“I was only getting water. Not that it’s any of your business if I drink.”
“I suppose it’s not.” He shrugged before taking a long pull of his beer, his irritated gaze still leveled on me. “And I suppose it’s not my place to call out the shitty judgment you have tonight.”
“Excuse me?” I clipped as I came closer to where Dylan sat. “What is that supposed to mean?”
His chin jerked in Liam’s direction. “You let him put his hands all over you,” he growled, his eyes tracking my body with a feral possession that made not one bit of sense.
“We were dancing. He didn’t have his—wait why the hell do you care? You don’t even speak to me. Now all of a sudden you care who puts his hands on me?”
“He kissed you.” Dylan’s nostrils flared as his jaw ticked. He’d always been easy going and aloof, never raising his voice in all the years I’d known him. Even when he was obviously avoiding me, he was polite, if distant. Now, he was being a straight up asshole.
“And why the hell are you even here? Jack said you guys hadn’t come to this place in years—oh my god! Did Jack send you to spy on me?” I raked my hand through my hair, the hair I’d spent two hours on for a night out that was turning to shit before my very eyes.
“No, he mentioned you were coming here and…” he trailed off, his eyes flashing as they darted everywhere but mine. “I needed to make sure you were okay—”
“Leave me alone, Dylan. For once. Have mercy on me, and leave. Me. Alone. Pretending you care is cruel. The one thing I never thought you were. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”
Dylan rose from his seat and the bar and stepped in front of me. As much as I wanted to avoid his gaze, my eyes were magnets to his. I let out a sigh as I took him in. The smooth planes of his jaw, his full lips, the soulful eyes that seemed bottomless, tormented me as usual. But this time, instead of getting lost in his masculine beauty, I wanted to rip him apart. He didn’t want me. I was nothing but a kid to him, as per the rejection speech he’d given me that played over and over in my head at my lowest moments.
“You’re Jack’s little sister. I can’t think of you any other way.”
“I care, Patricia. Believe me.” My breath stilled in my lungs as he grabbed my face. “I care too much. Always did.” His thumbs drifted back and forth over my cheekbones, making my heart beat so fast and loud, it pulsed in my ears. “I can’t do it anymore. I can’t just watch you.”
My insides liquified when he called me Patricia, but I swiped his hands off my face.
“Hey, I was wondering what happened to you.” I jumped at Liam’s voice behind me.
He looked between Dylan and me, his smile fading when he met Dylan’s furious scowl.
“I wouldn’t have kissed you if I knew you had a—”
“I don’t, and he’s not. He’s my brother’s friend. Stay,” I pleaded.
“See you later, PJ.” Liam gave my arm a squeeze before trudging away.
My hands balled into fists at my sides before I stormed out to the parking lot, ignoring Riley screaming at me to come back inside. Liam thought Dylan was a jealous boyfriend and probably thought I was a jerk for leading him on.
“PJ, stop!” Dylan grabbed my arm and pulled me back.
“Let me tell you something, Matthews.” I poked my finger into his chest. “I don’t need your protection or anyone else’s. You barely say hello to me, and yet felt you had the right to step in like some … big brother. Go back to staying away from me; it works better for the both of us.”
“He had his hands on you,” Dylan repeated, his nostrils flaring as he inched closer.
“Again, we weredancing!” My voice shook with rage and frustration.
“He kissed you.” His mouth turned down in a disgusted scowl.
“So? I can’t believe I’m still explaining myself to you.” I coughed out a hysterical laugh before I glowered at him, my mind scrambling as I tried to figure out at what point tonight had I stepped into an alternate universe. “I already have a big brother and an even bigger father. Besides, I’m like your little sister.” God, those words were rancid in my mouth. “Remember? You can’t see me any other—”
Dylan’s hand fisted in my hair as he covered my mouth with his. I stiffened, a shaky mix of shock and anger, when he again cradled my face in both his hands, this time tender and sweet instead of desperate. His tongue laved over my bottom lip, causing a gooey shiver to drip down my body and pool between my legs. My traitorous mouth opened with a groan to let him in. Why did he have to kiss like this? With purpose, demanding everything—and I let him have it. All of it. Teeth scraped, tongues tangled, and my lips were already raw from the bristles of stubble around his soft mouth. My hands drifted along his hard torso before meeting at his neck. Dylan grabbed my hips, pressing his growing hardness against my needy core.
What the hell was I doing? After what he’d just done? After all these years of chasing him like a puppy, he’d come for me only when I’d finally stopped.
I sobered, breaking our kiss and slapping his cheek with a loud smack that echoed in the silence.
“Fuck you!” I yelled before turning on my heel and running as fast as I could.
Fuck him for ruining my night, and double fuck him for ruining every kiss with anyone else for the rest of my life.
