Page 72 of Bitter Queen (Advantage Play 4)

“I’m good. Thank you, though.”

“Come on…. What’s a girl like you doing in a place like this?”

Playing dumb, she returns, “What do you mean, a place like this?”

He sits down beside her without waiting for an invitation. Conceited asshole. My phone creaks in protest as I take my frustration out on the damn thing before it starts buzzing.

Raising it to my ear, I growl, “Yeah?”

“Don’t go in there,” Dex orders. “Let her handle it.”

I don’t bother to reply as I keep my gaze glued to the train wreck in front of me.

“Let me buy you a drink,” the asshat repeats. It’s not a question.

“No, thank you,” Q politely refuses. Her voice is soft. Gentle. And only eggs him on.

“Come on, babe. Let me take you out to a real place. One that’s better than this dive bar you stumbled into. A pretty girl like you is too pure to be in a place like this.”

“I’m not really interested, but thank you,” she repeats.

He leans forward, using his height to intimidate her. “It wasn’t a question.”

“I-I’m just here for a drink.”

“And I’m here to get laid.” His hand inches up her knee beneath the barstool, paralyzing her with fear as she looks down at it.

I can’t see his face, but I can see hers. Wide eyes. Pale skin. Her tongue darts out between her lips to moisten them before she sucks one into her mouth and starts chewing on it until she can taste blood.

She’s terrified.

And I’m done watching this shit.

I look both ways, then cross the street and rip the door to the bar open with a bit too much force. If only I gave a shit.

“Hey, baby girl. Sorry I’m late.” I ignore the asshole who was bothering her and grab her neck before forcing her to kiss me. The tension and surprise in her frame melt instantly as I suck her lower lip into my mouth and taste the blood I’d been expecting. After rubbing my tongue across it, she whimpers and grabs on to my T-shirt like her life depends on it. Fuck, she tastes good.

Her fingers tangle in the thin fabric covering my chest, desperate to keep me in place as I devour her whole. And I will devour her.

Later.

When we don’t have an audience.

Searching for the last of my restraint, I pull away and take her in. Her once pale cheeks are flushed with anticipation, and her eyes are practically glowing with lust as she stares up at me, waiting for me to lift her onto the bar and screw her right here. She’s completely oblivious that the asshole who was bothering her is only a few feet away. Watching. Waiting to see if I’ll leave her alone again.

Not a chance in Hell.

Jaw tightening, I turn around and face the asshole who can’t take a hint. “There a problem here?”

“Possibly,” he replies with a noncommittal shrug.

“Were you bothering her?”

“We were just chatting.”

“Is that what you were doing? Because it looked like she didn’t appreciate your presence.”

“I think she appreciated it just fine. We were actually about to leave, isn’t that right, babe?”