Madi.
And she looked tense.
The guy next to her was standing close.Too close.
Jealousy surged, but I shut that shit down. I had no right feeling jealous. I didn’t want to feel jealous. Jealousy wasn’t my thing.
But helping a woman being harassed was.
God help this guy if he was threatening her.
I zigzagged through the crowd. When I was close enough to hear their conversation, the underlying fear in Madi’s voice put me on high alert.
“Like I said, my friend will be here any second,” Madi said. Her eyes shifted over the guy’s shoulder. Even in the dim light, I noticed her pupils dilate when she saw me.
The guy leaned closer and said, “I saw that, and I know what it means.”
Madi flinched.
Oh hell no.
“Hey beautiful, sorry I’m late,” I said, stepping to her side and putting my arm around her shoulders. “Who’s your friend?”
“This is Mr. Bunson.” Madi’s tone was cooler than the January breeze.
I choked on my laugh at the introduction.
Mr. Bunson has clearly overstayed his welcome.
Dude was dumber than a rock. If a woman used that tone with me while refusing to use my first name, I’d be gone faster than a speeding bullet.
“It’s Paul.”
I held out my hand. “Nice to meet you, Paul.” I may have gripped his hand a little too hard when I shook it. To his credit, he didn’t flinch. Instead, he met my grip strength and tried to assert dominance.
Joke’s on you dude. I tightened my grip.
He returned my greeting as I pumped his hand one more time, cataloguing his stats the entire time.
Five-ten. One-eighty. Muscular, but not jacked. Short dark hair. Dark eyes. No facial hair. No visible tattoos.
“You said you were waiting on your friend. Is this a date?” Paul asked.
I squeezed Madi’s shoulder to signal her, hoping she’d play along.
“Yes. So if you don’t mind…” I trailed off, giving him the opportunity to walk away like a decent human.
“Right. Sorry. I’ll go.” He hesitated before saying, “I’ll see you later, Doc.”
Doc?He must be a patient.
“Have a good night, Mr. Bunson.”
I waited until he’d walked far enough away that he wouldn’t overhear us. “Are you okay?”
Madi moved out from under my arm and faced me. “I’m fine. And I don’t need you acting like I’m some damsel in distress.”
“A simple thank you would do,” I teased.
