Page 10 of Clashing

More than aware I was giving him a look right down my shirt, I bent for the pitcher. “I sure do.”

He gave me a once-over, gaze lingering on my tits. I winked, then returned to the bar with an extra sway in my hips.

Maybe I was terrible. Maybe I was pathetic. But I wanted to be with someone tonight to forget about Ryker and my mortifying breakdown. I couldn’t be alone in my head. I needed a distraction.

A customer at the bar asked to cash out as I passed by, so I filled my table’s pitcher and stopped at the register to print the customer’s check. I tapped my nails against the counter as I waited for the old thing to print, making a point to not peek at where Ryker was sitting a couple stools over.

Avoiding him distracted me, and I didn’t notice Green Eyes approach until he braced on the counter with a show-stopping smile. “Hey, Scarlett, I was hoping to get something a little extra.”

I leaned over the bar, pushing my tits together. “What can I get you, Green Eyes?”

Again, his eyes dropped to my breasts. Good.

“I don’t know, beautiful. What do you suggest?”

“I’m a whiskey girl, myself. I could bring you a shot of my favorite,” I offered, brushing absolutely nothing off his shoulder. “I don’t know, though. You’ve been drinking beer all night. Sure you can handle it?”

“Oh, beautiful, I can handle anything you throw at me.” He grinned before lifting his eyes to mine. “Question is, can you handle me?”

He walked away, and I arched a brow. Intriguing.

Maybe he was more interesting than I gave him credit for.

Once I dropped off my other customer’s check, I poured Green Eyes a shot of whiskey and delivered it with the pitcher of beer.

I made a point to brush up against him as I dropped off the drinks.

“Well?” I gestured to the whiskey.

He flashed me a smirk, and instead of taking it like a shot, sipped on it with a straight face. “It’s good. What else you got that’s good, Scarlett?”

“Plenty of things. You just tell me what I can do for you, handsome.” I squeezed his bicep and turned to walk away. His hand closed around mine before I made it to the bar.

Green Eyes tugged me to him and set his hands on my hips. “There’s a lot of things you can do for me, beautiful. Do you get a break soon?”

Oh, a quickie. I could live with that. It might ease the tension for the rest of the night. But we were busy, and I wasn’t handling as many customers as Tammy.

“Sorry, handsome.” I crawled my fingers up his chest. “No break tonight. But if you were inclined to stay until closing, well,” I kissed his cheek, then walked away, “that’s another story.”

While I served other customers, I glanced his way. Every time, he was watching me. Yeah , he’ll stay all night for me.

Time crawled, and the crowd finally dwindled. I’d had to pee for almost an hour. After informing Tammy, I rushed to the bathroom in the hallway. On my way back, a pair of arms wrapped around me.

“Hey, beautiful,” Green Eyes cooed. “They can live without you for ten minutes, can’t they?”

I turned in his arms, and he pressed me against the wall. My arms snaked around his neck, and his hands slid to my ass, pulling me against his crotch.

I shouldn’t have compared but . . . His hands had nothing on Ryker’s. Neither did his erection.

Dammit. Stop thinking about Ryker. I shut my eyes as Green Eyes’s lips landed on my neck. He left one hand on my ass and brought the other up, grazing my breast. My suggestion to move somewhere more private never happened because his touch disappeared.

My eyes opened in time to see Ryker throw him against the opposite wall, yanking him up by his collar so high the man’s feet kicked in the air.

I smacked his arm. “Ryker!” I might as well have done nothing. He didn’t budge.

“You and your friends get the fuck out. Don’t touch her again,” he snapped, pulling the guy away from the wall and shoving him back into it.

“Ryker, what the hell? He wasn’t assaulting me. I encouraged him!”

“Scarlett.” His low tone almost made me shiver. “Go to the front.”

“No, leave him alone!” I insisted, trying to pry Ryker’s hands off the poor guy.

Ryker ignored me, turning his glower to Green Eyes, who was stunned to silence.

“I’m going to put you down. You’re going to walk out there, leave cash on the table, get your buddies, and get the fuck out.

If I see you here again, if I see you look at her again, I’ll beat the shit out of you. Got it?”

Green Eyes lifted his arms in surrender. “Got it, man. She’s yours.”

Ryker dropped him, and he stumbled to gain his footing, then scrambled out of the hallway. Anger surged through me, and I smacked Ryker’s arm hard enough he turned to glare at me.

“What the fuck is wrong with you!” I shoved him. “Why did you do that?”

A muscle in his jaw pulsed. “Careful, sugar.”

“Don’t sugar me, you asshole. He didn’t do anything!”

“He had his hands on your ass,” Ryker growled. “And he was planning to do a lot more.”

“So was I, idiot. Until you ruined it!”

He took a step toward me. “You were planning to fuck him?”

“Obviously. Thought that was pretty clear.”

“It was clear.” Ryker took another step. “It was clear in the way you touched him, showed him your tits, flirted with him. It was pretty fucking clear.”

“Then why did you interfere?”

He clenched and unclenched his fists, nostrils flaring. Eventually, he hauled me into the bathroom, locked the door behind us, and caged me against it, his chest heaving. Oh, God. Not thinking about him wouldn’t work now. Why did he look so hot when he was angry?

“Listen here, sugar. As long as I’m here, you’re not going to fuck random guys. You don’t know what they’re planning. You don’t know what they might do, if they might take it too far. It’s fucking dangerous, and you’re too sexy for all of them.”

“Are you fucking kidding me? That’s what this is about? You jackass.” I threw all my weight into shoving him. “One time I made a mistake in trusting the wrong person, and you throw it in my face. What the fuck is wrong with you?”

His eyebrows shot up, and he shook his head. “Scarlett, that’s not what I meant.”

“It’s what you said. You think I can’t take care of myself? You think I’m stupid? I’m not, okay? I’ve made mistakes, but I’ve learned, and I can fucking take care of myself, so don’t you dare treat me like a child!”

“You’re certainly acting like one right now. I’m aware you can take of yourself. But as long as I’m here, I’m going to do it too. Get used to it.” The aroma of leather and scotch wafted more potently the closer he drew. “I have to know. What exactly was your plan? Let him fuck you in the bathroom?”

I lifted my chin. “Maybe. So what?”

“No.” He clenched his jaw. “Not fucking happening. Not with him. Not with anyone else.”

“What do you mean, no ? You don’t have a say. We aren’t together. We did exactly what you wanted. We fucked, you left, and you’ve been ignoring me all night, so what does it matter to you?”

“I stayed with you, Scarlett. Like I said I would.” He cocked his head. “Is that why you’re pissed? You thought I left after telling you I’d stay?”

“No, genius, I’m pissed at you for throwing out the guy I wanted to sleep with! And you didn’t stay. Not that it matters.” I averted my eyes. “I woke up alone.”

“Sugar.” His tone softened, and he tipped my chin up. “I had to work. I didn’t want to leave you, but I had no choice, and you needed sleep after what happened. Didn’t you see my note?”

My brows furrowed. “Note?”

“I left you a note on the nightstand.”

My shoulders slumped. “There was no note on the nightstand.”

“Maybe it fell?”

I didn’t think to check. For the second time in less than twenty-four hours, embarrassment burned my face.

I jerked out of his grasp and shook my head.

“It doesn’t matter. The point is, you have no right to tell me who I can sleep with.

You certainly can’t threaten them. You gonna attack every guy who walks in the bar? ”

“You gonna try to fuck every guy who walks in the bar?” He stood over me, his presence domineering in a way I shouldn’t have found attractive. “Because then the answer’s yes. I’m going to attack every motherfucker who walks through that door.”

“Why? You haven’t looked at me all night! We had our time, and it’s over.”

“It’s not fucking over.” He dipped his head, our faces inches apart.

“You want to know why I didn’t look at you all night?

Because I couldn’t, Scarlett. One glimpse, and I’d haul you somewhere to bunch up this fucking skirt.

Goddammit, can you not dress normally? Do you have to wear clothes like this?

” The muscles in his neck strained. “You’re killing me here. ”

Unsure what to say, I blinked. Rubbed my thighs and tried to ignore the ache building between them at his confession. “Why would it be so bad to be with me again?”

“I don’t . . . Fuck, shit,” he spat, retreating. “I just can’t.”

“Because of what happened?” Anger didn’t stop tears from stinging my eyes. Do not cry in front of him again.

“No. That’s not—” He sighed, shaking his head. “That’s not why. Though I admit, I was surprised to see you encouraging Blondie after the night you had.”

“I’m not a porcelain doll.” I balled my fists.

“I’m sorry you witnessed last night. I really am.

But it’s not your choice if I’m ready to be with someone else.

It’s mine . And I would like to pretend every part of last night didn’t happen.

Part of pretending means you leave me alone and don’t scare away the next guy I choose. ” I turned and opened the door.

It slammed shut, and Ryker’s body pressed against me from behind, his hands sliding to my hips where his tight grip stirred desire.

Oh no. The ache returned with a vengeance.