Beth glanced over to where a beautiful man she’d only met for the first time a few days ago was standing by himself, staring across the room at Lindsey. He was trim and tall, with a blond goatee and glacier-blue eyes. “Um, hell no. He looks like he wants to rip all your clothes off. No way am I interfering with that. Go get your ho on, girl.”
Gaze glittering, Lindsey raised an eyebrow. “You sure? I don’t want to leave you all alone over here.”
Beth shook her head. “I’m gonna mingle, I promise. Just wanna finish this beer and get another.”
“All right.” Lindsey stood and leaned forward to kiss Beth’s cheek. “Love you, cuz. So glad you’re home.” Then she winked. “Don’t wait up.”
Laughing, Beth gave her friend a gentle shove. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
Lindsey waved over her shoulder as she let out a throaty laugh, already in seductress mode. Beth watched for a few moments as Lindsey made her way to Rizz. When she reached him, she plucked the beer out of his hand and brought the bottle to her glossy lips, tipping her head back for a long sip. Rizz’s eyes darkened as he watched Lindsey’s throat work. Before she lowered the bottle, he had his arm around her waist and was whispering something in her ear that had her giggling.
Beth chuckled as she lifted her own bottle. “Get it, girl,” she whispered with a grin.
As she turned back toward the bar to ask the prospect for a second beer, her breath hitched. Seated on a couch against the wall was Saint. She hadn’t seen him come in and assumed he’dbailed on this party as he did the one the night they returned home. But no, there he sat, wearing a serious expression while he chatted with Zach.
And holy shit did he look good. He hadn’t bothered shaving since she’d last seen him yesterday, and a dark, scruffy stubble coated his cheeks, giving him an air of danger. Or maybe it was the intense expression in his dark eyes. Or the bulge of his muscles beneath the tight sleeves of his T-shirt. Whatever it was, her heart thumped, and she squirmed on her stool as her pussy tingled.
She hadn’t been able to stop thinking about him since their little field trip to crack house central yesterday. He’d handled the precarious situation with a calm, impressive competence. Despite their creepy surroundings, she’d felt safe with him the entire time. He’d made her safety his number one priority, keeping her close and pretending she was his.
And she’d liked it.
A little too much.
The feel of his hands on her skin, his lips whispering next to her ear, and his firm body pressed all along hers had made it difficult to concentrate and nearly impossible to feel fear. On the way home, she’d had to fight to keep from rubbing up against his back and humping him like a horny dog.
Now, watching him have what was obviously a serious conversation with Zach, all those feelings came rushing back with a vengeance. She wanted him more than she’d wanted any man in a long time, maybe ever, and that was a big problem.
After a few moments, Zach slapped Saint’s knee and stood. They bumped knuckles, then Zach took off toward his ol’ lady, Toni, who danced with Stephanie and Chloe.
Beth shifted her gaze from the women she considered aunts to Saint, who was staring at her with raw intensity, electricity shooting down her spine. Their gazes locked, heated andpowerful. She might as well have been naked. It felt as though he could see beneath every layer of her clothes and every wall she’d ever put up to guard her vulnerable center.
An invisible force wrapped around her, creating a strong pull in his direction, a near compulsion to go to him, and just as she was about to give in to the extremely foolish urge, a woman cut through her line of sight.
Melody.
She waited tables at Toni’s diner and had served Beth and Shell the other morning when they popped in for breakfast, though she sure looked different tonight. The long, dark, curly hair she typically pulled back tumbled down her back in a gorgeous waterfall tonight. Dressed in ass-revealing denim shorts and what had to be a fucking bikini top, Melody planted herself next to Saint on the couch.
Right next to him.
Practically in his lap.
A sickening twist curdled the beer in Beth’s stomach as Saint shifted his attention from her to Melody, who planted a hand on his chest and basically drooled on him. She hiked up a leg and rested it on his thigh. If she shifted it a few inches, she’d be straddling him.
Saint didn’t smile at her, but he didn’t shove her away either. He placed a hand on her side, just above her hip.
Anchoring her to him or preventing her from ending up fully straddled across his lap?
They spoke back and forth a few times before Melody threw her head back and laughed as though Saint was the funniest man in the world.
Beth’s eyes narrowed. If this went on much longer, she’d be tempted to march over there and rip Melody off him by her cheap hair extensions.
Saint nodded at something Melody said, which seemed to embolden her even further. She walked her red-tipped nails up his chest. When she could go no further, she grasped his chin and turned his head slightly, planting a long kiss on his cheek.
Beth’s grip on her bottle tightened. Was he enjoying this? Did he like Melody’s bony fingers on his skin and her overfilled lips on his face?
Why do you care?
Shit. Why did she care?
