Page 10 of Connected By Stars
I clamp my teeth so hard my jaw hurts. “Logan, is it?” I slowly turn my head to look at him.
“Yeah. Look, I didn’t mean to step on any toes. If you guys are together, I’m sorry. I just assumed she was single.”
“We arenottogether nor ever will be. Trust me,thatwas madeperfectlyclear.” She glares at me before looking at Logan again. “He’s just my brother’s best friend and likes to play the older brother role.”
Logan breaks out into a smile. “Oh, cool. You had me worried for a bit. I was looking forward to asking you out.” She giggles before he turns to look at me. “I get it, man. I have two younger sisters, too, and I would do the same thing.”
I turn and match the heated glare coming from Bell. She’s pissed at me for interfering again. Damn, this woman is infuriating. I lose all control with her. I break the stare and turn to Logan again. “Let’s get that board for you. We wouldn’t want to keep you from your day.” I need him to leave before I do anything else to piss her off. I walk him over to the boards while he picks the one he wants.
“It’s cool. I’m having way more fun here.” He winks at Bell, and I want to punch him.
“Do you need a leash and traction pad?” I ask, hurrying him along.
“Just a traction pad. I have plenty of leashes at home.” He picks out a traction pad and follows me to the counter. I ring him up before he swipes his card.
Turning to Bell, he grins. “So how about that date? I could take you out to dinner, and you could show me around town. I don’t know this area very much. I usually hang out north of here.”
“That sounds like fun.” She smiles at him, and my stomach forms a knot.
“Perfect. Here, put your number in, and I’ll call you later to make plans.” He hands her his phone, and she enters her number before handing it back to him.
“It’s not a fake number, is it?” He raises his eyebrows at her.
“No, it’s real, I swear.” She laughs.
“I’m going to trust you on this,” he grins. I hand him his traction pads and receipt. “Thanks. I didn’t catch your name.”
It’s because I didn’t give it to you, dumbass. I can feel Bell’s eyes on me, daring me to be mean again. I sigh, “Mav, my name is Mav.”
“Nice to meet you, Mav.” He walks to the door and turns. “Bye Bell. I’ll call you later. And don’t worry, Mav. I’ll take good care of her. You have nothing to worry about.” He walks outside, and I will my heartbeat to slow down. My hands are gripping the counter so hard they are starting to ache.
I turn to look at Bell, and she gives me an icy look. She walks over to her camera on the shelf and roughly snatches it before going into the back room. I follow her and watch her shove her things in her bag. Shit, she’s more pissed than I thought.
“Look, I was just trying…”
“Don’t,” she says, giving me a heated stare. “You don’t have the right to get in my business anymore. You made it clear on Sunday where I stand, so you don’t have any say on who I date. You don’t want me looking at you, fine. Then, letme look somewhere else and try to find what I’m looking for. I won’t have you overstep your bounds anymore, Maverick. I’m twenty-four fucking years old. I’m not thelittlesister you once knew growing up. I’m a grown-ass woman, and I can decide for myself who I want to spend time with. Stay the hell out of my business. Go find one of your fan girls to fuck and leave me the hell alone.”
She brushes past me and storms out front. I stand there, unable to move or grasp what just happened. Before I can form a thought, I hear the front door open and close. Shit. I slump down in my desk chair and put my head in my hands. She’s right. I have no right to interfere. I told her not to look my way. This is what I wanted, and I have to find a way to let it go. More than anything, I want her to be happy. CouldIever be happy seeing her with someone else? I groan into my hands and wish I knew how to dig myself out of this shithole that I’ve gotten myself into.
Chapter Five
Bella
I gripthe wheel tightly and blink back my frustrated tears as I drive back to my apartment. Who the hell does he think he is? I’m tired of him acting like he owns some part of me, and I’m his to protect. It’s gotten out of hand this past year, and I’m sick of it.
I roll down my jeep window and try to calm myself down, letting the fresh air blow through my hair. I didn’t even want to go today and face him after Sunday. I felt humiliated and stupid that he saw a glimpse of my feelings towards him and completely shut it down. I take my filming business seriously, though, so I put my personal emotions aside and talked myself into going. It had taken a lot to mask my feelings and pretend that nothing happened on Sunday.
I should get an Oscar for my performance, especially when he leaned over me, and all I wanted to do was run my tongue along his bottom lip. Just his scent gets me so aroused I have to press my thighs together to stop the ache.
And then there’s Logan. A perfectly nice, good-looking guy that any girl would love to be asked out by, and I felt nothing.Zero, nada. I agreed to go on a date with him because I’m hoping something will spark inside me. Maverick’s presence is very distracting, so I’m praying that with him not next to me, I can concentrate on Logan and see if there’s something there I can work on. I do need a date for the wedding, and Logan seems to be a good option. I inwardly groan at the thought of spending a whole evening watching Mav and his latest fling at the reception.
Pulling up to my apartment, I grab my camera gear and MacBook and go inside. Sophia looks up from her laptop when I walk in and grimaces at the look on my face.
“Oh, God, what did Mav do this time? You look like you could kill someone right now.”
“Don’t tempt me.” I set my things down on the counter and pour a glass of water.
She closes her laptop and gives me a concerned look. “Talk to me.”
