Page 41 of Hunter

“Maybe I should,” I say, chugging the rest of my beer and stalking over to the dance floor.

Isabella catches my eye as I approach, grinning at me from over Yuri’s shoulder. I frown pointedly at his hand, then slide my gaze back to her face. Understanding my issue immediately, she rolls her eyes at me like I’m being ridiculous.

Maybe.But I still don’t like it.

The song is ending so I tap handsy fucking Yuri on the fucking shoulder. “Can I cut in?”

Yuri doesn’t even look at me. “No.”

Huh. I wasn’t expecting that.

I tap his shoulder again, and now he looks at me, jaw set, and eyebrows raised.

“Let’s try it this way,” I say. “I’m cutting in.”

“Nope,” he responds. “You’re not.”

This fucking guy.

“Bella,” I say, ignoring Yuri. “I would like to dance with you.”

She looks back and forth between us like we’re naughty children, and she doesn’t have time for our shenanigans, then says, “I think I’m finished dancing for now, boys.”

Backing away from Yuri, she leaves the dance floor and heads for the bar. Yuri scowls at me. “Thanks, friend.”

“I’m not your friend,” I growl back.

“You’re a pain in the ass is what you are,” he says, following Isabella to the bar.

I want to tell him that Isabella is mine. I want to tell him that she’s already chosen me. I want to say that I’m fucking her every night, and there’s no room in that equation for him.But I realize that my feelings and internal dialogue are coming perilously close to boyfriend territory, so I take a deep breath, determined to keep my feelings in check.

“Hey, there.”

I whip around to find Marcia Brady from Team Brady standing behind me. I haven’t had a chance to speak to her one-on-one outside of the race yet. But I know she’s doing well. She and her brother have been maintaining a spot in the middle of the pack since the first challenge.

“Hi.”

She grins at me. “Want to buy me a drink?”

No, I think.Not really.

As I face her, I realize she reminds me of my little sisters, Parker and Reeve, which makes me feel unexpectedly protective. I tilt my head to the side.

“How old are—I mean, are you even legal?”

“Yep. As of last month.”

“Newly minted twenty-one? You’re a baby.”

“Twenty-one isn’t a baby. I’m fully grown, and I can prove it…if you want,” she says, taking my hand and pulling me over to the bar before I can slow her down. She squeezes between Yuri and another crew member, ordering two shots of tequila. When she turns around, she offers one to me with a pretty smile. “What are we drinking to?”

Isabella, who’s standing on the other side of Yuri, leans around him to catch my eye. She glances at Marcia with annoyance, then slides her eyes back to me.

Turnabout’s fair play, sweetheart, I think, picturing Yuri’s hand on her lower back a few minutes ago and the way she rolled her eyes at my objection.

“Let’s drink to you,” I say, winking at Marcia for Isabella’s benefit. “I hope you get to the end.”

“Me too,” she says, throwing back the gold liquid with a wince. “Oooo! Yuck! That was strong! Want another?”

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