Page 31 of Exile

I saw him mouth “shit,” and I raised a brow at him, happy with the effect my presence had on him. I truly wasn’t a violent man, but if he ever tried to flirt with Darwynn again, I would punch him straight in the face.

Without saying a word to him, I emptied my glass and got up from the stool with my eyes still on him, watching him as he simply stood there, frozen, like a prey scared to move and get the hunter’s attention.

“Motherfucker,” I muttered, turning away to head to the restrooms. I needed to keep Darwynn safe, and I didn’t care if she thought I was overreacting. Men like Henry were unpredictable, and I sure as hell wouldn’t let him get close to her again. Not even to talk.

I got to the narrow hallway with the two bathroom doors and waited for her to come out of the right one. It didn’t take her long before she stood before me, and we were quickly cramped between the tight walls, facing each other.

“Oh, do you also have to—”

“No.”

Her head was tilted back, her remarkable eyes looking curiously at me in the dim light. Her lips parted, and I couldn’t help but let my eyes wander over her face. My hands didn’t seem to understand what was happening because they were suddenly on her hips. My dick twitched, and my jaw ticked as I tried to figure out what the fuck was going on.

“Is everything okay?” Darwynn asked, her voice soft. So damn soft.

I managed one quick nod.

My left hand rested on her hip while I moved my right up her side, caressing her waist and then her arm until I cupped the side of her neck.

Her breath hitched as I moved my fingers into her thick, brown hair at the back of her head. As her strands curled around them, she tilted her head further back, exposing her neck.

Every inch of her body—at least the parts I’ve seen of it for now—were perfect. Her skin was soft and warm to the touch, and the way she melted into me, just like she had when we hugged the other night, did something to me.

Something I didn’t allow my mind to explore further.

Darwynn didn’t question what I was doing. She simply stood there, with her hands hanging by her sides and her eyes staring up at me. She wasn’t pulling back or pushing me away, but I feared that was because I was holding her captive between my body and the wall behind her. Shit…I wasn’t any better than Henry.

With one last glance to her lips, I dropped my hand from her hair and pushed them into my pockets so they wouldn’t wander off without my damn permission. I cleared my throat. “We’re leaving.”

I could tell she wanted to argue, but she simply accepted my demand for some reason. “Okay.”

Shit, I didn’t give her the wrong impression, did I?

“I’m taking you home. Where you’re staying,” I clarified.

“Okay,” she said again, her smile tight.

Before I changed my mind, I walked ahead and made sure she followed me back to the bar, where I put money on the counter and gave the bartender a nod.

Once we were outside, Darwynn wrapped her hand around my arm, and I led her down the road to the campgrounds.

“Is Henry the reason why we left?”

Of course, she figured it out.

“Yes.”

“You know, we could’ve just ignored him. I was having a really good time with you at the bar,” she told me.

I looked at her and sighed. “But I wasn’t. Not with him in the same room.”

I hated the idea of ruining her night. I had to make this better.

Stopping, I looked around before meeting her eyes. We weren’t far from the bar, and she looked at me with expectation.

“I don’t want him near you. Or any woman, for that matter. But other women are not my business right now. You are.” I paused to think about my next words, hoping to see her smile again. “So if we go back inside, you promise me not to look at him. Don’t give him attention. None. Focus on me.”

She studied me, her eyes searching my face as the tip of her tongue slowly brushed across her bottom lip. The corner of her mouth lifted ever so slightly, and a hint of mischief flashed through her eyes.

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