“Juno Bug.”
Juno went unnaturally still; she didn’t blink or even look like she was breathing. The preppy douche standing next to her chair smiled, clearly loving her discomfort. She refused to look at him, instead fixing her stare on the table in front of her.
Not me. I needed to catalog every inch of the asshole who’d fucked with our Juno.
A sneer pulled at the corner of my lips at his perfectly styled short blond hair, his clean-shaven face, and pressed polo that he’d tucked into a pair of loose-fitting khaki pants tailored to hit right at his loafers.
This guymade Juno question her worth?
Her throat worked with a hard swallow, gaze finding mine before she straightened and turned to the soggy sandwich. “Eric,” Juno rasped. Nostrils flaring with a deep inhale, she twisted to see behind him. “Stephanie.”
At Juno’s blank tone, Stephanie’s skin turned a sickly green. Good. I hoped she puked all over herself and Eric for doing this to Juno. Other than looking so nervous that she was about to vomit, Stephanie was unremarkable, forgettable if you asked me. Perfectly put together just like Eric, everything was ironed andfit her slim frame like it was tailored for her specifically. Only a sliver of pale skin showed between the hem of the ankle-length skirt and her short black wedge boots. A thick coating of makeup covered her entire face, meant to highlight her cheekbones and make her brown eyes pop, but it only made me wonder what she hid beneath the perfectly done mask.
Desperate to give Juno all the support I could without overstepping, I shifted in the hard wooden seat until I could drape an arm over the back of her chair. One soft curl pinched between two fingers, I slowly twirled it around, never dropping the stony stare leveled directly at Eric. He tracked every movement, nostrils flaring when I planted a reassuring kiss to her shoulder.
Calculating blue eyes met mine, and it was in that moment that I saw the fucker for what he was: a selfish asshole who thought the world owed him something. Maybe it was how he was raised, or he was just that damn arrogant because of what he thought he offered the world. I would need to ask; I had zero doubt she knew.
“Surprise,” Stephanie said with a stiff smile, cutting through the awkward silence.
“Yes, yes, it is. A big surprise.” She glanced at me and winked. “What are you two doing here in Anchor Bay, let alone together?” When neither of them responded, Juno gestured to Eric. “I never took you as much of an outdoor lover, Eric.”
His fake laugh grated on my nerves. “You know I love to hunt, June Bug. Though that isn’t why we’re here.”
“Sending someone out to track big game and then radio you to come shoot it is not hunting,” Juno corrected in a bland tone. “That’s just killing.”
“I guess we see it differently. You’d know if you ever cared enough to come out with me.” Eric turned to me. “She’s not theoutdoorsy type. I don’t know how she can stay inside all day playing games with other losers.”
“Watch it,” I ordered, tone so commanding it surprised me.
“Who’s your friend?” Eric asked, turning back to Juno with a tight smile.
Call me possessive, but that question combined with the disgust in his tone had me gripping the back of Juno’s chair and sliding it until our seats bumped.
“Oh, I’m more than a friend, but I have no damn clue who you are.” I twisted to Juno with fake concentration. “Who is Captain Douchecanoe, sweet cheeks? I don’t remember you mentioning an Evan.”
“Eric,” the asshole snapped.
Juno’s teeth sank into her lower lip in a failed attempt to stifle her widening smile. “Yeah, I don’t think I ever mentioned him. It wasn’t important.”
“We’ve been too busy doing more… physical activities rather than talking.” I planted a kiss to the corner of her lips and turned to Eric with a dull expression. “She can’t get enough of me, and I’m worse.” I twisted to lock eyes with her. “I’m addicted to her taste.”
A rosy blush bloomed along her cheeks, and for a passionate moment, it was only her and me, utterly lost in each other and wishing we were somewhere more private. Like a supply closet. Or maybe I was dreaming, because I would do anything, even sell a vital organ, to get her alone for another taste of her pussy. This time, though, I wanted to lick it straight from the source.
“You look good, June Bug.” Annoyed that Eric’s nasally voice broke our moment, I faced him only to find his focus all on Juno, smiling like he actually meant it. It was there and gone in a flash, but the calculating spark in his gaze had me sitting up straighter, preparing for whatever bullshit he was about tospew. “Though I loved you blonde. It really highlighted your only striking feature.”
“The fuck did he say?” I practically growled. A hand squeezing my thigh stopped me from leaping over the table and ripping out Eric’s jugular.
“I like it back to my natural color, actually,” she stated evenly, but I heard the vibration of tension in her tone.
“Well, I guess you always had questionable taste.” His following laugh had me fisting my good hand beneath the table as burning rage pumped through me. “Remember when we first met, and you were always wearing those awful shoes you thought were still in style and thrift store clothes?” His calculating gaze swept down to her chest. “You actually look put together tonight. Must be a special occasion to get you out of your sweats without a fight.”
“Juno,” I hissed through gritted teeth.
Her sad gaze met mine. “Please,” she whispered. “Don’t make a scene. I’m fine.”
“This isn’t fine,” I murmured. “It’s fucking degrading and openly cruel.”
Her forced smile and shrug spoke volumes. These were the types of pointed jabs she’d endured while she was with the bastard. No clue what she saw in the asshole in the first place; surely he had some redeeming qualities that made her want to be with him at one time.
