Page 47 of Keep Me Safe

I look back at the woman, and she seems to sense something is up.

“What, did I say something wrong?”

I tell her I’m not in the place for anything more than aconversation, and she takes the hint and returns to her group of friends. Noticing her absence, Keith reappears at my side, plopping beside me.

“What happened? Thought you two were hitting it off.”

“She was nice, but I just wasn’t interested,” I tell him.

He shrugs, looking at me like I’m an idiot. I barely register it. My focus keeps drifting to Kira, but she won’t even glance my way.

She’s playing pool now, effortlessly sinking shot after shot, beating every one of Jared’s friends like it’s nothing. The guys are eating it up, laughing, egging her on. She lines up for the final shot, leaning over the table, her back to me.

The hem of her skirt barely covers her ass. She knows it, too—shifting just enough to make it worse.

What the hell is she thinking?

I glance around. Every man in this damn bar can see her. My jaw tightens, and just as I’m about to get up and say something, one of Jared’s friends beats me to it.

He strides over, leaning in behind her like he belongs there, one hand braced on the table beside hers. His voice is low, murmuring something about lining up the shot, but I don’t hear it. All I see is how close he is, his chest nearly flush with her back, his hands too damn familiar.

My fists curl against my thighs.

Keith notices.“You good?” he mutters.

I ignore him. My chair scrapes against the floor as I push back and stand, striding toward the pool table.

“I doubt she needs your help. She’s fully capable of hitting the ball on her own.”

The kid looks up at me, not recognizing who I am.

“Jeez man, what’s your problem?” he asks, backing away from her.

Glancing down, I see that her hand is shaking under the stick.

“Let her try on her own and show you assholes who’s boss.”

Kira, Jared, and I used to come down here and play pool all the time when they were younger. She’s good, and I don’t doubt she will make this shot.

“Go ahead, Kira.”

She focuses in on the cue ball, pulls the stick back, and sends the eight ball right into the corner pocket. She looks up at me, a hand on her hip.

“I could have handled that myself. Go back to your date,” she bites out.

I lower my voice so Jared and his friends don’t hear, “She isn’t my date.”

She ignores me, turning back toward the group.

“Ready to go, Kira?” Jared asks.

Before she can respond, I cut in, “No, I’m going to take her home. She was just telling me how she wasn’t feeling very well.” I look down at her, her eyes shooting daggers at me, but she doesn’t say anything.

“Okay, well, I’ll see you later then?”

She nods at Jared, and the group heads out the door.

“What the fuck, Noah?”

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