Page 9 of Sinful Justice

Surprised, Tim’s eyes scour the stranger with an emphasis on finding the villain I paint. “Arch! You’re a douchebag?” He sets his beefy hands on his hips. “No way.”

“You know him?” Scowling, I look back to Arch and growl. “You know Tim?”

“Youknow Tim?” His penetrating stare slides over my face and down to my lips. He’d stop on my dimples if I was smiling. So I make damn sure I’m not. “Have you been pals long?”

“Years,” I sneer. “He’s my boyfriend, so I’m gonna need you to back the hell up.”

I place my palm on Arch’s abdomen and try to push him back, but I’m met with rock-hard abs and electricity that sizzles through my forearm. “I said back up.”

“You’re the one touching me, lady.” Instead of stepping away, or stepping forward, Arch slowly glances down at my hand.

Before I think to pull it away, he grabs my wrist in a tight grip—tight enough to warn me he’s stronger, but not so tight that I worry he’s going to snap it. “In some circles, that kind of uninvited touch could be misconstrued as assault.”

“Something the cops might like to consider when I tell them you’ve followed me here from the airport.”

He doesn’t laugh, but the corner of his lips twitch with the ghost of a smile. “Who’s to say you didn’t follow me? I know Tim, after all.”

“Iknow Tim.” I try again to pull my hand free. “He’smyboyfriend.”

“When’s the wedding?” Tim’s voice draws me around until I stop on a playful grin and a bowl of nuts being placed by my drink. “They’ll get you through until your food is ready.”

“Allergic.” I push the bowl away, but what was a gentle touch turns to Tim’s wide eyes and lightning-fast hands whipping them away.

“Thanks.” When the bowl is gone, I look back to Arch and raise a single, dangerous brow. “Can you do the same with him? I’m reasonably sure he’s stalking me, and I’m quite certain I’m allergic to douchebags.”

“Couldn’t be that he lives near here, huh?” Tim leans onto the bar, takes the wrist Arch still has wrapped in his broad hand, and pries me away from the machine-like man. “No touchy. She already thinks you’re a douchebag.”

“She touched me first.” Arch tilts his head and studies my eyes. “New to town?”

“Original pickup question.” I glance back toward Tim. “That’s how he won me over.”

“Lucky him,” Arch rumbles low in his throat. “I didn’t say I was trying to pick you up, though.”

“You’re not?” Tim throws his head back and laughs. “Coulda fooled me.”

I hate how, even with the hot bartender at my back, I can’t peel my eyes from the douchey airport hero. “You’re not?”

“Are you interested?” Arch’s eyes drop to my chest. Then he leans forward, as though trying to peek past the slouchy fabric of my sweater. “Because I know a place.”

“Just like that?” I laugh past the lump in my throat. “You see a woman sitting at a bar, and that’s enough to risk an STD?”

“Do you have the syph?”

“No!”

His lips twitch with humor. “Then why are we discussing STDs?”

“Because you think I’m gonna leave my boyfriend so I can roll around with you.”

“Not your boyfriend.” He lets his eyes slide across my face. “And yes.”

“Yes?” Exhaustion makes me slow. Hunger makes me stupid. And the storm outside makes me actually consider this craziness. “Yes what?”

“Yes, you should let me take you someplace. I live close, he’s not your boyfriend, and I don’t have the syph either. But since we’re kinda new to each other, I volunteer to rubber up.”

“Noble of you.” Glaring, I turn from him and search Tim’s eyes. “Can we marry tonight? I need to be saved from,” I nod back toward Arch, “that.”

“I thought you said you didn’t need to be saved?” Arch grabs my shoulder and drags me around until my legs stop between his. “Something about being strong and independent and all that.”

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