Page 67 of Cruel Debts
These men weren't the kind to just let someone threaten them and get away with it. But something in Asher and Liam's eyes must've changed their minds, because the one holding onto me suddenly slacked his grip and backed up, his hands in the air.
"Sorry for the mistake; we must've got the band colors wrong."
"Right," his companion muttered slowly, grinning weakly at Asher. "Sorry for that."
"No hard feelings, right, boys?" Liam said with a wicked gleam in his eyes. "We'll all just go our separate ways, and it'll be like this little altercation never happened."
They nodded and turned tail, and then I was alone in the empty room with Liam, Asher, and my paints.
Which I decided to turn around and start picking up, instead of turning on the guys, like I wanted desperately to do.
Okay, so it was hot. Their show of dominance was attractive, the protective manner in which they staked their claim had me thinking of other ways they could claim and dominate me, butI was mad still, dammit.I didn't have to listen to my fucking vagina every time a good-looking man she had the hots for since we were in high school growled around her.
"Trinity—"
I put up a hand. "I'm not interested, sorry."
"Pretty Bird?—"
"Nope."
I was determined to ignore them until I stopped breathing, or at least until I was asleep. They hadn't earned my attention, affection, or appreciation.
What if Ihadwanted to get laid today? What if Ihaddecided to play with others while I was here on work? They couldn't stop me. It didn't matter that I only chose the 'single and mingle' bracelet color to increase my tips. What mattered was I still should be able to make those choices for myself.
Since these three assholes didn't want anything to do with me romantically, and had said so on more than one occasion.
They let me pack up my paints, and they even let me walk back to the dressing rooms under my own power. But the second I shoved open the door, Liam put his hand on it and kept it there, against the wall, so he could see inside.
"Get your bag and your coat," he snarled, his eyes hard. "We're leaving."
Like fuck we were. "I don't remember telling you I was ready to go."
"I don't remember asking."
It was a standoff. I bounced into the dressing rooms, grabbed my bag, and then unzipped it, keeping eye contact with him the entire time. When my hand reached for the strap of my top, he realized I had no intention of just grabbing my shit to go, and with a sigh, he barged right the fuck in and grabbed my bag from my hands, zipping it with a quickness.
"Hey, wait—waht do you think you're doing—Liam,stop—ahhhhhh!"
Being upside-down out of nowhere was always a frustrating experience. But in my current state of undress, being on Liam's shoulder with my ass in his face was more than just a little irritating. It was humiliating.
Especially when I started to wriggle, to try and get free, and he swatted my ass like I was a child in need of a spanking.
I would examine how that made me clench my thighs in response later.
"Let me the fuck go, you brute!" The strong expanse of his back wasn't even twitching as I rained my fists down on it, and I realized he intended to just take me out of here in this costume in front of everyone in this place. "No."
No, no, no, a thousand times, no.
"If you think you're going to carry me out of here like a sack of potatoes?—"
"That'sexactlywhat I'm going to do, and you're going to hold still and let me do it, Trin, or I'll swat you again." He gritted his teeth so hard I could hear it over the pounding of my own heart. "Someone should have done it to you sooner."
"What, the carrying thing?" I propped my elbow on his shoulder, tilting my head as he walked past Asher and tossed the other man my bag. "Or the spanking thing? Because unless you want me to cream all over your shoulder, then I'd keep your hand far, far away from my ass."
His groan devolved into a choking gasp, and then he was setting me on my feet, which I considered a win.
Until he then started to drag me to the back door, no less rough than before.
