Page 124 of The Billion Heirs Boxed Set
It’s the truth. and not only did I reveal this to Sadie, but to myself as well.
The waitress brings our meals and we chat about anything and everything. Football, Montana winters, food options in New York, favorite vacations.
Sadie excuses herself to the ladies’ room as I pay the check. I wait for her.
Ten minutes pass. She should be back by now.
I cut through the restaurant to the bathrooms.
I halt at the start of the back hallway. Sadie’s standing there, a guy crowding her in.
“Come on, a pretty lady like you?” the man says, his voice slurred.
I see red. The guy’s crowding her into the wall and she seems so small and fragile trapped by the big guy.
“Step back, please.” Her voice is loud and clear.
It’s not a tone of voice she uses with me. More authoritarian, like a teacher or a…yeah, a law enforcement officer. But she’s not wearing a uniform and she doesn’t have her gun or badge at her hip. Tonight she’s just a woman.
My woman. She’s with me, and she’s mine to protect.
I don’t wait a second longer to intervene.
I approach, slap the man on the shoulder.
“Hey! What’s—”
“Thanks for keeping my girl company for me,” I say. “But I think she just told you to step back.”
I want to bash his nose in and toss the guy behind a dumpster, but this is small-town life and I want to be welcomed back to the restaurant. I also don’t want to taint our date with violence or anything that might involve paperwork on Sadie’s part.
“Wha—”
I tug and he steps back. Sadie steps away and I wrap my arm around her. While the guy might tower over Sadie, I tower over him. He has to tip his head back to meet my gaze. His bloodshot eyes widen, and he swallows. Yeah, you fucked with the wrong woman, asshole.
“It means a lot to me that you’re watching out for her. I don’t want any creepers fucking with her, being pushy and not taking no for an answer. You know what I mean?”
He bobs his head.
I slap him on the shoulder once more, this time with a hell of a lot more force. He stumbles into the wall and since he’s drunk, hits face first. A framed photo of what I assume is historic Montana rattles.
“You good, sweetheart?” I ask.
She looks up at me and nods. I take her hand and steer her out of the restaurant. Once out on the sidewalk, she turns and faces me, our hands still locked together.
“Thanks for taking care of me,” she says. “I wasn’t interested in arresting someone tonight.”
I lean down, look in her eyes to see that she really is okay. She’s not shaking or upset. She’s solid. “It’s my job to take care of you, sweetheart.”
Her face lights up as she smiles. I have to wonder if anyone ever takes care of her. It’s a fucking shame if she doesn’t know what it’s like to have a man watch out for her.
“But I haven’t taken care of you yet.” I lower my voice and kiss her. I can’t wait any longer. The closeness of the dinner, the fact that another man had been skeeving on her… I need to taste her. To know she’s mine.
Her lips are soft, sweet. She tastes like wine and Sadie. She gasps and I delve, my tongue finding hers.
I don’t let our first kiss linger, not here on the street.
“Want more?” I ask.
