Chapter 33
Chapter Thirty-Three
W illow knew one thing.
Dancing was awesome.
Also? If it wasn’t for the dancing, she’d have done something really stupid by now. Like crossed the bar to Eric and demanded he tell her where Charlie’s letters were. And if he didn’t know, she’d demand to know why he hadn’t found them yet.
Instead, she danced.
This is maturity. Yup. Wise Willow. That’s me.
The thought made her grin and then giggle.
“What’s so funny, babe?” a male voice said over her shoulder.
She turned to see who was talking to her, which…was a mistake. The room seemed to slosh and move like she was on a sailboat, and she wobbled in her heels before hands darted out to steady her.
“Whoa.” The guy laughed.
She peered up at him, narrowing her eyes to focus.
He was handsome, in a rough-and-tumble kind of way. He had a trucker hat on and a five-o’clock shadow. He was sporting jeans and a T-shirt and was pretty much the exact opposite of a certain super-sexy CEO sitting at the bar…watching her.
It was the feel of Eric’s eyes on her that had her smiling up at this man, even though a little warning bell was going off in the back of her brain somewhere. She was safe if Eric was watching. He’d never let anything bad happen to her.
How did she know?
Hmm. Good question.
The guy’s beer breath was stinky, and he was asking her a question she couldn’t quite make out over the music, so she just kept smiling.
But there was that niggle of a warning again.
She didn’t like this guy.
Why?
She had to mull it over, which was more than challenging when she felt like every thought had to be dragged through three feet of mud to get to her.
Maybe it was the way he was smiling at her, like she was a tasty treat to eat.
Ew.
The thought made her starkly aware of the way he was still holding her arms.
She did a little wiggle move until his hands dropped. There. Now she was good.
Willow spun around and resumed dancing. Her eyes shut, and she let the music sweep through her, the pounding of the bass a soothing pulse that had her hips shaking and her body swaying.
Man, why didn’t she dance more often?
Sure, she danced in the kitchen while she worked, but it wasn’t the same because?—
Her drunken thoughts came to a halt when hands gripped her waist.
What the…? She glanced over her shoulder and frowned. It was the same guy. He was still right there. And he was grinning down at her in a way that made her belly turn.
Gross.
He leaned down. “What’s that?”
Oh. Had she been saying her thoughts out loud again?
She pulled away from the beer breath, out of his grasp.
But he followed.
Seriously?
This guy was annoying. He was interfering with her dancing. She should do something. Or say something.
Stop. I don’t like it. Leave me alone.
But she didn’t seem capable of saying those thoughts out loud.
Shoot.
He went to reach for her again, pulling her close so her body was pressed against his. Double gross. This time she lifted her hands and tried to push him away, but her arms were about as effective as Silly String.
Please leave me alone, mister. You’re killing my happy buzz.
Desperation shot through her when his arm snaked up her back, trapping her in his tight embrace.
“Dance with me, baby,” he whispered in her ear.
She shook her head, trying to wiggle out of his arms when she sensed a looming presence beside her. Like a guardian angel, he appeared out of nowhere. Tall and mighty. He hadn’t uttered a single syllable, but he was an overpowering force.
And just like that, Mr. Handsy dropped his arms and backed away. He was staring at this man, his eyes widening as he took a few steps back.
“I was just, um…” He pointed at Willow, his eyes darting to her, then back to— “I’m gonna go.” Stumbling back a few more paces, he ended up bumping into the table behind him, then spinning and walking for the closest exit.
Willow gaped, then turned to drink in her protector, a sloppy smile tugging on her lips.
Eric’s expression was terrifying. He was still watching Mr. Handsy hurry away, and if she didn’t know this man, she’d be cowering herself. His intense gaze was murderous, his jaw clenched tight. Even his nostrils were flaring.
Resting her hand on his chest, she couldn’t help an uncontrolled giggle.
The noise seemed to snap him out of his thunderous rage, and he glanced down at her, his brows hitching up in surprise. “Is something funny?”
“Yes.” She giggled again. “You.” Then she did what possibly no one ever in the history of man had done before.
She booped his nose.
His lips twitched.
She sighed. Man, she loved when his lips twitched like that. But she loved it even more when he actually smiled.
He arched his brows, all proper and stuffy. “Did you just boop my nose?”
“I did.” She grinned up at him. “But you booped me first.”
“Ah,” he said in that dry voice of his. “I can’t argue with that logic.”
She wasn’t sure if he had any idea what she was referring to, but she didn’t bother reminding him. She wasn’t sure she could explain it coherently enough to be understood.
Her brain was still swimming, and she was pretty sure she was still smiling. Grinning up at him. Just waiting for…
There it was.
An actual smile.
Tucking a lock of hair behind her ear, he brushed his finger lightly down her face.
“I knew you’d keep me safe,” she whispered, her voice catching as a shudder ran down her spine. Her slow brain was only just starting to realize how badly things with Mr. Handsy could have gone if Eric hadn’t been here. Hadn’t been watching out for her.
“We should get you home, love.” He leaned down closer to be heard over the music, and the whiskey on his breath mixed with whatever fancy-pants cologne he wore…
She leaned in to sniff him…and then face-planted against his chest.
His arms came around her. She had a feeling he was just making sure she stayed upright, but it still felt cozy.
Nothing like the unwanted embrace from Mr. Handsy. Eric’s arms were soft yet commanding. She could trust these arms. She instinctively knew this.
Plus, he smelled really good.
She felt the chuckle through his chest as much as she heard it. “Thank you.”
She peeled herself off him to look up at his face.
Shoot, which part had she said out loud this time?
Wrinkling her nose, she tried to hide her faux pas by slurring, “I like dancing.”
The flicker of warmth in those dark eyes made her knees go weak. “I can see that. But if you stick around here, there will be more guys like that one.” He nodded in the direction Mr. Handsy had gone. “It’s not safe for you here.”
She shook her head. “I’m safe.”
He looked like he might argue.
“I’m not worried about more Mr. Handsies.”
His eyebrows dipped in obvious annoyance. “You should be, Willow.”
She shook her head. “Nope.” And then she beamed at him as she slung her arms over his shoulders. “You’re here. And that’s all I need.”