Chapter 26
BELLA
I nearly kissed my fiancé’s brother.
And nothing has ever felt so right in my entire life. The way he was eating me up with his eyes melted me.
I finish up paying for the dress with Reggie’s card and Rowan shoves it in the trunk of his Range Rover.
“Where to next, ladies?” he says with a boyish grin.
And then he pulls out a black baseball cap and puts it on backwards, and my legs nearly buckle.
“Oops. My heel got stuck on the pavement,” I giggle, grasping onto Lily’s forearm.
“I’ve got no plans for the day. Shall we grab a cocktail?” she asks.
“I’ve got no plans for the rest of my life. So count me in.” I look to Rowan.
“You in, rockstar? Karaoke? Me and you? Battle it out?”
He chuckles as he opens up the passenger door for me, helping me in. His hand brushes over my ass and pauses, just for a second, but it’s enough to burn me.
“I can’t drink because I’m on bodyguard duties.” He grabs the seatbelt and pulls it over me, leaning in as it clicks.
“But bet your fine ass I’ll sing my heart out for ya.” He winks and shuts the door.
“Holy shit, Bella! The chemistry. Are you sure you don’t want me to go home?”
My cheeks heat.
“No. Please don’t go.” I pout. “I’ve enjoyed getting to know you, I’d love to have a friend here.”
She smiles.
“Of course. Me too. I’m having a party for my birthday on Saturday if you’d like to come.”
“Absolutely yes!”
That’s just what I need, and it’s a perfect time to make some friends outside of my prison. Reggie can’t stop me from going.
“Is Reggie going?”
Lily shrugs. “Hallie said Conan was bringing some of the guys, no clue who.”
I blow out a breath. If he was planning on going without me, I’ll slap his bollocks.
Rowan is whistling when he jumps in the driver's seat; before he sets off, he puts on a band I’ve never heard of.
“Who is this?” I ask.
“Only the fuckin’ best, baby—Sleep Token. Once you hear this, you’ll be a worshiper for life.”
He sings along as he drives us to the bar. I have to admit, it’s powerful. Beautiful even.
And so is Rowan’s attempt to sing it. When the heavy part of the song hits, he’s headbanging. So I hit his arm.
“Concentrate, rockstar. If you crash, I’ll kill you.”
I leave my hand on his arm and he glances down as he stops for the light.
“You wanna hold my hand if you’re scared? I can go faster?”
I scowl at him and he laughs.
“I have three older brothers with adrenaline problems, I can deal with speed.”
I take my hand off him and twirl my thumbs on my lap, my legs bouncing with nerves. This man gives me butterflies. And so does his brother, but those butterflies are pissed off—more of a swarm.
I follow Rowan through the crowd of people in the dimly lit bar with Lily right behind me. As he pushes his way through to the bar, he grabs two stools and helps me up.
“For the ladies,” he winks.
Of course I blush. I can’t help but to with that grin he does.
“Bodyguards stand in the corner, right? Mine used to.”
Lily giggles at that one and orders us a bottle of champagne just as the world's most atrocious singer gets on the mic.
I press my fingers into my ears and squeeze my eyes shut as the voice screeches through the room.
“Fucking hell,” Rowan mutters, turning to see who the hell is making that noise.
“I think we should show them how it’s done. A little duet?” I wiggle my eyebrows at him, egging him to take the challenge.
“How can I say no to that pretty face, huh?”
“Here, something to cool down,” Lily whispers in my ear, handing me the chilled glass of bubbles.
“This is bad, isn’t it?” I whisper back.
She shrugs.
“Sometimes you just can’t help who you fall for,” she says, glancing between me and Rowan.
I tap my nails on the bar. A knot twists in my gut. That knot is Reggie.
Despite our rocky start, there’s something about him I crave. Even if I want to rip his eyes out sometimes, and he’s one of the coldest men I’ve ever met.
I’m drawn to him in a completely different way than I am to Rowan.
“I guess. You joining for karaoke?” I ask Lily.
She holds up a hand and shakes her head.
“God no. I’ll watch, maybe film it,” she says with a grin.
With that, I down my champagne and grab Rowan’s hand as I jump off the bar stool.
Rowan scrolls through the karaoke tablet, grinning like the devil himself.
The lights dim, the cheap disco ball spinning lazy circles across the room, catching flecks of gold in his hair.
“What are we singing, rockstar?” I ask, crossing my arms.
He flashes me that wolfish grin. “Something you’ll know, sweetheart.”
He taps the screen, and the opening riff of ‘I Was Made For Lovin’ You’ by Yungblood blares through the speakers.
“Oh, you’re kidding me.”
He holds out the mic with a mock bow. “Ladies first.”
The room goes wild—well, as wild as this drunken crowd can manage. My pulse races as the lyrics come up, and I glare at him before letting the chaos pour out.
“Tonight, I wanna give it all to you…” I sing into the mic, my voice rough but loud enough to earn cheers.
He joins in on the next line, that deep rasp of his cutting through the noise. We’re inches apart, our energy bouncing off each other like fire and gasoline.
He moves closer, eyes locked on mine, our voices colliding. Every word feels like a confession neither of us should be making in public.
By the chorus, he’s got a hand on my waist, dragging me into him. The crowd is screaming, clapping, phones out. But all I can feel is the heat between us.
I can’t tell if we’re performing or combusting.
When the song ends, he yanks me closer, lips grazing my ear.
“You’re something else, precious.”
“So are you,” I whisper back.
We’re still too close, still riding that high when the applause fades. I hand the mic back to the host and step down from the stage, the adrenaline still pulsing through me.
That’s when it happens.
A man’s hand grabs my ass as I walk past.
I freeze.
Then turn.
Rowan’s already seen it. His entire body changes.
He’s off the stage before I can blink, slamming into the guy so hard the stool clatters to the floor. The crowd gasps as Rowan grabs him by the collar and smashes his head into the edge of the bar.
“What the fuck is wrong with you?” he roars.
“Rowan, stop!” I shout, grabbing his arm. But he’s gone, every muscle straining. I know this look from my brothers.
The guy coughs, dazed, blood pouring from a cut above his eyebrow.
“You don’t fucking touch her,” Rowan growls, voice like thunder. “Ever.”
The whole bar is watching, and my heart is pounding so hard I can feel it in my throat.
“Rowan.” I tug harder, stepping in front of him. My hand lands on his chest, and his breathing finally starts to slow.
He looks at me completely wild, angry, protective—and it hits me that he’d burn down the whole room if anyone laid a hand on me again.
The man scrambles off the floor, clutching his face before staggering away.
Rowan wipes the blood off his knuckles and laughs bitterly. “Guess karaoke’s over, huh?”
I can’t help it, I start laughing too. The tension breaks just enough for me to breathe again.
“Remind me to never piss you off,” I say, still catching my breath.
“I can’t see that happening, sweetness.” He smirks, brushing his hand over my cheek.
And I swear, for a moment, the whole room disappears.