So far, it all looked innocent enough. They weren’t touching. Lewis was saying something in a low tone Sean couldn’t quite make out, and Ivy was smiling up at him. A surge of satisfaction shot through Sean. He knew that smile. It was her polite but not interested smile. Yeah, her night was done.
Sean exhaled a satisfied breath and was about to step away, when Lewis braced his arm against the wall next to Ivy’s head, boxing her in. When he reached his free hand to stroke her beautiful, dark hair, every muscle in Sean’s body tensed. But it wasn’t until the meathead dipped his face toward hers that Sean grabbed the doorknob with a falcon’s grip. Ivy turned her face, trying to avoid the oncoming kiss, and he caught a clear view of her panic-stricken look. As she fumbled to open her door, he ripped his own ajar so hard it slammed loudly against the other side. Maybe he should have cared more about his intrusion, but when he saw the relief in Ivy’s wide eyes as Lewis jerked away from her, he could not muster up a single fuck.
“Keep your hands off of her, Lewis!” he growled, as he strode into the hallway.
Lewis spun to face Sean, then relaxed. His chuckle filled the hall. “Or what, Thompson?”
Sean clenched his fists at his sides. He stopped short of baring his teeth. His body was shaking with the effort of not ripping the smart-ass’ throat out. “Or I’ll fucking break them off. That’s what.”
Had he just said that? Yes, he had. Was Ivy going to give him shit? Yes, she was. How many fucks did he give? Zero. Because he’d read her fear. He’d been reading it since he first locked eyes with her three years ago. Her relief when Lewis had jerked away from her wasn’t something Sean had made up. She’d been panicked, and knowingly or unknowingly, Lewis had stirred that panic in Ivy. So he had to pay the price—by leaving. Now.
Sean had a couple inches on the guy—and was broader, more muscled. But Lewis was well-known for his skills in the ring, and Sean never underestimated any opponent. Not that he wasn’t looking for a fight. He just wanted to ensure Ivy was safe and unafraid. That was all he ever wanted.
“Date night’s over.” He clenched his fists at his sides to keep them from doing anything stupid. “Leave.”
Annoyingly, Lewis didn’t move, didn’t even look all that threatened. Much to Sean’s immense irritation, he looked somewhat amused, the corners of his mouth lifting ever so slightly.
“You got an issue with me kissing Ivy goodnight, Thompson?”
Fuck this prick. He was goading him—or trying to.
In response, Sean stepped so far into Lewis’ space he made sure the cheeky bastard had to look up at him to meet his gaze. “Doesn’t look to me like she wants your lips on hers, is all.” He was grinding his molars so hard he could barely get the words out. “So, I’m gonna tell you one more time.Leave.”
Lewis, who had more grit than Sean had given him credit for, squared his shoulders and cocked his head to the side. “I’ll leave when she tells me to leave.”
A rough, growling noise escaped from deep within Sean’s throat as he inched even closer. Forget not looking for a fight. If this little shit wouldn’t leave on his own two feet, he’d send him—airborne.
“You’re kidding right?” Through the red haze, Ivy’s voice boomed from directly below his left ear, threatening to bust a drum. “Sean, back the hell off right now. You’re being ridiculous.”
He did not move an inch. His eyes bore into Lewis’, whose baby blues sparkled back with amusement. The little fucker was enjoying this.
“What part ofnowdon’t you understand?” Ivy demanded.
Sean’s jaw flexed as he clenched his teeth even harder. He knew that tone. She used it when she was reaming out the Bachelor contestants during a group date episode or scolding a naive character in a horror movie who was about to meet her maker and should have seen it coming four scenes ago. He’d even heard her use it with clients who hadn’t done what she’d told them to do and consequently re-injured themselves. Where he’d never heard it was used on him. Until now.
With one last hard look, he took a step back.
Lewis chuckled and smoothed down the front of his shirt and jacket as if he’d even been touched. “Dude, you need to chill. Ivy’s a big girl, you know. She doesn’t need you breathing down her neck every second of the day. Right, darlin’?”
Sean frowned at the endearment but—not wanting to piss Ivy off any more than she already was—he kept his mouth shut. The heat of her wrath was already scorching him, and he was fine with that. He’d take her rage over the possibility that she might have let Lewis manhandle her tonight.
“What I don’t need,” she bit out, her tone hard, “is two man-children acting like Neanderthals. For God’s sake, all you need are wooden clubs, and you’d look the part you’re acting. Which, by the way, is not a turn-on in the least.” Sighing loudly, Ivy turned to Lewis and said, “I’m sorry. I had a really nice night, but I think it’s probably best if we say goodnight.”
To his credit, Lewis didn’t argue. He nodded before walking up to her and brushing a chaste kiss across her temple. It was innocent, but Sean still had the urge to smack those lips off her forehead.
“Goodnight, darlin’,” he murmured to Ivy. “I’ll catch you at the gym later.” Then with a wink he added, “We’ll nail down a date for our next dinner then.”
With that, he sauntered toward the staircase down to the main door of the building. Neither Ivy nor Sean spoke a word as they listened to the door open, then click closed. They stood for one last beat of silence before Ivy rounded on Sean, her eyes fierce with anger.
“What the hell was that?” she demanded.
Knowing there was absolutely no correct answer to that question, Sean opted for a casual shrug. “Looks like he had to go.”
Ivy shoved him hard with both hands. Sean hardly moved. “You are such an asshole. You purposely drove him away by picking a fight.”
Sean narrowed his eyes. “I stepped in because I know he’s not what you want or you wouldn’t have looked so panicked when he tried to make a move on you.”
“And how would you have seen that? Were you spying on me?”
