on your horns.”

“Well,” I say, unable to stop my gaze from trailing possessively along her body at the thought of him daring to touch her again. “If I did, it’d only serve him right. The male is a stalker, Grace. This is beyond unhealthy.” I meet her bright blue eyes once more. “I’m worried he won’t stop.”

She sighs and rubs her forehead. “Yeah, I’m starting to think the same thing.”

Without meaning to my hand reaches out to lace with her fingers, and I draw her closer. “Then let me show him what it means to cross an angry bull.” She blushes, but when she doesn’t pull away, I let my fingers move to rest at her hip. “Let me take care of it for you.”

“Actually,” she mumbles, looking at my chest now and fidgeting, “I was hoping you might take care of Lucas, instead.”

I blink down at her, nonplussed, and she lifts her pretty blue eyes to mine, resting her hand gently against my chest. “Please?”

How could any male say no to that?

“Alright,” I agree slowly, “but, why?”

She sighs again and takes a step back. “I have things I need to discuss with Brad, and we might be a while.”

“Hm,” I say, the flame in my chest reigniting, and I don’t let her move fully away, clamping my fingers gently into her hip despite the gap between us. “No. You’re not going anywhere near that male again.”

She looks surprised. “What? Oli—”

“He’s scum.” I step back into her, and her voice fades to nothing as I slide my hand to her lower back and my heart begins to tug, tug in my chest, tugging to try and get closer to her. “He will never take advantage of you again. I won’t let him. That’s something you’re just going to have to understand.”

“I’m not—”

I press her body firmly to mine, lifting my free palm to cup her cheek. “I’ll protect you from him, even if it’s against your will.”

Her lips part, and the realization flashes through me that she likes that, likes that I won’t hesitate to step in for her, even if she never admits it. This only fuels me, sets a heat coursing through me that overpowers my anger, and I lean my forehead down against hers.

I will protect her, I realize with a mild surprise, against anything. Always. I refuse to see her hurt.

There’s a clatter in the distance, which I barely register until Brad’s voice follows. “Get your paws off her, you… big cow!”

My grip around Grace tightens as I look up to see Brad stand, but Daniel intercepts him before he can come over here and see how sharp my horns really are.

“First of all, cows have hoofs, you idiot,” I mutter to myself, before leaning back to look at Grace. “You are not going back to him. I can take Lucas if you need, but I’m taking you home first. Away from him.”

“Listen,” Grace says, squirming in my hold. “I’m not going back to him, alright?” I don’t let go of her, needing to feel her warmth, the press of her weight against me, to ground myself. She relents, and more tension leaves my shoulders. “Whatever you’re thinking is going on, it’s not that. I promise, alright? I’d rather pine after you, unrequited, for the rest of my adult life than go back to him.”

“Unrequited?” I tilt my head. “It could never be unrequited between us, sweetheart. Not unless you stop wanting me.”

She rolls her eyes. “I don’t mean sexually unrequited, Jesus…”

Huh. That… wasn’t what I meant. Why wasn’t that what I meant?

“It’s just, he’s known Lucas from the day he was born,” Grace continues, and when her shoulders sag and she finally leans fully into me, as if too exhausted to hold herself up any longer, I slide my arm along her back and cradle her neck. “He’s helped raise my boy, and even if he’s a real piece of shit now, he… he wasn’t at the start. I can’t take Lucas away from him without another word, not like this, not if he truly does care. That’s beyond cruel.”

“Of course you couldn’t,” I sigh, squeezing my fingers around her. “And that’s exactly how he’ll try to spin his web around you again. Because despite your temper, little Grace, you have a soft heart.”

“Weak,” she mutters, as if to herself, and it sends a pang through my chest. “I know.”

“You’re not weak,” I tell her seriously. She’s said that before, and it doesn’t sit well with me. “It isn’t weak to have a heart full of love, it’s quite the opposite. Trust me.” I move my hand back around to her cheek, and snort self-deprecatingly. “You don’t want a hollow heart like mine clanging around in your chest.”

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