Page 13 of Line of Resistance

Now his interest in her was headed due south, requiring him to avert his eyes and adjust his pants more times tonight than he could count.

“Where in the hell did she get that dress?” Luca shook his head. “I didn’t even know they sold shit like that in Alaska.”

Nate ground his back teeth together, wishing like hell he wasn’t the designated driver and could toss back a whiskey in the hopes it would ease the irritation Luca’s attention on Eloise was digging beneath his skin. “I’m gonna give you to the count of ten to find somewhere else to put your fucking eyeballs before I rip them out of your face.”

He wasn’t normally the kind to dish out threats, but the way Luca was continuing to take in Eloise and the appreciation in his stare made him want to punch something.

Specifically Luca’s smug face.

For the second time tonight Luca held his hands up. “I heard what you said earlier. I know she’s off-limits, but there aren’t many people who wouldn’t appreciate the way her ass looks in that dress.” Before Nate could take a swing, Luca made one of his own, grinning as he slapped one hand against Nate’s backside. “It looks almost as good as yours does.” He shot him a wink as he walked away, barely managing to save himself a right hook as he crossed the bar, offering a salute before disappearing out the door.

The bartender pushed the waters across the counter, sloshing a little onto the surface before leaving Nate to go fill another order. He collected the drinks and carried them back to the table, sliding one in front of each of the girls.

Eloise ignored the water and took an unsteady step back, teetering a little in her sky-high heels. “I’m gonna go get us another round.”

“No, you’re not.” Nate pointed to the glass. “Not until you drink that.”

Eloise’s bleary eyes narrowed as her lips pressed into a thin line. “You don’t get to tell me what to do.” Her lush curves swayed as she stepped his way, one finger stabbing into the center of his chest. “You’re not my dad and you’re sure as snickerdoodles not my boyfriend, so you can just zip those lips.” She punctuated the last words by walking her fingers up his chest before placing them on his lips, pinching them together. Her touch lingered for a second as her eyes dropped to rest against his mouth. “Men shouldn’t have lips like this anyway.”

His dick stirred in his pants at the closeness of her body. The way she’d completely dropped the mask and offered him an unobscured peek at the real woman beneath it.

And that woman was even more irresistible than the one he thought he knew. She was powerful. Defiant. Fearless. The urge to part his lips and nip the tip of her finger, just to see what she would do, was strong. But Eloise was already skittish as hell around him. And for good reason.

Everything she’d said about him was true. He’d made promises. Given mixed signals. Run hot and cold more times than he could count.

At least that’s the way it appeared. In reality, every inch of him was nothing but hot when she was around. Hot and frequently hard. Especially now with her fingers on his mouth and her body so close to his.

All it would take was half a step and he could have what he desperately wanted. He could know how soft her full lips would be. How sweet her mouth would taste. How perfect her curves would feel as they pressed into him.

But that couldn’t happen. Definitely not here with Naomi around to witness everything and have certain expectations he might not live up to. Then he would be back where he started. Or worse.

He could lose everything. Again.

The fingers Eloise had pressed against his mouth slid down, dragging across his skin before dropping away. Her glossy lips curled in a snarl. “You are so annoying.”

She spun away, headed straight to the bar, steps wobbly as she pushed into the fold. Nate followed behind her, shouldering his way through the crowd to stay hot on her heels. Not just because he was worried for her safety, but because the way she looked had attracted more than a few interested gazes. He didn’t have time to go around ripping the faces off every man in the place—not if he wanted to keep an eye on her too—so staying close and giving the appearance they were together was his next best deterrent.

And Eloise definitely needed someone keeping an eye on her.

She reached the bar without slowing down, the impact bouncing her belly against the surface as she slowly blinked. It took her a second to find the bartender and a second more to focus.

Nate stepped up beside her, blocking her sideline. “I said no more drinks until you’ve had some water.”

Eloise’s eyes lifted to his. “And I said you can’t tell me what to do.” She pulled her focus from him and lifted one hand to grab the bartender’s attention. It was yet another behavior to add to the stack of actions that were the complete opposite of what he expected from her. And, like the rest, it pulled him closer. Drew him in even more than before.

“Eloise.” He kept his tone calm and steady, hoping it might reduce the risk of an overreaction.

She continued to stare down the bar. “I’m not talking to you.”

“Fine. Then I’ll talk to you.” He leaned in, stealing a guilty lungful of the soft scent clinging to her skin before letting his lips brush against her ear. “I will drag your sweet little ass out of this place before I let you get another drink.”

He was used to dishing out threats, equally used to following up on them, and the possibility he would have the opportunity to make good on the one he just laid out shot straight to his already half hard cock.

But, unlike most of the men he faced off with on a regular basis, Eloise was completely unfazed by him. She snorted, rolling her eyes toward the ceiling. “Right. I’ll believe it when I see it.” She leaned farther across the bar in a move that tugged down the already dangerously low neckline of her dress, revealing an obscene amount of her full tits.

“Eloise. I won’t say it again.” This time he didn’t have to try to make the threat sound ominous. His voice was tight with aggravation. He scanned to see who else noticed the perfect swell of her cleavage as it fought the constraints of her dress. “No. More. Drinks.”

Her eyes swung to meet his. “I thought you said you weren’t going to say that again?” She scowled, looking him up and down with a level of distaste that threatened to shrivel his aching hard-on. “Everyone thinks you’re so fucking charming but you’re just a bullpooper.” She waved one hand, the move coming dangerously close to smacking him in the face. “You all are. I’m so flipping sick of men and their crap.”

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