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CHAPTER SIXTEEN

SUTTON

Sometimes I missed the anonymity of a big city.

There was something to be said for being able to swing by the grocery store at 2 a.m. for some emergency ice cream without running into a soul.

I couldn’t do that in Starlight Cove—only partially because the grocery store wasn’t even open past eight.

But also because I couldn’t walk anywhere without someone calling out a hello.

I’d only been here for a short time, and the residents already knew me by name.

Case in point, the four people who’d stopped me between my car and One Night Stan’s just to say hi.

So, when my name was called for a fifth time, I didn’t think twice before turning around.

Since I’d been expecting to be greeted by a patient from earlier in the week or one of Mabel’s friends, it took me a moment to register what I was actually seeing.

Doug—as in, weird ex-boyfriend Doug who lived more than a thousand miles away—strolling toward me with that smile that always seemed a bit too calculated.

What in the actual fuck?

I glanced around at the handful of people milling about on the sidewalk, grateful now for this nosy small town because at least there’d be witnesses if I needed them.

While I wanted to believe I didn’t have anything to worry about from this guy—he was just a harmless accountant—that still didn’t stop my hackles from rising.

“Sutton, hi.” He rested a hand on my hip and leaned down to kiss my cheek.

I stiffened at the contact and stepped out of his reach.

“What are you doing here, Doug? And how the hell did you know where I moved?”

He was still smiling, as if this behavior was totally normal and nothing at all to be alarmed about.

“Susan told me.”

Of fucking course my former landlady and all-around busybody would spill that info to my ex.

“That still doesn’t explain how you knew I’d be here, right now.”

This “chance encounter” was so reminiscent of the dozen other times the exact thing had happened that I started to second-guess myself if I’d actually deleted the tracking app he’d used.

He shrugged, either unbothered by or indifferent to my tone.

“Pure luck. I just figured if you were going to be out anywhere on a Saturday night, it would be on Main Street. Looks like I was right.”

I inhaled deeply and clutched my purse tighter, my fight-or-flight instinct getting a workout.

“Why exactly are you here?”

He finally seemed to read the sharpness in my tone, and a small crack formed in his facade.

“Your pillow. I told you, I have it.”

“And I told you I didn’t want it.”

“But it’s your favorite. I didn’t want you to be without it.”

“Are you joking?” I breathed out an incredulous laugh and shook my head.

“This is crossing so many lines, it’s unreal.”

“What lines? I’m just being nice. I know how much you love that thing, so I wanted to give it back.”

“You know what I love even more? My privacy. And for people to respect my boundaries. I thought my not responding to your texts was a pretty clear sign to stop contacting me. It sure as hell wasn’t an invitation to follow me here.”

“But—”

“No.” I held up my hand and shook my head, taking another step away from him.

“Keep the pillow. Or don’t. Throw it away for all I care. We aren’t a couple anymore, and this behavior is not okay.”

“C’mon, Sutton. We were good together, weren’t we? I thought we could give the long-distance thing a try. I miss you.”

“It’s not going to happen.” When he opened his mouth, no doubt to argue, I said, “And I’m involved with someone.” Never mind that that someone was called the Pussy Destroyer , and I’d purchased it from the town’s sex toy dealer.

Doug did not need to know the details.

“Now, it’s time for you to leave.”

Without waiting for him to respond, I turned around and strode into One Night Stan’s, exhaling a sigh of relief when the door shut behind me.

It was loud and busy inside the bar, but I spotted Quinn almost immediately as she waved me over to a booth in the back.

I tossed my purse into the seat before sliding in across from her.

“Sorry I’m late. It’s been a hell of a night, and it’s only gotten started.”

“Good thing I already ordered you a lemon drop, then, isn’t it?” she said, sliding the drink closer to me.

“I love you so much. Have I told you that today?”

She laughed and took a sip of her drink.

“So, why’s it been a hell of a night?”

I really didn’t want to get into my abysmal dating history, but I also didn’t have anyone else to talk to about it.

Laurel didn’t need to concern herself with this.

Plus, I could use a friend’s outlook.

“My ex is turning out to be more of a creep than I gave him credit for.”

She raised her brows.

“Did he mail you a package filled with doll heads or something?”

“I’d actually welcome that. Unfortunately, he brought me something himself. He just cornered me outside.”

Quinn’s smile dropped, and she glanced toward the front door before returning her attention to me.

“He followed you here? From Atlanta ?”

“See?” I leaned toward her over the table.

“That’s weird, right?”

“Yes, that’s weird! What reason did he give you?”

“He wanted to return my pillow.”

“Your what ?”

“You heard me.”

“I’ve heard of a lot of excuses, but that is— oh my god …” Quinn’s wide eyes were caught on something behind me, but I knew better than to spin around in my seat right away.

“Is this a look or don’t-look situation?” I asked.

“This is a, I think your creepy ex just walked into the bar because this rando is carrying a pillow situation.”

“What?” I spun around, and sure enough, there he was, standing at the front and obviously looking for someone.

Looking for me .

Despite my direct rejection and clear instructions that I didn’t want further contact, Doug had ignored all that.

Just like he’d ignored every other boundary I’d set.

Jesus, what the hell would it take to make this guy get my rejection through his thick skull?

“I need to take care of this,” I said to Quinn before sliding from the booth and walking toward where he stood by the bar.

Enough was enough.

I should’ve gotten mean outside.

Should’ve told him to fuck off and that if I ever saw him again, I was calling the police and filing a restraining order.

Because now, I had to do all that in Starlight Cove’s hot spot on a Saturday night with three dozen residents as my witnesses.

“There you are,” he said as soon as his eyes landed on me, and there wasn’t an ounce of hesitation in his tone.

“Have I been unclear, Doug?” My voice was loud and firm enough to be noticed, and I could feel the sudden attention focused on us.

“I didn’t think so, considering how many times I’ve told you we’re done. But apparently you need this spelled out for you in black-and-white. We are not together. We will never be together again. I don’t ever want to see you again. Which is exactly what I told you after I removed the tracking app you installed on Laurel’s and my phones.”

Gasps and murmurs sounded around us, but those had nothing on the searing heat I suddenly felt against my back.

Even without turning around, I knew who was there.

Could sense Atlas behind me even though his body didn’t touch mine.

“What the fuck do you mean, he used an app to track you?” Atlas’s voice was low and deadly serious.

I glanced back at Atlas, and though his words were directed to me, his attention was focused solely on Doug.

If I’d thought the big guy had been glaring at me this whole time, it had absolutely nothing on the death stare my ex was on the receiving end of now.

Reaching back, I tugged Atlas’s head down toward mine until my lips were next to his ear.

I didn’t want my ex to overhear what I was going to say, but I also didn’t want his murder on my conscience, so I needed to calm things down.

“It was harmless, so you can turn off the beast mode,” I whispered.

“He did it so he could accidentally run into us while we were out because he was too chicken to ask me to hang out.”

He turned his head, the soft brush of his lips against the shell of my ear sending a shiver rolling through me.

“Guys like that don’t ask you to hang out, trouble. They wear your skin as a suit.”

Before I could respond, he stood back to his full height.

His previous stormy expression paled in comparison to the anger rolling off him in waves now.

Apparently cluelessness was a general affliction for my ex and not something reserved for only me.

He either didn’t care or didn’t notice that the only thing standing between a six-and-a-half-foot angry beast and his scrawny ass was me, because he said, “Who are you?”

“It doesn’t matter who the fuck I am,” Atlas said, stepping even closer until I felt him along every inch of my back.

“All you need to know is she’s mine .”

I didn’t know if it was the words or the way he said them—all low and deep and growly—but my stomach flipped, and I needed to stop that shit immediately.

Forgetting for a moment that this played perfectly into what I’d told Doug outside, I spun around, resting my hand on Atlas’s chest. I stared up at him, brows raised, my silent I’m what, now ?

clear.

Instead of responding to my unspoken question, he brought one of his hands down to cup my ass, hauled me up against him, and lifted me straight off the floor.

Against my lips, he murmured, “Now it’s time for you to play along, trouble.”

He gave me a second to catch on to what he’d said.

Another second after that before he pressed his mouth against mine.

And then it was game over.

Fireworks burst behind my closed eyes, a potent reminder of exactly how explosive our brief hour together had been.

A moan I had no hope of holding in escaped as I melted against him.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and returned every ounce of his hunger, meeting his tongue stroke for stroke.

Forgetting for a moment that we were doing this for one reason and one reason only—to get my ex to back off.

Forgetting, too, that there was a bar full of people around us.

Forgetting that this was all fake, nothing more than a ruse to get Doug to finally leave me alone.

This most definitely wasn’t going to lead to another night in either one of our beds.

By the time Atlas pulled back, both of us were panting, and there was no denying the bat-sized bulge trapped between us.

Before I could string together a coherent thought, he set me down, guided me behind him, and stepped toward my ex.

Clueless as ever, Doug still stood right where he’d been, having had a front-row seat to the ruse.

Instead of leaving like he should have, he was motionless, jaw tense as he stared at me.

At least until Atlas blocked his view.

“Don’t look at her. Don’t even think about her.” He pointed a single finger toward the door.

“And get the fuck out.”

“Look, man, I?—”

Atlas took another menacing step toward Doug, the move only emphasizing their massive size difference.

“I said , get the fuck out. And don’t come back.”

This time, my ex didn’t try to argue.

He shot another look in my direction, quickly averting his eyes at Atlas’s responding growl, before finally slinking out of the bar, my pillow in tow.

I exhaled a heavy sigh, relief overcoming me as cheers erupted at the tables surrounding us.

At least until Atlas turned his intense gaze on me.

“You and I need to talk. Now.”