and a quick Jersey mouth.
He’s shocked Andrew has the audacity.
I’m doing the same,
just sitting here,
staring at Andrew.
Then Andrew spins his hand fast in awrap-it-upgesture. “Let’s speed this up—answer’s no, my guy. Ya gotta go.”
The guy blinks. “I?—”
Silence suspends.
Then a smirk breaks out across the guy’s face.
“Didn’t realize she was the bartender’s girl.
“My bad, dude,” he says, taking a step back, glancing at me now, raising a palm. “Coulda just said you were taken.”
I squint, stunned.
“Told you I was married. Apparently, it only counts once he shows up. Before that? Fair game, huh?” I scoff. “Wild.”
Andrew’s eyes cut to me,
then burn into me.
His hand leaves the chair
and is warm when it lands against my back.
Every muscle in me freezes,
my body flinching first,
thinkingtouchmeanstakebefore it knows the hand it belongs to.
But Andrew waits until the flinch passes,
then his thumb smooths steady circles down my spine, heat spilling out from his palm, and my body exhales, my whole chest caving to reach for him.
When he turns back to the guy,
he gives him a quick once-over.
“The fuck you still standin’ here for?”
The guy’s confidence deflates.
“You act like I touched her, bro. Chill.”
Andrew lets out a breathy laugh.
“Nah. You acted like you could.
“Big fuckin’ difference.”
