Chapter 19
My blood pressure feels as though it’s through the fucking roof. All night I’ve had to watch the two of them chatting and laughing together, her throwing back one drink after the other. I’ve totaled it at seven. The last straw was her on the dance floor with the fucker. When he put his hands on her, I felt like flying across the room and punching his lights out. But I know I can’t, she’s not mine, and if I did it would look bad. Really bad. So, I kept my cool, watching her instead, and when he whispered in her ear and she turned white as a ghost, I knew it was time to put an end to this shit show.
She stumbles out of the ladies’ room, and it takes her a second to realize I’m here. When she does, she jumps in shock, asking me what I’m doing here. What is she doing I would like to know.
“Taking your drunk ass home.” I place a hand on her shoulder, trying to steady her so she doesn’t end up on the floor.
“I’m good, thanks. I’m here on a date.” She fakes a smile, trying to brush me off, but if I let her go, she will end up on her ass, so I hold tight.
“You’re not good, you’re drunk off your ass. And any guy who lets you get into this state on his watch isn’t worth dating,” I huff out. I want to give her a piece of my mind about putting herself in danger doing something so stupid. She’s new around here, and letting her friend talk her into going on a date with Mason was a terrible idea.
“I disagree. I was having fun with him. He was dancing with me. You never dance with me. You’re all business. All work and no play,” she says, leaning into me, and I catch a waft of her damn shampoo. Why does she smell so goddamn delightful? She glances up at me, her lashes slowly fluttering. She moves her hand into my hair, running her fingers through it playfully. Too familiar and very flirty. It sends signals to my body, making me want what I can’t have. I knew coming tonight would be dangerous.
I watch her, raising a brow in question. “What the hell have you been drinking?” I mutter, unimpressed.
“Wet Pussies. You should try ‘em, they’re sooo good.” She stumbles forward, and I catch her. I need to get her out of here, she’s a mess.
“I’ll take your word for it,” I grumble. Those things are strong, no wonder she’s so messy on seven of the fuckers.
“I’m pretty sure your favorite. What was it you said to me last week, tell me how wet you are for me? Something like that.” She chuckles to herself.
Now she’s a comedian. I look over my shoulder, making sure no one is watching us before I wrap my arm protectively around her. “Right, time to go.”
She smiles up at me all dreamy, and I wonder what on earth she’s thinking about.
“What are you smiling at?” I shake my head, already knowing this is a mistake, but I can’t just leave her here like this. She’s in a state. She’s impressionable, and she needs to go home and sleep it off.
“You.” She giggles. “My Southern hero. Where did you come from to save me?”
I sigh heavily. “I’ve been here all night watching you.”
She narrows her eyes at me. “I didn’t see you.”
“I was with Parker and Elliot, having a quiet night. You would have been too inebriated to notice.”
We walk through the bar, and she glances over at the booth where they had been sitting. “Where are the others?” she asks, annoyed her friends have gone without her.
“Parker is walking Paisley home, she’s not much better than you.”
“What about our dates?”
“Pretty sure Elliot is giving his brother and Mason a rap over the ear for the condition you girls are both in,” I growl out, wishing it was me. The two of them wouldn’t be getting off with just an earful if it was. I knew Mason was trouble. I should have put a stop to all this a lot sooner.
She falls silent. We make it out front to my truck, and I open it up, helping her in the passenger side. She stares back at me, all doe-eyed. “It’s not their fault. I’m twenty-three, I know how to drink responsibly.” She slurs her words, proving she doesn’t.
“Doesn’t look like it to me,” I say, slamming the door then going around to the other side to hop in. I slide my jacket over her legs, and she pulls it up, cuddling into it. I start the engine and drive out of the parking lot.
She sighs heavily, leaning into the passenger door sleepily. “I was just bored. I drank more than I normally would.” She turns her face to look at me. “If you took me out, I wouldn’t have had to,” she says like her current condition is my fault.
I ignore her comment and keep my eyes on the road. She can’t say things like that to me. If I could be the one taking her out, I would be. Watching her with him tonight was torture.
Her hand comes to my thigh, and I drop my gaze away from the road for just a second. She’s so damn pretty, looking up at me like I’m someone different to who I really am. “Don’t you ever just want to stop being so serious and have a little fun?” she says playfully. She’s really testing my patience tonight.
I stare out over the open road, wishing I could. But right now, I have my family legacy resting on my shoulders. The hotel doesn’t take a day off, so neither do I. “The last time I did, we ended up not talking to each other all week,” I tell her. Last Sunday, I let myself give in to my urges, and it’s been nothing but a nightmare since. If she wasn’t so drunk, she would still be annoyed with me.
“But it was fun while it lasted,” she whispers sleepily.
I flick on the blinker, turning out of town toward my ranch. “We ended up in this mess.”
She sighs, then turns her head, looking out the window. Before long, her breathing grows heavy, and it becomes obvious she’s fast asleep. The rest of the car ride to my place is peaceful. Every few minutes I glance over at her, checking to see she’s still breathing. She messed with my brain tonight, made me think things I never wanted to consider—her with someone else. I’m not sure what to do about it in our current circumstances, but I know no man is ever touching her again. I’ve made my mind up on that.
I pull my truck into the ranch, dust kicking up behind me, as I kill the engine. Glancing over at Gisele, she is sound asleep like a newborn kitten, all curled up and cute. Wondering what in the world I’m supposed to do with this sleeping beauty now, I run a hand through my hair. I should have taken her home to her place. I know I should have.
She’s going to wake up with a head pounding louder than a church bell on Sunday morning. Serves her right, though, for throwing back extra-strong cocktails all night.
The ranch is quiet. This is my favorite time of day. No one around bothering me, just the night sky full of stars. I wish I could bring her out here and show her this place properly, I think she would love it. I scratch my head, thinking about how to get her inside without waking her up. Should’ve figured she’d fall asleep right there in the passenger seat.
I swing open my house front door and then mosey around to where she’s nestled in. Cracking open her door, I undo her seatbelt and scoop her up into my arms. She’s light as a feather and snuggles into me. Carrying her through the house, I make my way to my bedroom.
When I messaged Emerson earlier to let Gisele’s housemates know where she is, I said she’d be sleeping off her bad choices on the couch. But in her current state, I don’t fancy leaving her alone. She could choke on her own puke, and I won’t have that on my watch. So, I lay her down gently on my bed.
I go through my things to find a T-shirt she can wear to sleep in. Can’t have her snoozing in that sparkly, sequined number. I’m sure it wouldn’t be comfortable. When I come back, she is perched at the end of the bed, looking disoriented.
“Where am I?” she asks, combing a hand through her tangled hair.
“I brought you home.”
“To your place?” she asks, confused.
“I wasn’t taking you to yours in your current state. Told you Paisley was trouble.” She doesn’t argue, just takes the shirt I fetched and starts fussing with her zipper.
“Can you help, please?” she says, turning her back to me.
I lend a hand as she wiggles out of the sparkly dress of hers, and she tosses the shirt over her head. It’s downright huge on her, but it’ll do for sleeping in.
She turns back toward me, all sleepy. “Thank you for rescuing me again.” She smiles, and it’s the prettiest thing I have seen in days. She’s so beautiful, and now she’s all soft and sleepy and in my room. It takes everything in me not to act on my urges.
“If you’d listened to me in the first place, you wouldn’t have found yourself needing rescuing,” I chide, still peeved she let herself get so fucking drunk.
“But it’s so much fun watching you save me.” I catch the sarcasm in her voice. She gazes up at me, her big blue eyes of hers all droopy. “I hate that you’re my boss.”
“I ain’t thrilled about it either, sweet pea.”
Her hand skates up my arm, playing around. “If you weren’t my boss, I would kiss you right now.”
She’s a real temptress, fucking with my head in the worst way possible. She knows how much I want her, and she’s making it impossible. “You’re drunk, Gigi,” I warn, trying to keep a level head. She needs to go to sleep before this gets any more out of hand, and so do I.
She starts messing with my hair, running her fingers through it, her big blue eyes looking up at me, melting my insides. Lord, why’s she gotta be so irresistible?
“I still know what I want. Didn’t want to go home with Mason,” she says, watching me close, her teeth biting into her bottom lip. “You’re the only guy I want, Brody.”
I swallow hard, her words hitting me in a way she probably doesn’t even realize. Fuck, she shouldn’t have said that. I drop my head closer. Taking in her sweet scent, it’s darn right intoxicating. I know I’m playing with fire, but she’s just so fucking hard to resist.
Next thing I know, she’s moving in, pressing her lips to mine, and for a moment, I let her kiss me. I even fucking kiss her back—it’s been what I’ve wanted from the first time I laid eyes on her in that conference room. But I know this is an impossible situation. And since I’m the one who’s supposed to be keeping it together, I pull away from her.
“Time for sleep,” I tell her, hating myself but knowing it’s for the best. I want her but not like this.
“You’re no fun.” She pouts.
I move away from her, pulling back the comforter so she can slip under the sheets. She makes herself comfy, and I turn out the bedside lamp. Stripping down to just my boxers, I slide into bed beside her, lying back and closing my eyes.
“Go to sleep, Gigi,” I say, still feeling her eyes on me.
“It’s a little hard when I know you’re half naked next to me,” she sasses.
“Go to sleep,” I tell her again firmly, making it clear that nothing else is happening tonight, no matter how much I know she wants it. No matter how impossible it is for me to keep myself in check. My cock is harder than a hickory nut. I want her more than I’ve ever wanted any woman, but not like this. I’ve already crossed too many fucking lines tonight. I won’t cross another.