“I think you did mean that. And I think you should reconsider your approach to dating.” This protective, stern side of Rhett was one I hadn’t seen before, and it was… kind of sexy.
No, annoying. Annoying was the word I was looking for.
Troy stepped forward, thick muscles flexing as he crossed his arms over his chest. “You know, Rhett is right. I think Aimee’s going to take a rain check on this date.”
“Whoa, hold on,” Shane said, holding up his hands. “There’s been a misunderstanding.”
Shane’s assumption had hit like a bucket of ice water. I’d been looking forward to this date, maybe even hoping it might end with some sexy fun. Now all I felt was disappointment.
“No misunderstanding,” I said calmly, standing shoulder to shoulder with my two would-be bodyguards.
“You’re kidding, right?” Shane looked between all three of us, disbelief on his face. “Because of one comment?”
“One revealing comment. I talk about sex education on my podcast. That doesn’t mean I’m dispensing sexual favors to every man who listens.”
Troy moved toward the door and opened it. “I think the lady said goodnight.”
Shane looked like he wanted to argue, but something in Rhett’s stance must have dissuaded him. With a muttered “whatever,” he stalked out the door, which Troy closed behind him with perhaps a bit more force than necessary.
The three of us stood in silence for a moment.
“You two,” I finally said, “are the biggest cockblocks in the history of cockblocking.”
“You’re welcome,” Rhett said, returning to the kitchen island and reopening a container of pad Thai.
I was furious. Shane wasn’t supposed to be a serious boyfriend, just a chance to date again after the disaster of my failed engagement. I hadn’t even gotten in a practice date. Or sex. “Why are you guys telling my date what I ‘usually’ do? Don’t speak for me.”
Rhett’s ears went red. “Yeah. That was out of line. Sorry, Aims.”
“And Troy, you’re not my bodyguard.”
Troy scratched the back of his neck, grimacing. “I’m sorry. We’re assholes.” “You are.” He waved to the food with a flourish. “We got extra spring rolls because we know they’re your favorite, so hopefully that wins us a few points?”
The savory smell of Thai food reminded me I hadn’t eaten since my desk lunch of yogurt and granola six hours ago, and the fight drained out of me like air from a punctured tire. I was tired, I was hungry, and the alternative was sitting alone in an empty apartment replaying Shane’s comment on loop.
“You’re still trespassing.” I grabbed a spring roll and bit into it with more aggression than the innocent appetizer deserved, trying to figure out how I’d missed Shane’s douchebag vibes when he’d first flirted with me at that charity gala.
“It’s not trespassing if we have keys,” Rhett pointed out, sliding a plate toward me. “It’s… an unannounced visit.”
“From your unofficial bodyguards,” Troy added, opening a beer and handing it to me.
I took it, shaking my head. “I don’t need bodyguards. I need boundaries that you two respect.”
“We respect boundaries,” Rhett protested. “We just… selectively enforce them when your safety might be at risk.”
“My safety wasn’t at risk,” I said, though without much conviction. “I met Shane at a charity event. He’s an environmental engineer, for god’s sake.”
“Ted Bundy was charming too,” Troy said sagely, twirling noodles around his chopsticks.
I rolled my eyes. “You can’t use serial killers to justify your meddling. Text before you come over. No more showing up uninvited. Got it?”
They looked at each other. “Unless it’s an emergency, right?”
“Fine. If it’s an emergency, you don’t have to text first. But for any non-emergency, I’d better fucking hear from you or I’m taking away your keys.”
Rhett nodded, grinning as he held out a takeout box. “Another spring roll?”
Dammit. I couldn’t resist spring rolls. But I kept my expression at full glare as I helped myself to their takeout, listening to the wacky story Troy started telling about a call from the day before.
