Page 74 of The Butterfly Killer

Mercer’s body locked up tight. The woman didn’t take the hint. She toed on the edge of danger and moved toward him as if they were the best of friends.

Mercer was as friendly as a hissing cat in the rain. His shoulders hunched and he glared daggers at her. Burns hadn’t seen him this revulsed since…he didn’t think he’d ever seen him react likethis.

The woman grinned as she dragged a finger from the top of Mercer’s shoulder and down his arm, stopping at the crook of his elbow.

Her pink tongue darted out. She bit it as she fluttered her eyelashes. “Oh, that’s right. You use your middle name. James, was it?”

Mercer’s left eye twitched. “I thought you moved to California.”

She darkly giggled. The hand not on Mercer’s arm grazed her chest, fingertips gliding over the gold pendant necklace. A simple white diamond hung from the chain.

“Oh, I had my fun. Headlined two franchises, snagged a couple awards, produced a TV show.” She shrugged her accomplishments off like they weren’t anything. “David is the reason why I’m back here. We met up in Cali and he popped the question.”

She held up her hand. An ornate gold ring with a large diamond in the center and tinier ones on the band fit snugly on her ring finger. Burns realized she hadn’t been trying to show off her necklace. She was trying to show off the huge rock on her finger.

Mercer’s eyes dropped to the ring. His face went void.

“I see.”

Her eyes drifted to Burns. She looked him up and down, a sharp curious glint in her eyes that made Burns’s skin feel like he was suffering from a sunburn.

“And who is this?”

Mercer wrapped a stiff arm around Burns’s waist. “My husband, Rhys.”

Burns jumped at his middle name. He didn’t even think Mercer knew his first name, let alone his middle name.

Burns put on the biggest smile he could muster, conveying the sweet go-happy husband he was supposed to be. “Hi! Nice to meet you!”

He stuck his hand out. He hoped she didn’t see the line of sweat on his hairline.

She looked down at his hand like it was a dead rat. “Molly.”

Burns got the hint. He awkwardly dropped his hand to his side.

He wasn’t going to try and laugh it off. That would be even more humiliating.

Mercer pulled Burns even tighter to his body. He turned his head and pressed his lips to Burns’s temple.

Burns did laugh that off. “Stop. We’re in public.”

He didn’t know why his eyes trailed over to Molly who watched with a razor sharp gaze. It was a feeling that burned his chest and made smiling so much more easier. The hand on his hip and Mercer’s lips on his skin became easier to tolerate. He almost wanted Mercer closer to him.

Molly scoffed though she hid it like she was making a joke. “I see the honeymoon stage hasn’t worn off. Though, I must admit, I didn’t think you’d ever settle.”

Burns cuddled close to Mercer’s side. “I know. I didn’t think he was the committed type.”

“Oh, I didn’t mean that. I mean, settling. No offense, but you’re not exactly part of the world Andrew came from.” Shegrinned. The thin smile stretched uglily across her face and pointedly to the corners of her eyes.

Burns’s jaw clenched. All the attraction he’d felt to her had zeroed out. If he had no reservation, he would have pushed her into the table and laughed.

He restrained himself and ignored the catfight bait. He didn’t know who Molly was to Mercer nor did he really care. What he didn’t want was for this woman to come after him for a reason that didn’t even fucking exist. Also, he didn’t like that she was basically calling him trash. Call him petty but he didn’t like snobby people.

“Maybe that’s why he likes me so much. Not all that glitters smells so great.” He gave a little shrug. “Come on babe, I think I saw cheeseballs over there. I can stuff my face with those all night..”

Molly made a disgusted look.

Burns pulled Mercer to the end of the table. He immediately regretted what he said. He was supposed to lay low and place nice with these rich stuck-up people, but it was so fucking hard when he was being disrespected to his face.

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