Just not tonight.
Blowing out a breath, I pushed to my feet. Or I would have if it wasn’t so damn hard to straighten my five-foot-five frame on ridiculously thin spikes. The wobble started at my ankles and quickly spread to the rest of my legs.
I was going down fast.
I only hoped Tristan had the good sense to look away before I flashed him my silky pink underwear.
But instead of landing flat on my ass, long, strong fingers curled around my upper arm and pulled me up. The momentum of that tug had me swaying on my feet. So much so, he grabbed my other arm to steady me.
“Whoa there.” Dark eyes frantically searched mine. “You okay?”
“Thanks to you Iam.” My voice did that stupid breathy thing again. “Nice save.”
One corner of his mouth curved up, and holy crap, that crooked smile was so lethal, I couldn’t even imagine the effect of a full-blown one.
“I’m all good. You can let go now.”
He didn’t. Simply kept staring at me with that intensity in his eyes and those lips halfway turned up.
It was...unnerving.
Even more so when the warmth of his palms bled through my skin to set my pulse on fire. Heat like I’d never experienced rushed through my veins. My heart slammed against my ribs, too fast, too loud.
Then Izzy cleared her throat.
That one obnoxious sound was enough to break whatever spell I’d been under. Pulling out of Tristan’s grip—at least he let me go this time—I stepped back.
“Tristan, I’d like you to meet my sister, Isabella.”
He held out his hand. “Nice to meet you.”
Izzy, sweetheart she was, glared at his outstretched hand. Her arms snapped into their preferred position of the night—folded across her chest.
“I know all about you,Tristan Blake,” my sister sneered. “Mister-fucks-anything-with-breasts-and-a-vagina—”
“Izzy,” I hissed.
She ignored me and kept going. “I don’t know what you’re doing with my sister, but I do know if you hurt her or that little girl in there, I’ll remove the reason you’re a man.”
His hand fell to his side. He slicked his tongue over his teeth and gave my sister an assessing onceover. His mouth opened. I held my breath. If so much as one demeaning word toward my family tumbled over his lips, this fake relationship was over before it even began.
Granted, Izzy wasn’t completely guilt-free. But her animosity came from her fierce need to protect the ones she loved. That and the fact that I’d shared with her the times I’d caught my boss with his pants at his ankles.
“Got it.” His voice rumbled through the room. “Ready?” This time the one word was aimed at me.
“Yup.”
The sooner we got the hell out of there, the better.
He didn’t wait. Spinning on his heels, he strode into the hallway without sparing my sister a second glance. I couldn’t do that.
I pulled Izzy into a quick side hug. “Call me if anything happens.”
“Really?” She rolled her eyes. “This isn’t my first time watching Millie.”
“I know, but still.”
“I’ll call you.” She shoved me toward the door. “Only if you call me when his dickish personality shows up.”
