She nodded. “Yeah, he was just an ass, as per usual. I probably shouldn’t have thrown my drink in his face. I’m—”
“Don’t. Don’t apologize for that sack of shit. What did he say to you?”
“He…” She paused and frowned. “It was nothing. Nothing important or that I care to repeat anyway.”
“Elle—”
“Really, I’d rather not focus on him or any stupid thing he said.”
Jace wanted to push. He wanted to know every word the asshole had said. Instead, he cupped her cheek. “You sure you’re okay?”
“Yeah, but I think I’m ready to go home now.”
Thank fuck. He was past ready to have this woman home, in bed and in his arms. “Your place or mine?”
“Anywhere there’s you and a bed, I’m good.”
His lips twitched. He was ninety percent sure she hadn’t meant that to be sexual, but with her, he couldn’t help but go there.
He turned to see Kayden and Tilly behind them, and Cody and Harper on the other side of the bar.
“Everything okay?” Kayden asked.
“Yeah, now the asshole has left.”
Cody’s gaze shifted to the door and back. “Who is he?”
“A jerk Elle and I went to high school with. He lives out of town now. Hopefully he heads back soon.”
“Can I make you another daiquiri, Elle?” Harper asked.
She shook her head. “No, I think we’ll head out. Sorry about the last one being wasted.”
Harper snorted. “That wasnotwasted. Seeing that jerk get nailed in the face with a drink was the highlight of my week.”
Tilly touched Elle’s arm. “I’m sorry I just kind of walked away from you there.”
Elle shook her head. “You didn’t know he’d grab me.Ididn’t know he’d grab me. Besides, if he’d tried anything before Jace got to me, I still had the glass to throw at him.”
Despite everything, Jace’s lips twitched. He would have liked to watch that.
He slipped an arm around her waist. “I wouldn’t have let it come to that. Come on, let’s go home.”
After a quick goodbye to Cody and Harper, Kayden and Tilly walked out with them. Both he and Kayden scanned the surroundings. It wasn’t until he and Elle were in the car that she touched his thigh. “You asked me if I was okay, and I am…but are you?”
Was he? He was angry. Hell, angry didn’t even cover it.
He covered her hand with his own. “Yeah, I’m okay, Tink. And I’ll be even better once we get home and I get you all to myself.”
CHAPTER 22
Elle set the mop back into the bucket. Done. The floors were clean. “That was a busy day.”
Molly nodded from where she was still cleaning behind the counter. “No shit. Every time I thought we were gonna have a lull, more people came in.”
“Word must have gotten around town about how good our coffee is.”
Molly laughed. “Yourcoffee is good. I’m still perfecting mine. I think my strength lies more in my impeccable customer service.”
