I continue to watch as they signal for the cheque, and when the waitress arrives, the fucking guy has the audacity to sit back in his chair and pin Jade with his stare. There ain’t no fucking way he is implying what the hell I think he’s implying.
I wait to see what happens when Jade begins to pull out her purse. This has gone too far. Pushing back from the table, I stomp over there.
“Jade.” I say her name, and she looks up at me.
“Oh, hi, Sheriff.” Her cheeks pink, and she gives me a puzzled look. I reach out, pushing her hand with the purse back down and shake my head as I reach into my back pocket and produce my wallet. I keep my eyes pinned on Jade as I pull out my card and hand it over to the waitress.
“I got it,” I tell her, taking the machine.
“Who the hell are you?” the Mr. Clean look-alike asks in irritation.
I level him with a glare before saying, “I’m the one taking this beautiful woman home. Now scram.”
“I beg your pardon.” Mr. Clean starts to stand up, but I pull my card from the machine, thank the waitress, and hold out my hand for Jade, all while ignoring him.
She looks at the douche and shrugs. “I’m sorry, Samual. But this was a really awful date,” she tells him, looking a little apologetic. He balks, and I fight the urge to laugh. Jade places her small delicate hand in mine, and I pull her up and away from the table.
“What the hell!” Mr. Clean, or Samual, yells stomping his feet like a child.
We make our way past Ian, who’s got a shit-eating grin on his face. “I got it, Sheriff. You enjoy your night.” He waves, dismissing me from staying to finish my meal.
“Thanks, man.” I give him a nod, and Jade and I walk out hand in hand.
Outside in the warm evening air, Jade lets out a small sigh of relief. “Thank you for that. I owe you one,” she tells me.
“No worries. That guy looked like a tool,” I tell her. “And I owed you for those delicious cookies anyways.” I wink, and she laughs, the light breezy sound of it making my heart race.
“He was truly awful.” She shakes her head. “He complained the entire time about the meal and the price of things. I wish I could say I was surprised he expected me to pay for it, but the truth is, I’m not. And let’s not even mention that he talked about his ex for most of it as well. He couldn’t even bother to ask me questions about myself.”
“Ouch. He wasn’t good enough for you anyways,” I tell her sincerely.
“That’s sweet of you to say. But this is why I don’t date. Men suck.”
“Hey, now.” I grab my chest, acting wounded.
“Oops.” She giggles. “Okay, not all men.” She stops to look at me, and I smile. “You’re not too bad,” she says, and I let out a deep throaty chuckle.
“Not too bad, huh?” I tease her.
When she notices we’re still holding hands, she quickly pulls away, looking a little nervous.
“Well, I guess I better start heading home.”
“You wanna make a pit stop at the Brewery? It’s a beautiful night to sit on the patio. Let me buy you a drink.”
She looks down the street towards the Brewery, and I can see her working through what to say. After a beat, she nods. “Sure.” She smiles. “Why not? Sarah lent me this dress, so I may as well get some use out of it.”
I scan her body, and I can feel my cock twitch beneath my trousers. The dress does wonders for her curves. I can see every dip and curve of her hips, and when I get to her feet, I have to swallow back a groan because I’m picturing her in nothing but those heels she’s got on.
I swallow my tongue and clear the heat from my voice. “You look beautiful,” I tell her.
She blushes and looks down at the ground. “Thank you, Sheriff.”
“West,” I tell her, but all she does is smile up at me.
We make our way down the street, and when I brush my fingers against hers, she doesn’t pull away. When we walk into the Brewery, I request a spot on the patio and follow the waitress out.
We each order a drink and sit in a comfortable silence, watching the river flow past.
