Chapter Twenty-One
RHYS
HER HANDS are beating my back, and I can hear her yelling my name, but I can’t make out what she’s saying over the loud music, however, the language is colorful, and I smile to myself.
The clutch with the tiny strap she had tucked under her arm falls to the ground, and I lean down to grab it and keep walking.
Her fists are pummeling my backside, so I slap her pretty little ass, and she yelps. I drag my palm across the perfect globes, soothing the slap, and my cock jumps in my pants.
The dress she’s wearing leaves nothing to the imagination, so I’m pissed that other men have been looking at her all night. The man who was touching her when I got here damn near lost his fucking hand.
When the agent who’s been watching her called and told me she was drinking too much and looked dressed to kill, I nearly wrecked three times driving here. Call me a fucking asshole, even if she thinks she’s free to do what she wants… she’s mine.
A bouncer steps in front of me as I walk to the front door, and I pull my badge out of my pocket and flash it. I also flash him a fuck-around-and-find-out look, and he puts his hands up and steps to the side.
I walk down the bright sidewalk next to the club toward the back until we are away from the club-goers who are outside smoking and talking in the parking lot and set her on her feet. She teeters like she’s obviously been drinking, so I grab her arms to keep her upright.
Her body is gorgeous in that dress, and I can’t stop my eyes from taking her in from head to toe. If I had a blanket, I would wrap it around her to stop every man in this fucking parking lot from looking at her perfect ass and imagining what it would be like to fuck her.
Because that’s what they’re fucking thinking.
I won’t lie, I’ve been trying not to think about how she would feel wrapped around my dick since I bumped into her that first night.
When I drove her home that night, and she put her foot on my dash to take off her shoes, my dick was hard just from looking at her perfect legs.
As soon as she is steady, her hand strikes across my face, leaving the skin stinging. “Fuck you, Rhys!”
Keeping my eyes locked on her, I nod. “I deserve that.”
She tries to grab her clutch from my hand, but I pull it out of reach to keep her in front of me. She won’t walk away without it. It doesn’t matter if she tries to walk away, I’ll stop her.
Her hazel eyes are swirling with anger and alcohol. “Give me my purse. I don’t want to talk to you.”
Holding her clutch over my head, she puts one hand on my shoulder for balance and tries to grab it again, but her tight little body only bumps into my front, her hand half a foot away from reaching her clutch even when she jumps.
I smirk at her and wrap my arm around her waist to keep her from falling. “Baby, if you think rubbing that gorgeous body against me is going to get your purse faster, you’re mistaken.”
She realizes she isn’t going to get it and shoves my arm off her as she takes a step back, crossing her arms over her chest. Her pink lips are in a tight line, and her chest is heaving with angry breaths. Her makeup is dark across her eyes, and she’s hot as fuck.
I wait for her eyes to meet mine. “Please. Just listen, okay.”
She’s so fucking pretty, it hurts, but her eyes are like lasers cutting through my skin.
“Go ahead, agent dickhead.” She puts the tips of her fingers over her mouth. “Oops, I mean, Abbot.”
Taking a deep breath, I’m not surprised by the extra dose of sass. She’s mouthy when she’s sober.
“I’m sorry, Kinley. I shouldn’t have pushed you away.”
Finally standing still, she watches me like she is waiting for me to say more. Her eyebrows move up her forehead, and she sarcastically holds her hands out to her sides while staring at me. “Is that ALL you’re sorry for?”
My mind races through that day, and I try to remember what else I could have done as I lower her clutch to my side.
I take a step closer to her so my nose is just inches from hers, and lower my voice.
“Are you angry with me for touching you? If I remember correctly, you were enjoying yourself, and I asked you if you wanted me to stop.”
I’ve got to admit, it pisses me off if she wants an apology for that. I asked her to tell me to stop.
Her eyebrows pull together, and she seems to get even angrier. I can’t tell if the flush on her cheeks is from anger or embarrassment. I wasn’t trying to embarrass her.
“Fine, you’re sorry. Can I go now?” She tries to grab her clutch from my side but only succeeds in almost losing her balance. I have to grab her arms again to keep her upright.
“You shouldn’t be here like this, you’re putting yourself in danger.” My hands are still around her arms, making sure she doesn’t fall.
She slaps at my hands with her palms like she’s slapping at a fly, and I have to suppress the amused smile that is trying to stretch over my face. Sober, mouthy Kinley I thoroughly enjoy, but drunk mouthy Kinley is cute as fuck.
“What do you care if I’m in danger? You’re a jerk and a liar, and I don’t want to have anything to do with you.” Her focus is still on slapping my hands. “I was stupid to think you were different.”
Her words are slurring a bit - proof that I got here just in time.
And they fucking sting, too.
Refusing to let go of her arms, I put a lid on the anger at the accusation. “I’ve never lied to you, Kinley. When did I lie to you?”
She stills, and when she looks up at me, hurt is blending with the anger in her eyes, squeezing my chest. I don’t know what she is so riled up about, but seeing her hurting is killing me.
Her gaze moves over my face, and her eyes are losing focus. She lifts her hand and affectionately slides two fingers over my beard, down my jaw. “I didn’t think you’d bench me, I thought you were different. I kinda hoped you’d look at me like that.”
My heart pinches because I know the alcohol is making her vulnerable right now, even though she is talking drunk speak. It’s something she wouldn’t do if she were sober.
As much as I want to find out what she just said means, I need to find out what she thinks I lied about.
Cupping her cheek, I try to keep her focused and bend to her eye level. “Kinley, baby, you’re not making sense. What did I lie about?”
Her focus locks on my eyes as she thinks about something, her hazel orbs swimming with flecks of gold. She blinks as anger and betrayal twist her face, and she lifts her arms to try to twist out of my grip.
Her eyes shine with tears she’s desperately trying to hold back. “If you thought it wouldn’t fucking hurt when you sent him to my house, Rhys, you’re a bigger asshole than I thought.”
Whoa! What the fuck!
The hair on my neck stands up as the heat of rage travels up my spine. I try to keep my voice calm and soft. Even though my anger is boiling beneath the surface, I keep my eyes locked on hers. “Who was at your house, baby?”
She tries to pull her face away and wriggle out of my grasp, but I know if I let go of her, she’ll go down in those heels. She wrinkles her nose like she smells something bad. “Stop calling me baby, you don’t get to call me baby again.”
Securing my grip and waiting until she calms down again, I lift my brows trying to keep my anger hidden. “Kinley, who was at your house?”
Her face crumbles, and she huffs like she’s exhausted as she looks to the side.
“A douchebag with pretty hair.” Her eyes slide angrily back to mine, rimmed with tears.
“Did you really think I would go anywhere with him? You promised I wouldn’t have to deal with him.
I thought I could trust you.” Her voice is small, and her chin quivers a little with her last few words, and it nearly crushes me.
Motherfucker.
“You can trust me, baby, I swear you can. Did he tell you his name? Or where he was going to take you?”
She loses the battle, and the dam breaks as the tears stream down her face, slicing through me like a hot knife.
“You said you would shield me. You said that if it’s up to you, I won’t have to deal with those men.
But not only did you send him to my house, you wanted me to get in the car with him.
” She tries to pull away from me, her tear-streaked face still twisted in anger and hurt. “I don’t want to ever see you again.”
Tightening my grip on her arm and looping my fingers around her nape, I hold her in place. “Hey, hey. Look at me, baby.” I move my face in front of hers and cup her cheeks, forcing her eyes to meet mine. “I didn’t send anyone to your house, okay? The only person I’ll allow to talk to you is Swan.”
Every red flag in my head is flying high and flapping like they’re in a windstorm.
“Did he tell you his name?”
She looks to the side like she’s trying to remember, her nose is pink, and her lips are pouty. “Uhm, I recognized his voice from the call.” Her eyes snap back to mine, and her face pinches. “He looks as gross as he sounds, some guys just can’t cover up slimy, and he’s one of them.”
Trying to be patient, I rub my thumbs across her cheeks. “Focus, baby. Did he tell you his name?”
Her eyes drop to my chin, her focus fading in and out. “Mmm, his name was Sanders. He said you wanted him to check on me.”
“Did he say my name? Did he tell you it was me who sent him?”
Her eyebrows pull together in confusion, and she nods.
Goddamn it.
“What did he look like?”
She looks over my head for a moment as she almost snarls her lip, and with the tone of a high school girl, she squints her eyes.
“He looked stupid. Who wears a long sleeve, thermal henley in fucking July?” She sniffs.
“I told him I wasn’t going anywhere with him and to tell you,” She tries to jab her finger on my shoulder, but it slides over the top as she sways on her feet, “if you want a report from me, the FBI can come to my house to get it.” Her eyebrows lift on her forehead, and she tries to nod like she just told me off.
I can’t stop my smile. “Good girl.”
She wobbles a bit and stares at my chest, her face goes pale as she swallows. “Rhys?”
“Yeah, baby.”
“I think I’m gonna be sick.” The words are more slurred, and her hand slides over her stomach.
Scooping her up bridal style, I fast-walk to the hedges against the privacy fence at the back of the club.
She slaps her hand over her mouth just before I set her legs down and lean her over the greenery.
My arm is around her waist, and I wrap her ponytail around my other hand to keep it from falling over her shoulder.
As she retches, I consider she came out here and drank way too fucking much because she thought I betrayed her. I hurt her, and I feel like the biggest ass in the world. I never should have let her leave my house the other day.
After she heaves her last, she stays bent over for a moment, her bare back against my chest still. “I’m sorry.”
Kissing her shoulder, I move my head next to hers, my chest squeezing like a fucking vice. “You don’t have anything to be sorry for.”
She huffs a laugh as she wipes the back of her hand across her nose. “Nobody likes a sloppy drunk, it’s just gross.”
Helping her to stand up straight, I keep my arm around her waist as she wobbles, and her fingers wrap around my forearm across her stomach. “Everything is spinning.”
“I’ve got ya, baby.” I scoop her up again and start the walk to my SUV.
She melts into me and rests her forehead against my neck.
Her hand slides up my chest and grips me where my neck meets my shoulder as she takes a deep inhale.
“I like the way you smell. When I smell you, I know everything’s going to be okay.
” Her words are slurring like she’s about to pass out, but they wrap around me and burrow under my skin.
My chest warms from the inside out, and I press my cheek to her head. “Everything is going to be okay, baby.”
After I walk the block to my SUV, she’s passed out against my shoulder, and I have to lean the seat back and buckle her in.
She’s not leaving my side again.