"No."
"Could've fooled me." His gaze drops to my legs, lingering in a way that makes my skin crawl. "That dress is insane. You must work out."
Jesus Christ.
I shift away, putting distance between us. "My friend will be back any second."
"Then I better work fast." He laughs at his own joke. His hand lands on my thigh, fingers pressing into bare skin.
Everything in me goes cold.
"Remove your hand," I say quietly. "Now."
"Come on, don't be like that?â"
The click of a gun safety cuts him off mid-sentence.
Ben freezes. His face drains of color as cold metal presses against his temple.
"If I wasn't thinking about your father right now," a deep voice says from behind him, accent curling around the words like smoke, "you'd be leaving here with no fingers for daring to put your hands on her."
What the fuck?
Ben's hand disappears from my leg so fast you'd think I was made of fire. He stumbles out of the booth, nearly tripping over his own feet.
"I didn'tâI wasn't?â"
"Leave."
One word. That's all it takes. Ben practically runs, disappearing into the crowd like his life depends on it.
Maybe it does.
I stand slowly, as I finally face my... rescuer? Attacker? I don't know what to call him.
Tall. Dark hair pushed back from a face all sharp angles and devastating symmetry. Eyes like ice chips, pale and piercing, tracking my every movement with an intensity that makes my breath catch.
Something about him tugs at my memory. The set of his jaw. The way he holds himself like the room belongs to him.
Where have I seen him before?
"What the hell was that?" My voice comes out steadier than I feel.
He tucks the gun away and has the audacity to smile. "You're welcome."
"I didn't thank you."
"You should." He steps closer, and I catch his scent. Expensive. Leather and something darker underneath. "That boy was about to make a very stupid mistake."
"I had it handled."
"Did you?" One eyebrow lifts. "Because it looked like you were about to cause a scene that would've had your family asking questions."
Your family.
Before I can respond, Amanda appears at the edge of the booth, Elio right behind her. But another man blocks Elio's path.
Elio reaches for his weapon.
