A waiter appeared a few seconds later, flirting with every girl with unabashed attention. Another wave of possession pushed me to an edge I wasn’t used to being on. My control was notable, including all aspects of business, but I wasn’t in a position to demand anything, even if I so desired.
However, that didn’t mean I wasn’t interested in trying. I was a man after all.
I took another swig, swiveling my chair so I could continue observing the beautiful redhead. She checked her watch, perhaps being polite in wondering how long she’d need to remain. When someone wasn’t interested in a bridal shower, that usually meant they’d been jilted before.
Or perhaps it had been the reason for a breakup.
Every story I concocted in my mind presented itself with another wave of desire to unfurl her secrets.
Three women stood and I shook my head, seeing one was wearing a sash as if prom queen. Was that what women were into? I literally had no idea.
I’d be damned if they weren’t headed for the mechanical bull. Now this I had to see.
“Crazy, huh?” the bartender asked.
“Which part?”
He automatically refilled my glass, nodding toward the bull while a small crowd gathered. “That piece of shit has been around for two decades. No one rides the damn thing. I keep telling the owner to get rid of it. We need the real estate. He refuses. He calls it free entertainment. Those girls are going to get hurt.”
“Hopefully, one of them knows what she’s doing.”
“See the redhead over there?” He pointed and I followed his line of sight.
Fleur had finally stood, making her way to where the others stood surrounding the bull. “Yeah, I see her.”
“Not only is she a real looker, but she also can handle that bull better than any cowboy I’ve ever met.” He leaned over the bar as if the two of us were going to be friends. I hated to break it to him, but the friends I had were of an entirely different nature, men trained and eager to kill.
“Oh, yeah?” I mused simply to be polite, bringing the rim to my lips. Tonight she was wearing a dress, violet in color, the vibrancy setting her apart from the others. Whereas the skirt worn earlier had been gauzy, hiding every inch of her, the material kissed every rounded curve as if made for her.
She was positively stunning and I had a feeling she didn’t know how much of an effect she had on almost every man in the establishment, but she wasn’t the kind of girl who either flaunted or used her beauty.
“Yeah, what I wouldn’t give to be the bull Fleur rides. There isn’t a man in this bar who wouldn’t like to give her a lesson or two if you know what I mean. My guess is that her tight little pussy tastes extremely sweet.”
As I’d noted before, there was no reason for my sense of jealousy. None whatsoever, but before I knew what I was doing, I had my hand wrapped around the collar of his shirt and had yanked him almost all the way across the top of the bar.
His eyes opened wide, the look of shock and horror followed by him throwing up his arms. Everyone on the barstools close by jerked up, backing away as if not only prepared but eager for a bar fight. That wasn’t my intention. I refused to lower myself to something so pedestrian. That didn’t mean I wouldn’t put the fear of God into the man.
With his face only inches from mine, I didn’t need to raise my voice. “Didn’t you learn somewhere in your Neanderthal days that you shouldn’t talk about a lady that way?” When he said nothing, my irritation level grew exponentially. There was no reason to offer him any other explanation, so I decided to give him a physical example of why it was in his best interest to agree with me.
I twisted the material in my fingers, the pressure against his neck instantaneous. He huffed and puffed, splotches of red covering his already ruddy cheeks.
“Now, I’m hopeful that you’ll keep this lesson in the forefront of your mind. If you don’t and I’m around, my second lesson you’ll consider more of a punishment. And you won’t like that very much. Do you understand me?”
He nodded, gasping for air, finally finding the balls to grip my arm and try to pull it away. Not a chance.
While no one else was saying a thing or trying to stop me, a sudden transference of anger to electricity surprised me.
“What in God’s name do you think you’re doing, Montgomery? Let him go. Now.” The feistiness of Fleur’s words was strangely appealing.
Very slowly, I turned my head, allowing my gaze to fall even more slowly than I’d done in her cozy shop.
While she immediately flushed, she wasn’t interested in backing down. Quite the opposite. She took a step closer, darting a quick look at the bartender. I could swear she was silently telling him she’d handle the situation. The flash of venom in her eyes worked because he pulled his fingers free.
She turned her full attention toward me, inching even closer. Close enough her perfume floated into my nostrils, the seductive scent reminding me of something delicious and dirty.
“Maybe you didn’t hear me. Get your hands off Randy.”
I cocked my head, twisting until I was able to look him in the eyes one more time. “In deference to the lady’s request, I’ll let you go. But remember what I said.” I dropped him like a rock and he scuttled away, immediately wrapping his hand around his neck.
