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I frowned, my hands clutching his shirt as my mind spun with the booze and his words. “But... why?”
“I think you know why.”
“Justin—”
“It was getting impossible for me to think straight,” he gritted, his fingers curling into the fabric of my dress. “And I need a clear head to do this job. I’ve never blurred the lines as much as I have with you and it’s seriously fucking with my mind.”
“You’re fucking with my mind, too,” I admitted. “The problem is, I have more than just myself to think about.”
“I know that. Fuck, don’t you think I know that?”
“So, what do we do now?”
“Do you want to stay and have a good time with your friend?” he asked, tilting his head toward Whitney, who was chatting up a couple of other women from the dance studio and eye-fucking a bulky guy on the opposite side of the bar.
“Not really.”
“Then I’ll get you home.” He led me over to say goodbye, his hand at the small of my back.
Whitney’s eyes lifted from me to him, then back. “You’re leaving with Mr. Hottie Pants?” she stage-whispered.
I bit back a smile. “Justin is taking me home. You gonna be okay?”
She waved me off. “I’m good. Just water and hot guys for the rest of the night. You two have a good one.” We hugged and she whispered in my ear, “Please get laid,” before she pulled back and wiggled her fingers at him in a farewell.
Outside, I took a deep breath of night air as Justin led me to his truck. He helped me inside, then got in and started the engine.
Before taking off, he glanced over, the definition of seriousness. “Mr. Hottie Pants?”
I burst out laughing. “If the shoe fits.”
Nineteen
Justin
I drove her home trying my damnedest to ignore the way she smelled like a sex-drenched rose garden. And the way she looked like a goddess with that tight dress on, showcasing every one of her perfect little curves and those toned legs in those fuck-me heels. With her hair straight, it was nearly down to her waist, just begging for my hands to be tangled up in it... and those dark, ruby-red lips... I bit back a groan and tried to reposition myself in my seat so she wouldn’t see my reaction to her.
“Where’s Elizabeth?” I asked to focus my mind on something else. Something safe.
“My parents took her for the weekend.” She shifted to face me, which only served to hike that dress up even higher on her milky-white thighs. “How did you know where I was tonight? Are you following me?”
I flicked her a glance. “It’s sort of in my job description.” Clearly, she forgot that she’d shared her location with me.
“Not like The Bodyguard at all,” she mumbled under her breath.
“What’s that?”
“Nothing. It’s just kind of weird that I don’t know you’re there.”
“You do know I’m there. Just because I’m not in your line of sight at all times doesn’t mean you’re not in mine.”
“I’m not sure if that’s reassuring or creepy.”
“Given the circumstances, go with reassuring.”
“Right.” She huffed out a breath and flopped back to face forward.
“Is everything okay?” I ask.