Page 4 of A Forbidden Arrangement
“I promise I’ll go slower with the next one.”
He glances at me from the corner of his eye before heading down the line to the next customer. Yeah, I wouldn’t believe me either.
Without his distraction, my thoughts are pulled back to Bradley. I do my best to resist pulling my hair and dropping my face to the smooth surface—barely though. I really messed up this time. I’d given absolutely everything to him without noticing he didn’t give anything back. Sure, there were flowers and fancy words, but when it came down to it, I was the one who sacrificed everything. It’s always been about him. Whathewants. What’s best forhiscareer. What I can do to help supporthim.
What did that get me? Perched at a bar, drowning myself in a bubbly drink, doing my best to pretend my life didn’t just implode.
I down my second glass, the bartender sliding me a third without me having to ask. He seems to read my mood and doesn’t stop to chat.
I can’t say the same for the man who takes up the stool directly to my right. A quick glance tells me there are at least five others available.
He leans in too close, breath sour. “I haven’t seen you here before.”
Hell, even his voice makes my skin crawl, and I’m halfway out of my seat before he’s clamping a hand on my shoulder, holding me in place.
I try to catch the bartender’s attention, but he’s wrapped up serving another customer, leaving me with this lowlife.
“I’m just stopping in. Actually, I should go.” I try peeling his hand off, but it just makes him grip harder.
“Come on, don’t be like that. We all know why someone like you would come somewhere like this.” His lips curve in a mockery of a smile. “I’ve got the bank account you’re looking for.”
My stomach churns. “I’m not looking foranyone.”
“Ahh, playing hard to get. You don’t have to play those games with me. I’m already interested enough that we can skip all that bullshit.”
“No, really…I’m…” I don’t get the words out, his grip turning painful.
“I said I don’t want to play games.” Pain radiates through my arm as he tugs me close enough that the stench of his breath hits me in the face.
I freeze. My body folds in on itself, instinct locking me in place while every nerve screams at me to shove him off.
Then…something shifts.
A weight settles at my back, not touching, but close enough to feel the heat.
“She’s with me.” The voice is deep, calm, controlled. An arm rests on the counter beside me, caging me in. I can’t take my eyes away from the way thick veins travel up his forearm,disappearing into the white of his rolled-up sleeve. The watch circling his wrist looks like it would slide all the way up my forearm.
Warmth fills my stomach, a tingling sensation between my shoulders from where he’s almost touching me. I force myself to resist the urge to close the distance. Now is not the time, and this is not the man.
Without even seeing him, he’s giving off apex predator vibes, where the asshole in front of me, who’s now officially shaking, is giving off scavenger.
Something about him at my back has me straightening my posture and pulling back my shoulders. His hum of approval has the hair rising on my neck and my chin lifting higher, until I’m staring at the other man…if you can call him that.
“I…shit…I didn’t know.” My wannabe assaulter stumbles through his words. “I’m sorry. I swear I didn’t know.”
“You are apologizing to the wrong person.”
His nose scrunches up like he’s trying to decode some kind of riddle. Of course it doesn’t cross his mind that he should say sorry tome.
Hard muscles press firmly into my back, heat seeping through my clothes and branding my skin as the man behind me crowds in. I don’t miss the way his chin clears the top of my head, making him an easy six foot four.
Still shaking, the weasel’s attention clicks to me, as if he suddenly remembered I’m there. “I’m…”
Oh, come on, is it really that hard?
A low rumble comes from behind me, causing the other man to stumble back.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean any harm…I mistook the situation…I…” His head bows low, eyes no longer meeting mine. “Please forgive my mistake.”
