Page 56 of We Never Kissed

I pushed through the guys trying to jockey for the front but stopped short, mesmerized by her movement. I’d always loved watching her dance, could never take my eyes off her.God, she’s amazing. My heart ached with how much I missed her. The anger was still there, though, fighting to keep its place at the forefront of my mind.

“Damn, now that’s what I call a woman,” a guy said to his friend.

This was going to end badly for everyone if I didn’t get Ava off that stage. Especially if a single comment had my blood boiling. I pushed between the guy and his friend with a little too much force.

“Hey, watch it!” the guy’s friend said.

Ava danced her way over to the pole, and I held somerelief that her experience and training never involved poles. Then she grabbed it, swirled around it before doing a body wave against it.Shit. Apparently, I didn’t know everything there was to know about Ava.

The crowd cheered, but Ava’s face never changed, almost like she hadn’t heard them, was lost in the music.

I was almost to the front when another guy leaned up toward the stage and was saying something to her. I rushed up behind him. “Back off!”

Ava’s eyes met mine and then widened. I figured she’d stop when she saw me, but she just kept dancing.

“What are you security?” the guy said sarcastically.

“I’mhersecurity, and if you don’t back the fuck off, you’ll be shitting out your teeth.”

Frozen for a few seconds, he seemed to be contemplating how serious I was. Then he raised his hands and backed away.

Taking a couple steps to the right, I positioned myself right under Ava and said, “Let’s go!”

Pausing her moves, she glanced down at me with a narrowed gaze.

Boos and rants came from behind me, but I still held my hand up to her.

“Let her dance!” yelled someone.

Ava sauntered to the other side of the pole, dancing and looking out at the crowd, who began cheering again.

Losing patience, I said loud enough that she would hear me. “You’ve got two seconds to get your ass down here before I come up there and throw you over my shoulder.” Then I took my coat off and held my hand out again.

With fire in her eyes, she sighed, took my hand and jumped down from the stage. I threw my coat over her shoulders and guided her from behind around the crowd instead of through, ignoring the boos following us.

“What do you want, Alex!” she threw over her shoulder.

I ignored her until we got outside, then took her hand and dragged her down the street.

“Wait! Where the hell are we going?!”

“I’m taking you home.”

Chapter 33

Ava

I slammed the car door and bolted toward my apartment, completely aware that Alex would follow. His heavy footsteps stayed behind me the whole way. He’d make sure I got in the door, then he would leave.

We’d been silent the entire way home, and I had flashbacks of being a brooding teenager with two overbearing big brothers, who always thought they knew what was best for me. I’d hated it back then, but this… I couldn’t even process the emotions whirling through me. He didn’t want anything to do with me, and yet he stepped back in to treat me like a child?

By the time I got the key into the door, I felt Alex atmy back. I hesitated a beat, trying to parse the flood of emotions at his close proximity. When he stood fast as I opened the door, I said under my breath, “I don’t remember inviting you in.”

He ignored my statement, pushing in behind me, then shutting the door as I paced to the kitchen.

Opening the fridge, I was reminded that I had finished off the last bottle of cheap wine before I left.

Dammit.

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