Chapter Thirteen
COOPER
Iwatched Griffen lead Alice to the dance floor and drew in a slow breath, one last effort to get my temper under control. It didn’t work.
This whole fucking night had been a fucking disaster, starting with my mother and those goddamn fucking party invitations. I'd known she had something up her sleeve when we left for the party, but I hadn't imagined it was Heather Spencer.
Heather wasn't all bad, but she was very much not my type. I was going crazy standing there with Heather hanging all over me while the only woman I wanted was across the room.
My chest had ached at Alice’s haunted, bruised eyes as she watched Heather push a tart between my lips. I’d resisted the urge to smack Heather’s hand away. It wasn’t her fault my mother had shoved her so publicly between me and Alice.
Setting me up with Heather explained why my mother had invited Alice when she hated her so much. The moment Lacey handed Alice her invitation I should have known Lacey had something like this up her sleeve.
I wouldn’t humiliate Heather even if I didn’t like her, but I wasn’t above lying to get her out of the room for a while. She and my mother distracted by a story about a friend who was looking for them, I was on borrowed time, wasting it watching Griffen and Alice dance.
Griffen slid his arms around Alice, pulling her close. Way too fucking close. His fingertips grazed the creamy skin exposed by the V at the back of her dress. I was going to fucking kill him.
The fact that Griffen and Alice were only friends, that she would never cheat on me, that he would never go after my girl—it all meant nothing as I watched Griffen lead her in smooth arcs around the dance floor.
He was fucking with me. I knew it and it didn't matter. I was still going to fucking kill him.
The low voice beside me barely penetrated the rage flooding my brain. “You going to let that go?” Knox asked, his arms crossed over his chest and a knowing look in his eyes.
“What the fuck do you want me to do about it?” I ground out.
“If anyone danced with Lily like that I’d rip his fucking head off,” Knox said in such a calm, even tone I had no doubt he spoke the truth.
Griffen swung Alice in a circle, dipping her over his arm, the arch of her back pressing her ripe cleavage into the bodice of her gown.
My vision went red.
If he looked down at her breasts—
Shooting a knowing glance at me, Griffen did exactly that, his eyes hot and appreciative, his glance lingering.
He might be Alice's friend, but he was a man. Every inch of Alice was sexy on her worst day, but in that dress, her breasts were fucking spectacular.
“You keep grinding your teeth like that you're going to crack one,” Knox said blandly.
“Shut the fuck up.” That was the best I could come up with. Every part of my brain was wrapped up trying to leash the caveman inside me.
The caveman didn’t give a shit about promises or good manners. He wanted Alice.
That’s it. Alice.
Maybe the caveman also wanted to throw a punch right into Griffen’s perfect jaw for daring to touch her.
Alice was mine. Mine.
Don't make a scene at your brother's engagement party, I lectured myself.
The party he didn't even want, the devil on my shoulder whispered.
Alice wants to keep things a secret at work.
Because she's afraid you’re going to dump her, the devil countered. But that's not going to happen, is it?
I knew it even if Alice didn't.
You promised you wouldn't compromise her, but since you’re keeping her, letting everyone know wouldn't be compromising her, would it?
Fuck, the devil on my shoulder had a convincing argument.
Griffen led Alice into another spin. She stumbled and he caught her, pulling her even closer, his mouth dropping to her ear, the words he whispered just for her. Alice tipped her head back and laughed, eyes bright.
Griffen’s face hovered above hers, his mouth a breath from kissing her.
I shoved Alice's discarded champagne glass in Knox’s hands as the devil on my shoulder joined forces with the caveman inside me.
I was done being reasonable. Done looking out for other people.
Done with my mother.
Done with Heather.
Done with this whole fucking disaster of a party.
I strode across the ballroom, bumping into another couple without apology. Alice saw me coming, her eyes flashing wide in alarm.
My hand closed on Griffen’s shoulder and wheeled him around. When his eyes met mine, they weren't surprised. They were wickedly amused.
Without a word, I hauled my arm back and swung.
Griffen wasn't some drunk asshole. He was one of my top guys and he hadn't had a sip of alcohol.
He shifted at the last second, and my fist missed his nose, connecting with the side of his jaw.
The impact was muted, but still enough to send him down hard.
He stayed there, splayed on the ballroom floor, grinning up at me.
My obstacle taken care of, I closed my hands around Alice's waist and tossed her over my shoulder, clamping an arm over the back of her thighs to keep her dress from flipping up.
I was almost at the door, the murmurs of the party guests a wave of sound rising behind us before Alice started to squirm. Beating her fists against my back she demanded, “Cooper, put me down. What are you doing?”
I strode through the doors of the club, keeping my mouth shut. Hitting Griffen was bad enough. I wouldn't spit out words in anger that I couldn't take back later.
Shifting Alice, I reached inside my jacket and pulled out the valet ticket. The valet, a wizened old man who'd been at the club for decades, didn't so much as blink as he took the ticket and nodded.
“One moment, Mr. Sinclair.”
Alice growled, her voice drifting up from behind me. “Put me down, Cooper.”
I only tightened my arm. If I put her down she’d try to run. Then I’d have to chase her, and this whole thing would be more embarrassing. For her.
I wasn't the least bit embarrassed. The devil on my shoulder had been right.
Claiming Alice publicly felt better than anything I'd done since I'd kissed her two weeks before.
My car was there two minutes later. I'd driven my Aston Martin, and the valet staff always put it at the front so the other members could admire its sleek lines.
I didn't give a shit who saw the car, but the convenience was an advantage when I had a furious woman thrown over my shoulder. Not that this was a common occurrence.
I deposited Alice in the passenger seat, leaning in to fasten her seatbelt, warning, “Don't even think about getting out.”
She ignored me, arms crossed over her chest, chin jutting up, eyes fixed on the window. Not a word passed between us on the short drive back to the Sinclair Security building.
I should have been worried that she was pissed. I wasn’t.
Every moment I’d pretended there was nothing between us had felt wrong. Acting like she was just another woman was a betrayal of everything I felt for her. A betrayal of everything I wanted from her.
She was pissed. She had a right to be. Yet again, I'd acted like a fucking caveman. I’d gone against her wishes, not only claiming her but making her into a spectacle.
All my darker impulses knew I’d made the only choice she’d left me. That caveman inside me, the devil on my shoulder, they knew if I waited for Alice to give me permission we’d still be dancing around each other a year from now. Two years from now.
She didn’t believe in me.
If I waited for her to get there on her own, I’d be waiting for eternity.
We were safely locked behind the door of my place before Alice acknowledged my presence. Stepping out of her sky-high heels, she picked up one delicate shoe and hurled it at my face.
I dodged it easily.
Her control snapped.
“How could you do that to me? Everyone we work with was there. Everybody knows.”
“He had his hands all over you,” I said, thinking that was explanation enough. From Alice's uncomprehending stare, I knew it wasn't.
“It was Griffen,” she said. “Griffen. You know, your best friend?”
“He was about to kiss you.”
Alice threw her hands in the air as she stepped out of the other shoe, turning it in her fingers and looking at me as if considering whether she should throw that one, too. “Are you nuts? He was not going to kiss me.”
“Trust me, he was.”
Griffen had absolutely been about to kiss Alice. I knew that just as I knew he'd been pushing my buttons the whole time. I fucking knew it and it didn't matter. Griffen had been sure I'd stop him before his lips touched hers.
Later, I'd probably regret the bruise I’d left on his jaw. Later, but not yet.
Alice stomped her small foot and winged her other shoe at my head. My hand snapped up and caught it. Smiling, I met Alice's furious eyes, the clear blue of the summer sky. Even furious she was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen.
I tossed her shoe behind me, crossing the room until I stood before her.