“What for, darlin’?” I let my mouth linger by her ear.
“For being here, I didn’t realize how much I…” Our footsteps pause and I wait for her to get the words out. “Uhm…how much I missed the way my soul seems to settle when you’re around.” I’m thankful for the dim lights so she can’t see the way my eyes mist over with emotion I haven’t felt in so long. I don’t want to pop the bubble we exist in, so I pull my gaze away and pull her closer to my chest, letting the feeling of her chin on my shoulder ground me and hold me in the memory of Hannah Harlow giving me another minute of her time.
A few songs later, when we’re both panting from exhaustion and our faces ache from smiling and laughing so hard, we make our way back to our table. Kasey and her friend, Mallory, I’ve learned, are sitting together on one side, exchanging kisses and talking to each other. When Hannah and I take our seats, Mallory looks between the two of us.
“So…?” She waves a finger back and forth between us, setting her drink down on the table with a thud.
“Yep,” Hannah says with a loud pop before taking a swig of her beer. “But it’s casual.” My eyes snap to her, pushing down the rejection that hums between us. I remind myself that she laid out the rules. But if Kasey and Mallory know, then she’s already broken rule number three. It gives me hope that she’ll break the other two before too long.
“He doesn’t seem to think so,” Mallory says with a pointed look in my direction.
I shrug like it’s no big deal, downing the rest of my beer. “It’s whatever Harlow says it is.” Hannah looks at me curiously before turning back to Mallory and giving her and Kasey a glare that has me thankful I’m not on the receiving end of it for once.
“Youcannotsay anything toanyone.Got it?” She looks between the pair, and Kasey looks at me before nodding quickly. I give him a mischievous wink.
“Of course, your secret is safe with me!”Good man.
“Seems like I’m not the only one with a secret,” Mallory says before Hannah and her burst into laughter. “I’ll be right back, I need to pee.”
“Want me to come with you?” Hannah tries to stand, but Mallory waves her off, already headed towards the bathrooms down the hall.
“I'm gonna grab more drinks,” Kasey says awkwardly before shuffling out of the bench seat and weaving towards the bar.
Hannah and I sit in silence for a few moments, content to people watch as couples turn around the dance floor. A man in his early twenties passes by our table, giving Hannah a second look and slow nod, his footsteps pausing. I reach an arm out, tugging her against me. He looks at me, eyes wide with recognition, and moves quickly by. She turns towards me, pushing her chest against me as she does.
“You seem a little jealous, Wilder.” Her eyes are glazed over, face shiny with sweat from dancing all night. Tucking a stray curl behind her ear, I lean in and whisper against her ear.
“They can look all they want. I know before too long I’ll have my cock so far up your tight pussy that you’ll only taste my name on your tongue.” Her body trembles at the promise laced in my words. When I pull back, she has her tongue pinched between her teeth. Before I can toss her over my shoulder and haul her ass to my trailer, Kasey returns with our drinks. I nod my thanks and take a deep swallow, letting the cold bottle in my hand cool the inferno raging within me.
After a while, Hannah looks over her shoulder towards the bathroom, a concerned look in her eyes. “Mallory has been gone for a while, I’m gonna go check on her.” I follow her out of the bench. “It’s ok, I’ll be right back.” She gives me a reassuring smile, but I rest a hand on her lower back and follow her through the crowd anyway.
“I’m not gonna let you walk through this crowd of wandering hands, darlin’.” She reaches back, lacing our fingers together, and I soak in the way we seem to so effortlessly fit together.
When we walk down the dim hallway to the bathroom, she turns and lays a soft kiss on the corner of my mouth, and damn do I want more. I lean in, intending to keep her lips on mine, but she pulls away with a wink. “I’ll be right out.” Then she turns and pushes through the door to the women's restroom. I watch her ass in that denim skirt until it disappears behind the door, then Ilean back against the wall, removing my hat and running a hand through my hair.
“Oh my God!!! Mallory!!” Hannah’s panicked voice echoes from the bathroom, and without hesitation, I burst through the door. Hannah is kneeling on the tiled floor with a bloody and bruised Mallory in her lap. Her skirt is off and discarded to the side. “Dean, what do I do?” Her trembling hands push Mallory's hair out of her face, gently stroking her cheeks, wiping away some of the blood that has trickled from the cut under her eye. Mallory mumbles something, but drifts back into unconsciousness. Adrenaline takes over and I quickly kneel beside Hannah.
“Take your jacket off,” I say, tugging at the sleeves. Once it’s off, I drape it over Mallory’s exposed body. Standing, I rush to the sink and wet some paper towels. “Here, clean her up. I’m going to get Kasey.” Hannah numbly takes the towels from me. I give her a small shake. “Hannah. She needs you.” Blinking, she clears the tears from her eyes and begins gently wiping the blood from Mallory’s cut lip and cheek.
I seered. My hands slam through the door as I shove people out of my way, barely feeling my legs moving towards our table. Kasey’s gaze swings towards me, and the second he sees the look on my face, he stands and walks towards me. His usual carefree and happy demeanor shifts into a mask of concern.
“What is it?”
“Someone assaulted Mallory in the bathroom.” I try to keep my voice low.
“What thefuck!” Kasey pushes past me and hurries towards the bathroom.
When I get through the door, Kasey has replaced Hannah and has Mallory curled into his lap. He whispers quietly to her. Her eyes are finally open, tears mixing with blood, but she wraps her arms around his neck. Her shoulders shake as shecries against his chest. Hannah stands at the sink, scrubbing her hands. Walking over to her, I reach around and turn off the water, pulling her raw hands into mine. I’ve never felt as helpless as I do in the moment that her red swollen eyes meet mine. She trembles as I pull her close.
“She’ll be ok, Hannah,” I reassure her, running my palms down her hair and in small circles across her back.
The door opens and a pair of girls walk in, their chatter dying the moment they see us.
“Are you guys alright?” one of them asks as the other gasps and turns out the door, calling behind that she’s getting help.
Just before the door swings closed, Mallory lifts a finger, her gold bracelet shining in the light of the fluorescent overhead lights, and points outside the door. A man with a white cowboy hat and tattoos down his arm passes by, laughing loudly with his buddy.
“Him.” Despite the state she is in, her voice is strong, the slight shake in her hand the only sign of the trauma she’s been through.
