Fuck.
My dick ached, hardening already at the visions in my mind. I ground my molars at the bolt of lust that hit me.
“Sergei,” she said, furrowing her brow. “I’m so sorry.”
I bit back a smile.
“This looks so expensive and?—”
I put my hand on top of hers, stopping her from fussing as she tried to clean up the mess. She was too sweet for me. Too considerate and thoughtful.
“It’s just a suit,” I told her.
“Still…” She cringed. “It looks so expensive and?—”
I shook my head and stood, pulling my arm back to take off my jacket. It was such a small thing for her to be upset about—someone accidentally spilling a drink on me. But it hit me hard. Her general concern for me thawed my heart.
She cared.
I didn’t have a low self-esteem. I didn’t have to wonder if I had people in my life who gave a shit about me. I did. All of my family cared. Something about knowingshegave a damn about me felt different.
She lifted her gaze to me and smiled a little more as I shrugged off my jacket. My anger and annoyance faded with her seeming appeased. “I’m surprised it wasn’t me who spilled it,” she joked.
“Natalie!”
She flinched at her boss’s yell. I narrowed my eyes at the loser as I rolled my sleeves up to avoid the wetness of my shirt on my forearm.
He scowled and gestured for her to move. “Mop that fucking mess up before someone slips and falls!”
She faced me, then watched as a drunk woman walked by, dancing and with her eyes closed as she sipped a drink. Even if she had her eyes open and the floor was dry, she would’ve slipped. In those heels and with that much booze in her system?
I sidestepped the woman before she could lean against me. The man who’d knocked his drink onto me helped her instead.
Natalie nodded, giving me a worried and apologetic look as she hurried to get a mop and ease into the crowd out here.
Like the night when she saw me on the sidewalk, I was reminded of how short and petite she was. Curvy, but small, she barely came up to my chin as she dragged the mop over the floor. With how packed it was, she could barely get into the wet area to clean it.
“You missed a spot,” a man teased, laughing with his friends as he got into her space.
She stepped toward me, almost like it was instinct. “Oh. Sorry.”
You didn’t miss fucking anything.I fought the urge to put my hand on the small of her back. He was messing with her.
“Yeah, you missed a spot here, too,” another guy joked, cupping his crotch and angling toward her. “Wanna rub it dry?”
She backed up toward me again, holding the mop handle like she wished it could be a shield.
“Aw, don’t be shy now,” another drunk taunted, reaching his hand toward her as if he could pull her into a side hug. “We’re just teasing.”
“Sorry. I…” Natalie shook her head and dipped her chin, as if not facing them would discourage them as she continued to mop the best she could.
“She’s playing hard to get, man,” the first one guessed, smacking her ass.
She flinched, backing up toward me again. Immediate rage lit a fire inside me as she bumped her back against me.
“Oh, you want to play?” the second guy teased, reaching out to grope her.
I lowered my arm, deflecting him from even coming close enough to touch her. Anger coursed through me and I debated how far I’d teach this wise-ass a lesson.
