“If there’s anything else I can get you, just let me know,” I say with a smile.
I busy myself for the next ten minutes or so wiping down the tables and stacking the chairs ready for closing, and all the while, I’m hyper aware of Royce’s eyes on me, which does nothing to settle the butterflies in my belly. I’m just about to move onto the next table when the doorbell chimes.
“We’re just about to clo-” I’m cut off when I see who’s walking in, and my heart sinks to my stomach, my shoulders sagging.
“Hey, babe!” Travis greets with a smarmy grin as he makes his way towards me and I almost throw up in my mouth.
“Don’t call me that,” I snap, dropping my cloth and spinning on my heel towards the counter. “I thought I told you that you aren’t welcome here anymore?”
“And I thought I toldyouthat you can’t escape me. You’re my girlfriend after all.”
“Ex-girlfriend,” I correct, “and we both know why that is. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have work to do.” I’m about to turn away when his thick fingers band around my forearm, tugging me back, and I stumble.
“Don’t fucking walk away from me,” he warns, his voice firm and his eyes darkening.
“Get your hand off me. You’re causing a scene,” I warn in a low voice, not wanting to draw attention.
“Do I look like I give a fuck?” he scoffs, his hold on me tightening, his fingers digging into my arm and I wince. “What happened to us?”
“You know damn well what happened, now let go!”
“Everything okay over here?” Royce asks, appearing out of nowhere, flanking me, his shoulder grazing mine.
“It’s all good, man,” Travis replies coolly, his hand still wrapped around my arm.
“Well then, I suggest you take your hand off the lady like she asked.”
“And who’s gonna make me?” he challenges cockily.
“Me,” Royce says, smacking Travis’ hand away and stepping in between us, taking his collar in his fist while his free hand nudges me behind him. “Don’t ever touch her again,” he warns.
“Who the fuck are you?” Travis spits.
“Royce Cole.”
“Well,Royce Cole, do you have any idea whoIam?” Travis asks.
“I don’t give a fuck if you’re the goddamn President, I’d tell him the same.Don’t.Touch her. Again,” Royce repeats, his grip on Travis’ shirt tightening. “I could have your ass in jail for harassment and assault before the clock strikes midnight, so I suggest you leave her alone.” Royce’s voice rumbles through me and my heart skips a beat, tingles and heat spreading lower and lower to places I haven’t felt in a long time, just from the sound of a man’s voice.
Christ, has it been that long since I’ve been with a man that all it takes is someone’s voice to turn me on?
Travis raises his hands in surrender and reluctantly, Royce releases him. “I’ll be seeing you, Lorna,” he says, backing away slowly with a shit-eating smirk on his face. Travis’ eyes burn into Royce and I as he disappears out the door.
Once out of sight, Royce turns to me, placing his forefinger under my chin, tipping my face up to look at him, “are you alright?”
“Yeah. Thank you.” I force a smile, rubbing at my sore arm that still stings from his grip.
“Who was that asshole?” he asks.
“My ex. It’s alongstory.”
“It always is,” he says dryly like he knows the feeling. He lifts my arm to examine the red marks that Travis’ fingers left behind and his jaw clenches. “A man shouldn’t treat you like this. You can do better.”
“That’s exactly what my dad used to say.”
“He’s a wise man.”
“He was…” I trail off, the memory of my dad is like a kick to the guts, the pain of losing him never hurts any less than it did saying goodbye. This will be my first Christmas without him, a thought that has me wanting to break down and cry for a week, but I’m scared that if I do, I’ll never stop the tears from spilling out. “So, why are you really here, Royce?”
