“It’s better if you don’t know.”His eyes flash again, andoh, the flag, Briar. It’s bright, glaringly red.
“What’s your name?”
I chew my lip, indecision muddying up my mind. Are we doing this? Am I doing this? Lily’s words play back in my mind. And Rí looks like just what I need to blow off a little steam.
“Rose,” I breathe out after some hesitation, keeping my eyes on his.
“Rose,” he repeats, andoh man,it’s not even my real name, and that Irish accent makes me want to melt. His eyes sparkle. “Now we’re both liars.”
He rises carefully, lifting me off his lap. He says something to the guy at our backs before his gaze finds me again. “Ready?”
“N-No,” I stutter out, my nerves getting the better of me, and I watch his brows rise.
“No, I—” I let go of his hand, backing away from him and his friend, who is watching me now too. “I’m actually gonna go. Thanks for the, err—save. I owe you one!” I call out, before I bolt for the exit.
I don’t look back even though I feel the burn of his stare on my neck the entire way out.
7
NOT MY GIRL
KOEN
Then…
Intriguing.
Rose.
Dark hair, bright blue eyes that look almost ethereal in the neon glow of the club lights, and a face that looks like she’d been hand-carved by angels.
Most people know better than to look me in the eye. And those that don’t, figure it out real quick the first time they make that mistake. They catch a glimpse of the dark soul radiating through my resting glare and they look away, finding any and every excuse to flee my presence.
But not her.
She’s not from around here. Untouched and untainted by the dark side of Boston I call home.Good. Honestly, I should have left it that way, should have left her to deal with that shit-stain of an ex all on her own. But from the moment she glared up at me, stepping closer while demanding an apology, outright refusing to back down even once she glimpsed the darkness in my eyes… oh, she’d gotten under my skin.
Nothing gets under my skin.
No one.
She caught me staring. The little smirk on her face said as much. And then she had the audacity to ask me for afavor? Innocently unaware how favors are currency in my dark world.
It was tempting to take her up on it. I could’ve demanded just aboutanythingfrom her. Her desperation was written all over her face. The possibilities were endless.
But pretend to be herboyfriend?
No.
Not my girl, not my problem, not my…anything.
I’d sent her on her way, though she hadn’t exactly gone quietly. I almost wish I’d said yes and only so I could teach that mouth of hers a lesson.
Rose.
Still, I couldn’t help the way my eyes tracked her. The way they watched her stand anxiously by the bar, looking around for the friends she’d arrived with. A guy—her exI presume—wasted no time latching on to her.
He’d been watching her too.Watched her come to me, watched her get rejected, and then moved in, scenting blood in the water. He stood too close. It was clear by her body language she doesn’t want him anywhere near her. I saw that fiery side of her flare again when he touched her, she shoved his hand away but he just smiled. The fucking asshole. He backed her up against the bar until she was trapped between his arms, uncomfortable, eyes darting wildly for help. People around her noticed but did nothing about it.
