“It’s fine, Marie,” I interject. “Plus, that guy was kind of a tool. He kept bringing up how much he can bench, and if you look across the bar, he’s already talking to another girl.”
Marie’s eyes follow my hand pointing out the tall brunette leaning over a petite blonde woman who’s eating up every last line he’s throwing her way.
And I caught the jerk looking down my shirt a few times, but I kept that to myself.
She clears her throat and nods. “Yeah, maybe I dodged a bullet. But keep your man in line next time. I’m going to go get a drink so you two can keep swapping spit if you want.”
My stomach tightens as she disappears into the crowd. I slowly turn back to the kissing bandit and let myself switch out of fake girlfriend mode and into I’m simply tolerating you mode. I give his shoulder a harmless shove and force my smile into a disappointed scowl.
“What the hell was that?”
Apparently, I’m not convincing enough because his lipscurl upward. “Oh, don’t play dumb, Bambi. You kissed me back.”
I narrow my eyes at him, taking a step back. I need space. I groan internally at his backward hat and the way the neon light reflects off his lips, giving them an irresistible shine. Something unladylike settles deep in my core, and a quiet buzz takes hold.
“It’s called acting,” I say, crossing my arms.
“Sure thing, sweetheart,” he says with a wink. “I wasactingtoo.”
Another wave of heat washes over me, but this time it’s rooted in irritation instead of the earlier emotion that shall not be named.
“You can’t just go around mauling me in public, Knox,” I hiss, making my voice low enough so only our small corner of the bar can hear. The loud announcement about Thursday night karaoke helps. “Or at least give me a heads up. We have rules for a reason, and you just broke two of them in a row.”
“I apologize for kissing you without asking,” he says, leaning against the wall, “but I don’t apologize for scaring off that creep. He already has his tongue shoved down another girl’s throat.”
I peer over the sea of people and cringe at the rated R scene unfolding in a public space. Maybe we inspired him? Ishake my head before turning back to Knox. My stomach drops when I see the way his stare follows my every move.
“That’s not the point,” I fire back, ignoring the way my heart is pounding to the beat of the sound blasting through the speakers. “We have rules for a reason.”
“And why is that, Bambi?” he asks, taking a step closer. My mouth goes dry, and blood pumps in my eardrums. My lips fall open, but I can’t find the right thing to say.
Knox sees my moment of weakness and leans in closer. His eyes soften under the cool lighting. “Tell me you didn’t like it, and we can move on.”
Sandpaper lines my throat. The words are there, but I can’t think straight with his breath dancing across my cheek. I even reach for a good pep talk to push through whatever crazy wave of hormones is rushing through me, but I come up blank. All I can think about is how hot it is inside this bar and how easy it would be to give in to that heat.
All I can manage to do is roll my eyes and hope he doesn’t press further. If he leaned in for another kiss, I’m not sure I’d be able to pull away. “If you’re searching for a compliment, you’re barking up the wrong tree.”
He laughs, low and deep. The bastard knows the effect he has on me. “Fair enough, Bambi. I won’t kiss you again until you ask me to,” he says before leaning so close to my ear I want to collapse into his arms. “And you will ask me to. Hell, you’ll probably even beg.”
Knox pulls away with a satisfied smile that just makes me squirm even more. God bless the dim lighting, because I can feel my cheeks turning an unflattering bright red. I rack my brain for some sort of good retort, but I’m interrupted by my phone vibrating in my pocket.
I’m thrilled about the interruption for exactly two seconds until I read the caller I.D. Knox must see the frown on my face because he looks down at my phone screen with a concerned crease running straight down the middle of his forehead.
“Who’s Patrick?” he asks.
I bite my lip so hard I slightly break the skin, causing a metallic taste to fill my mouth. “An old friend,” I say, not sure why I feel the need to lie. “I should probably take this. Knowing him, he’ll keep calling until I answer.”
Knox gently grabs my wrist, catching me off guard. “You’re shaking, Emery. Are you okay?”
My brain reconnects with my body, and I realize he’s right. Something takes over me, and I feel like a zombie walking back into my old life. The vibrating quits, but then it starts back up again like clockwork. “I’m f-fine,” I say, tryingto school my emotions. “I haven’t eaten anything all night, so that might be it. I’m going to step outside. If you see Marie, can you let her know?”
Knox’s gaze softens, but he doesn’t let go of my wrist. When I finally shake him off, he steps back and nods. “Yeah, of course. Come get me if you need anything. I’ve barely had anything to drink, so I can drive you home, and we can get burgers on the way.”
“Okay,” I smile, clenching my hand around my phone. “Thank you.”
I turn away, not wanting to delay the inevitable any longer. I haven’t spoken to Patrick in months, and the fact that he’s calling now has a pit forming in my stomach. I should’ve blocked his number, but when you get out of a serious relationship, it’s hard to completely close the door. He absolutely wrecked me, and yet I still care about him. That seemed to be a theme in my love life.
“Hi,” I say, picking up the fourth phone call in a row.
