Page 23 of I Should Hate You-but I Don't

She pushed him hard, grabbed her bag, and stood, moving away from the table. On the dance floor, she found Taylor and interrupted her.

"I'm leaving." She glanced behind her to make sure Brian wasn't following her, but he was already talking to a woman at the next table. "Do you want me to walk you back to the apartment before I go?"

"I don't want to leave." She looped her arms around the man's neck. "Are you going to call for a ride?"

She nodded. "Will you be okay?"

"Of course. I'll call for a ride." Taylor leaned over and gave River a half-hug. "Sorry tonight never worked out for you." Her friend looked behind her and raised her brows. "Looks like you don't have to call for your ride. Zane's here."

She followed the direction of Taylor's gaze and collided with Zane sitting a few tables down from where she'd sat with Brian. Relief flashed through her, knowing she was protected and no longer vulnerable to Brian pushing himself on her.

But the closer she got to Zane, she could see his heated gaze covering her. He sat alone with a beer forgotten in front of him. A mix of emotions played over his stoic expression, but his posture warned her that he'd seen everything Brian had done to her, and he wasn't happy.

She approached him, hoping he'd offer to take her home. Instead, he lifted the mug to his lips. Had he come to enjoy the music? To dance with women?

Jealousy reared inside of her. "What are you doing here?"

"Well..." He set the mug down and met her gaze. "For a while there, I was contemplating killing that fucking wimp that kept putting his hands on you."

He stood. Her gaze traveled up to his face. He hooked his finger under her chin and closed her mouth. Her heart pounded in her chest.

She couldn't breathe. He was touching her in front of everyone. He was looking at her as if she belonged to him.

"I told Taylor I was going to call you to come and pick me up." She held onto her bag.

His gaze hardened. "Is she okay to stay by herself?"

She looked behind her. Taylor laughed with the man she danced with and looked like she was having a good time. Brian seemed to have nothing to do with the guy, so maybe the man with Taylor wasn't a creep. But she'd hate to be wrong.

"Can you ask her if she's okay to stay alone? Just to be sure," she said.

He took her by the hand and walked out on the dance floor.

She couldn't hear what he spoke to Taylor but her friend agreed to leave with them. Out of the club, she inhaled deeply in relief. They weren't in Gem Haven. Anything could've happened to Taylor after she left.

"Thanks for sticking around longer." Taylor walked beside her. "I thought the guy was cool until he asked if I wanted to leave with him. Dude—I'm not going anywhere with you." Taylor snorted. "I think he and his friend had already hit a bar or two before coming to the club."

"Brian was a creep," she muttered.

"Sorry." Taylor leaned against her. "I wanted you to have fun tonight."

"We'll find something else to do another time and plan better. I'm so glad I got to see your apartment, though." She squeezed Taylor's arm.

Once they had Taylor in her apartment and behind a locked door, Zane put her on the back of his Harley and set out for Gem Haven without saying another word. She spent the trip trying to figure out why Zane had come to the same club, and if he'd had plans, why hadn't he told her when he dropped her off at Taylor's apartment?

He could've come with her. She would've loved to have spent a night in town with Zane. They'd never had an actual datebefore. Everything that happened between them happened in the privacy of her bedroom.

Back at Gem Haven, motorcycles and cars filled the area around the bar. A steady stream of people walked through the doors, giving her a flash of the crowd visiting the bar tonight. Zane rode straight to the house and parked in front of the garage.

She slid off the motorcycle.

Zane remained on the seat with the Harley idling. She hesitated, wanting him to come inside, but he gazed down at the gas tank.

"Go on in," he said.

"Will you come—?"

"I'm going to the clubhouse. I got things to do."

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