“This is a,I think your creepy ex just walked into the bar because this rando is carrying a pillowsituation.”
“What?” I spun around, and sure enough, there he was, standing at the front and obviously looking for someone. Looking forme.
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 couldaccidentallyrun 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’smine.”
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 silentI’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 foryouto 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 mostdefinitelywasn’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 eventhinkabout 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. “Isaid, 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.
