“You’re Montana girls!” the instructor would shout. “I’ll make sure you know how to rope a wayward steer!”
I take my right forearm and slam it across Noah’s left, causing him to momentarily lose his grip on me. He grunts, and I take my free right hand and jam the base of it into the bridge of his nose. He cries out and steps backward, his hands finally leaving my body. I hear knocking on the door, and I bring my left knee into Noah’s groin with as much force as I can muster. He topples to the ground, and I kick him in the stomach before I pull up my underwear and jeans and then hurry for the door.
It bursts open as I stumble forward, and I go barreling through the open doorway, landing straight against a solid, masculine chest.
All the adrenaline drains out of me as the truth hits me of what I just narrowly escaped. My legs buckle underneath me, and I start to topple over, grasping at anything to keep me upright.
Strong arms wrap around me, and I raise my head.
Shaking, I come face to face with the Keep Montana Wild guy, cowboy hat back on his head.
“Are you okay?” he asks gently.
I manage a quick nod.
His shirt’s back on his body, and his sparkling blue eyes are feral as he looks past me into the room.
“Stay here,” he says. “I’m going to make sure that asshole doesn’t get up again for a while.”
But I grab at his soft, cotton t-shirt. “No. Just…”Don’t leave me yet.
Without another word, Wild guy lifts me off the ground and carries me a few feet down the dimly-lit hallway until we’re completely shielded from the party.
He slides me back down his body until my feet hit the ground. He reaches out and touches my cheek. “You’re bleeding.”
I shiver at his gentle touch. “I’m okay. I’m sorry for landing on you like that.”
“No apologies. You have nothing to be sorry for.” He hesitates, and then reaches for his cowboy hat. “Here.” He puts it gently on my head, tilting it to the left. “This will help hide your cut.”
“Thank you.” I feel my face flush with shame as I hurry to rebutton my jeans.
He helps me adjust my sweater so that both my shoulders are covered.
I jerk back from him. “I have to go.”
He keeps his hands on my arms to steady me. “Hey.” Concern fills his handsome face.
I need to get out of here.
I step past him and hurry down the hallway, but he follows me.
“What happened in there? Did that bastard do something…”
“Nothing I couldn’t handle.”
I head for the stairs. If I can just get out of here, I can go back to my homework waiting for me in my bedroom, lock this whole night up inside my heart, and never think about it again.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” he says quietly from behind me. “I can call the police or take you to the hospital.”
The terror, which had somehow disappeared for a few brief seconds, is back in full tilt, and I spin on him as I reach the front door of the house. “I’m okay, I swear. I can take care of myself.”
He takes a deep breath as he peers underneath the brim of his hat I’m still wearing.
“Your eyes look so sad,” he says softly. His tone is low with an attractive timber to it.
I adjust my glasses nervously. “I hardly know anybody in there,” I say with a shrug. “I never should have come tonight.”
I turn away from him again and step outside the front door. I’m sure he won’t follow me out into the cold in just a t-shirt, but apparently he’s immune to the chilly Montana air because he walks right out with me, and he doesn’t even have goosebumps. I stare at his tanned, muscular arm, wondering what his tattoo means.
