Page 11 of Destined Predator
“Sugar?” Rhett burst out. “Since when am I yoursugar?”
Rhett heard himself, rougher than he meant to be, and hated that it sounded like he was arguing with the wrong man. Theworst part? Casey’s drawl slid under his skin like a burr and stayed there. Heat, annoyance, and something that felt way too much like want tangled up and wouldn’t shake loose.
“Oh, I get it.” Greg’s heels beat out sharp, angry-sounding taps as he took two steps forward. “You’re together and playing some game? Is that what you do? Let me guess. You take turns to pick up a third and take him home?”
“Jesus, Greg!” Rhett went to reach for his arm, but Greg raised a hand, his palm toward Rhett. That on its own would have kept Rhett off, but what had him rearing back was a weird noise coming from Casey.A rumble? A growl?
The sound prickled down Rhett’s spine and settled at the base of it, hot and electric. Casey wasn’t even touching him, and still Rhett’s body read the intent: warning, claim,mine. He locked his knees and pretended his pulse wasn’t hammering.
“Yeah, I guess that’s maybe a little too West Coast for this Hicksville town, right?” Greg’s face was stony. “So what, you come on to another guy, and he gets mad? That make for some hot and heavy angry sex?” He thrust his pelvis back and forth to illustrate his words. “That do it for you, Rhett? That grin’ ya corn for ya?”
“Hey.” Casey’s voice was a warning snarl. “Watch your mouth, boy. Don’t you ever speak to him like that, you hear? I won’t tell you again.”
“I can speak for myself, for fuck’s sake!” Rhett didn’t know it was possible to feel such a mix of anger at one person and concern over another at the same time and in the same conversation.
“You know what? I don’t give a crap.” Greg moved back to leave.
“No—” Rhett managed to step into the doorway first, blocking Greg’s exit. He ignored the rumble coming from Casey. “Greg. You’re wrong, what you’re thinking. I meant what I said whenI came to the market—that I wanted a date. Not a show. Not whatever you think that was.” He made himself hold Greg’s gaze. “I’m green at this. Doesn’t mean I’m playing games.”
“That so? Well, you’ve got the weirdest way of showing it.” Greg pressed his lips together, his whole face looking as though he were holding a lot in. “I believe you when you say this is your first time out with a guy, because you don’t seem to know how to behave!”
“I warned you about speaking to Rhett like that.” Casey strode forward, his stance reminding Rhett of some of the old photos back in the bar—of gunslingers. It was underlined when he added, “And I only give one warning.”
“That go for everybody or just the folks who don’t do what you want?” Rhett shot back, chest tight. If Casey expected him to flinch, he was going to be disappointed—Rhett Tucker had stared down broncs and blizzards. He could sure as hell stare down one bossy coywolf.
“Oh,right! Like that, is it?” The smile on Greg’s face was a million miles from the interested, polite one he wore at the market.
“Greg.” Rhett heaved in a breath. “He’s not…”What? Damned if I know.Rhett settled on what hedidknow. “We aren’t anything like that.”
“You sure? Because from where I’m standing, it looks a whole lot like you’re ‘that’.” Greg flicked his gaze from Casey to Rhett. “Oh, and don’t come looking for me in the supermarket again. You need anything there, speak to my assistant manager.” With a last scornful snort of breath, Greg pushed past Rhett and stomped back inside.
“Speak to his assistant manager?” Casey echoed, derision in his tone “That’s gotta be the lamest exit line I ever heard!” Laughter bent him double, but then he straightened, slowly,pointing a finger at Rhett “Hold up there. You wentlookingfor him?”
Anger simmered in Rhett, threatening to boil over. He wouldn’t give this infuriating bastard the satisfaction, however. “You have no right to question me or accuse me of anything,” he snapped. “If I want to hang around the market every day and, I don’t know, bring red roses andcandyto Greg Manning, I goddamn will, and there’s not a fucking thing you can do about it!”
He ignored the yellow flash of Casey’s eyes to hiss, “Keep out of Greg’s way, and stay out of my life, too.” Rhett shoved his shoulder into the door to knock it open. He collided with Charlie, coming out for a smoke, and barely paused to apologize, instead banging his way inside.
“Nuh-uh. Not so fast. You just hold it right there, son!” Bard swung into Rhett’s path to block his way before he’d gotten halfway down the bar.
“Bard, you got maybe ten years on me. Meaning you’re in no position to call me son.” Rhett was in no mood for this, whatever it was. At least the music was still playing. When Bard—or Cindy or Mary-Lou—cut the music, it meant something was going down.
“This is a respectable establishment,” Bard began. Rhett almost laughed at that, because Bard’s definition of respectable stretched from line-dance Fridays to a glass case holding “the last hanging rope.” But he also knew Bard had one rule that mattered more than any other—no fights that spilled blood on his floor. He paused when Cindy, standing nearby to eavesdrop, scoffed. “Point taken. In the sense that I always say I don’t care what my customers get up to and I mean it. I got one rule—pay your tab.”
“Huh?” Rhett peered the length of the bar, but Greg was long gone.
“That Manning guy skipped out and said you’d settle the bill,” Bard explained.
“Oh, Jeez, Bard!” Rhett wiped the back of his hand across his mouth. “I got bigger shit to fry than that.” He dug out his wallet and handed over a bill. “Here.”
“Thank you kindly.” Bard headed over to the counter with it.
Dan leaned back from his stool. “Those Akers are trouble. Weird, you know?”
Bard paused where he was ringing up Rhett’s tab on the register. “Want me to ban him? Casey?”
Rhett shook his head. “Not worth it.” He waved away the change Bard was attempting to hand over and continued for the door.
Greg’s Ford Explorer was gone from the lot, and Rhett cursed. He wasn’t interested in Greg as a possible sexual partner and after this evening, it didn’t seem they had a lot in common—including friendship. But he hated the thought of Greg driving off into the dark when he was presumably upset and had drunk two beers but not eaten much food to line his stomach. He had no idea how well Greg tolerated alcohol or what kind of driver he was.
