Page 57 of Bad Girls Don't Marry Marines (Rock Canyon, Idaho 3)

Justin pushed through the rest of the crowd and tapped the blond douche’s shoulder. When he turned around, Justin’s hardly recognized his own voice, it was so dark.

“What the hell did you say to her?”

Val came around to put her hands on Justin’s chest, but he didn’t look away from the pale asshole who looked like he was about to piss himself.

“Don’t worry about it, Justin. I handled it.”

“What did you say?”

“Damn it, Justin, I don’t need you to fight my battles for me. I’ve been handling myself fine without you.”

His gaze swung down, but nothing in her expression gave away what she was thinking.

Putting up his hands, he said, “Fine. I’ll mind my own fucking business from now on.”

He took off for the door, forgetting his jacket, ignoring her voice calling after him. He made it outside to the first step before the cold air stole his breath and he cursed, but there was no way he was going back in there; he was too pissed.

The door behind him opened and he heard the click of her shoes before she spoke.

“We seem to apologize to each other a lot. I’m not sure it’s healthy.”

He took a deep breath and blew it out hard, the air fogging in front of him, but he didn’t say anything.

“Look, I just found out tonight that this whole weekend was orchestrated by my father in the hopes I would end up with his friend’s son, but I can’t stand him. I was just going to go back to my room and pack, but he . . . well, Kyle isn’t exactly the type of guy to bow out gracefully.”

Justin didn’t react, just listened.

“I have a past. I react horribly and lash out often. My father is a self-serving bastard and my sister is a nightmare. Really, I’ve given you no reason to defend me or stick up for me, so I just have to know . . . why?”

He turned around with a glare. “Why what?”

“Why do you like me? I’m not a good person. People think I cheated on my husband, for God’s sake. Why do you rush to my defense and push my buttons and kiss me like you want to know every deep, dark secret I have?”

The moon glistened off her dark hair, and Justin reached out to cup her cheek, his anger draining at her frank question.

He thought about it, and a dozen different reasons raced through his brain. Because of the way she stood up to people and damned the consequences. Because he still remembered that girl who had so captivated him. Because, despite her belief that there was nothing good about her, he thought she was wrong.

But instead, all he said was, “I have no idea.”

VAL WAS DRUNK, that was for damn sure, or she wouldn’t have asked Justin such a stupid question.

She’d just wanted to walk back to her hotel room, call her father, and lay into him. She hadn’t been prepared for Kyle to come up behind her and offer to walk her to her hotel room. Still, she would have just sneered at his offer if he hadn’t followed it up by saying, “If you want, I could tuck you in too. Give you a little taste of that thing you’ve been fighting so hard against.” His voice had dropped to a creepy whisper next to her ear as he’d added, “I bet you’ll like it.”

He was just lucky it had only been a slap, because when Justin had come up behind him, he’d looked fit to kill.

She hadn’t meant to be such a bitch to Justin after, but that seemed to be her MO. When she’d followed him outside, she’d only wanted to apologize and walk back to the hotel alone. But when she saw his wide shoulders and the way they tapered down to a trim waist, she’d almost wrapped her arms around him. It would have been so easy to cuddle into his broad back and forget about everything else.

And then she’d opened her mouth and asked him why he liked her, like she was an insecure teenager.

“Forget I asked, okay?” she’d said and started to escape, but he’d caught her hand.

“No, I’m not going to forget it,” Justin had said, pulling on her arm, turning her to face him. “I’m tired of waiting for you to decide whether you want me or not. Because I’ve made it pretty damn plain that I want you.”

She’d swallowed against the dryness in her mouth as he stepped into her. He’d leaned down like he was going to kiss her, and she’d closed her eyes, waiting for him to take control, but he never did. She’d opened her eyes to find him watching her closely.

“When you’re ready, I’ll be waiting.”

And with that parting comment, he’d walked past her and back inside.

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