While I appreciated her loyalty, I sure as fuck didn’t deserve it.
“You’re right,” she said contemplatively. “I would have thought about it. I’ve never done anything violent, and I’ve never hit someone. But I doubt I really would have regretted it. He was vile. Admit it. You wanted to hit him, too. Do you actually know him from your childhood or is he just listening to town gossip?”
“Angel, we were about to step outside so I could make sure he learned how to treat a woman. And yeah, I knew him a little when I was young. His name is Todd Massey. His dad was my father’s drinking buddy. Unfortunately, the apple didn’t fall far from the tree. He’s just as mean and as ornery as his father was.”
“I’m glad you didn’t go outside with him,” she said as she pulled her head back to look at me. “You’re right. He’s not worth it.”
I scowled. “I meant he wasn’t worth gettingyourhands dirty,” he corrected. “You’re always going to be worth protecting, Lauren. If a guy like him starts thinking he has a right to touch you whenever he wants, he’ll keep right on doing it.”
“I would have handled it,” she informed me.
“I’m sure you would have, but my methods would have been a lot firmer and more effective,” I assured her unhappily.
If Massey had gotten it into his head that he wanted Lauren, there were only a few things that were going to get him to let go of that idea.
He could be the kind of asshole who wouldn’t take no for an answer from a woman.
Hell, maybe it was the excessive liquor talking, but I’d watch that asshole like a hawk in the future if he and Lauren were ever in the same general area again.
“I’ll be fine,” she assured me. “He was drunk. I’ve seen him around town, but I’ve never met him. He’s never approached me before. Obviously, nobody I know is friends with him. He’ll probably sober up tomorrow and forget all about what happened.”
She was probably right.
Nevertheless, the thought of Massey ever touching Lauren again made my gut ache.
What in the fuck is wrong with me!
Christ!I was starting to think about thewhat-ifsand other things that were unlikely to happen.
That wasn’t something I ever did.
I’d also never wanted to take another man outside just because he’d grabbed some woman’s arm.
Problem was, Lauren wasn’t just some woman.
Something deep in my gut wouldn’t allow me to let another guy touch her, even though she wasn’t mine to protect.
In reality, we barely knew each other.
I had absolutely no reason to feel this protective toward a woman I hardly knew.
Right?
Yeah…well…that was wrong.
My protective tendency toward Lauren was purely instinct.
It had nothing to do with how long I’d known her and everything to do with the way I’d reacted to her since the first time I’d seen her.
In the beginning, I’d been able to rationalize my attraction to her.
I’d been able to blow it off.
Until I’d gotten to know her at my place when I was sick.
Since then, I’d been fucked.
It seemed that I actuallylikedher, andthatwas a problem for me.
