Page 34 of Not By the Playbook

“You know what? Let me make this easy on you.”

A ribbon of alarm twists through me when Logan pivots and stalks back to the dance floor, thwarting the efforts of fans who try to stop him for selfies and autographs. He heads straight for the woman. Her crimson lips curve as he approaches her. I am immobilized by the horror unfolding before me as he halts in front of her. He positions both his hands low on her back, just above her ass, and jerks her hips against his. Her smile is coy. Logan’s trademark smirk flashes for a moment and then he bends and kisses her on the mouth.

Everything inside me screeches to a stop.

My gut twists, and I clench my fingers hard enough to leave half-moons in my palms.

A weight on my shoulder propels me to the side of the room.

“That little shit.”

Jenna.Fuck.

I should be scrambling for words to mitigate this disaster, but all I can do is swallow past the tears seizing in my throat. My lungs are collapsing in on themselves, and I struggle for each breath.

Jenna alternates between casting me concerned looks and shooting daggers at Logan. “I’m so sorry,” she apologizes on behalf of her asshole brother.

“It’s fine. It’s fine,” I whisper.

It’s not fine. My vision is reduced to Logan and the woman, still sucking each other’s’ faces off. I want to sob for them to separate while simultaneously wishing I could skewer them with fire-dripping ice picks.

They finally disengage.

But it only gets worse. He tugs her out the back door of the club behind him.

Dimly, I’m aware of Jenna saying something, but I can’t make out her words.

“I…I’m going to go,” I mumble.

“Can I see you home?” she says, watching me with worried eyes.

“No!” My head snaps up. I fight to soften my tone. “No, no. I’m sorry. I just…”

There is only concern in her voice. “You are too good for him.”

Jenna’s quiet reassurance has my innards clenching tighter. I can’t be anywhere near either of the Barnes siblings because I will collapse in a humiliated mess.

I stumble through the same exit Logan used into the muggy night. Jenna follows in my wake. It takes my shaking hands two tries to open the Uber app and summon a car. My gaze is downcast as I wait. The worst thing right now would be to run into Logan and his woman, but at the same time I’m petrified I won’t see them. After all, that first night with Logan, we didn’t spend much time getting to know each other, either.

“I’m sorry about this.” Jenna’s face is a medley of fury and compassion, the most emotion I’ve seen from her. I nod a goodbye and get into the car. The best I can do is a forced grimace until we pull away. When the driver finally turns at the intersection, I rest my head against the leather and let the tears come.

Chapter Twenty

LOGAN

The momentwe exit the club, I let go ofAnna? Analise? Annie?

Whatever her name is, she’s svelte with boobs more than a handful and legs for days. Just my type.

The very thought of fucking her makes my skin crawl.

“Not tonight.”

Not ever.

She pouts. “But I thought we’d have some fun?”

“Maybe another time.” My arms cross over my chest in a “don’t fuck with me” pose. She sniffs, pivots, and stalks away.

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