“I already told you?—”
“One drink. That’s all I’m asking.” He shifts toward me, sliding his arm across the back of the booth, caging me in. “You came to a bar, right? That means you want to have a good time. I can show you a good time.”
“I’m not interested. And if I were you, I’d leave before?—”
“You haven’t even given me a chance.” An edge of irritation cuts through the smarmy charm. “What, you think you’re too good for me? You’re cute but barely a six in this town. Look, I’m trying to be nice here?—”
“She said no.” Logan’s voice is deceptively calm for a man suddenly looming over us, fury radiating off his tight expression, his bunched up shoulders.
His clenched fists.
CHAPTER 29
LOGAN
The slick stranger looks up at me, taking in my size, and his expression falters. “Are you with her?”
Yes, I want to snarl. Now I know how the badass assassin feels every time his frustrating little fae mate catches the eye of other men simply by being her radiant self and having the bad luck of existing in a world—much like our own—where men have no respect for personal boundaries.
But instead of staking a public claim, I glance sideways at Frankie as if we’ve just met. “I can tell she’s not with you.”
He scoffs and drops his hand to her shoulder.
I wasn’t going to touch him, but he touched her first. Reaching down, I grab the front of his shirt and haul him out of the booth. “You were just leaving.”
“Hey, man?—”
I lower my voice and tighten my grip. “All the way gone, asshole. Or I’ll personally escort you outside and introduce your face to the pavement.”
“Jesus Christ, she’s not worth it.”
He’s so fucking wrong. But that’s for me to know and for him to never understand. I let go of his shirt and watch him nervously look left and right, then head straight for the door.
Good choice.
Then I turn back to the booth, realizing belatedly that I don’t know how Frankie would feel about the caveman display. But the wide-eyed look of surprise she gives me is warm and appreciative.
And that’s the limit of my ability to stay away from my gentle-hearted girl tonight.
“I need to borrow her,” I say to Liz, curving my hand over Frankie’s shoulder possessively, wanting to erase any lingering vibes from his brief contact with her.
Her roommate waves us on. “Take her away, no need to return her. I’m going home with the bartender, and Sloane has already left, so…”
Thank fuck.
“Let’s get out of here, then.” I offer Frankie my hand and help her out of the booth.
She bumps into me and I wrap my arm around her, brushing my lips against her ear. “Sorry for being jealous of that guy touching you.”
“That’s…” She twists around and plants her hands against my chest.
Then she glances past me, probably calculating what kind of an audience we have.
Fuck me.
“This way.” She tugs me in the direction of a narrow hallway heading behind the patio.
It leads outside, to an alley, and while we can hear the raucous laughter of my teammates from the other side of the wall, we’re in the shadows and this is as private as I can ask for.
