The observation felt too sharp, too focused. Had they been watching me this whole time?
"Maybe your friend had something better to do," Ryan suggested, his hand finding my lower back. "But that just means you're free to hang out with us."
I stiffened at the unwelcome touch. "I'd rather wait, thank you."
"Don't be like that." His voice was cajoling, seeming to think I had any desire to be near him or his friends. "We're just trying to show you a good time."
Miguel the bartender had moved to the other end of the bar, serving a group of women who'd claimed his attention with imperious gestures that suggested they tipped well. The space around us had grown busier, conversations louder, making it harder to catch his eye.
"I appreciate the thought," I said, trying to keep my voice level, "but I'm really just waiting for my friend."
"Your friend who stood you up?" Lucas stepped closer, close enough that I could feel the heat radiating from his body. "Come on, gorgeous. Live a little."
The endearment made my skin crawl. I looked toward the entrance, hoping to see Melissa's familiar figure, but found only strangers. My phone remained stubbornly silent.
Okay. Time to go.
"Excuse me," I said, reaching for my purse. "I think I should—"
"Should what?" Ryan's hand pressed more firmly against my back, keeping me in place. "The night's young. We could show you around, introduce you to some people."
"I don't think—"
"There you are."
The voice cut through the noise like a whip, low and precise, carrying command with every word. I turned to find a man standing just a few feet away, tall enough that I had to tilt my head back to meet his eyes.
Steel gray. That was my first coherent thought. His eyes were the color of winter sky, sharp and assessing, taking in the situation as if he was accustomed to reading people quickly.
"I've been looking for you," he continued, his gaze holding mine with an intensity that made my breath catch. "We can't start dinner without you."
For a heartbeat, I was too stunned to respond. He was beautiful in the way that expensive things were beautiful—all clean lines and perfect proportions, from the sharp angle of his jaw and cheekbones to the dark hair that looked like he'd run his fingers through it.
He wore all black—fitted jacket, dark jeans, leather boots—and the thin black leather gloves on his hands suggested either an affectation or a purpose I couldn't guess at.
But it was the way he looked at me that stole my words. Like he knew me. Like he'd been genuinely searching.
"I—" I started.
"Sorry I'm late," he said smoothly, extending a gloved hand. "Traffic was murder."
The lie rolled off his tongue so easily, delivered with such casual confidence, that for a moment even I almost believed it. But his eyes held a question, a silent request for permission to continue the charade.
Say yes,some instinct whispered.Trust him.
"No problem," I managed, taking his hand. His grip was firm, steady, anchoring me to this moment of unexpected rescue as he drew me to his side.
"I hope you didn't wait too long." His gaze shifted to the three men who had gone very still beside me, their aggressive confidence evaporating under his quiet scrutiny. There was something in his posture—relaxed but ready—that suggested they'd made a tactical error in judgment.
"We were just keeping her company," Ryan said, his voice lacking its earlier swagger.
"How thoughtful." The words were perfectly polite and somehow still managed to sound like a dismissal. "I'm sure she appreciated the gesture."
He released my hand and offered his arm instead. I hesitated for just a moment before slipping my hand through the crook of his elbow, feeling the solid warmth of him even through the fabric.
He guided me away from the bar with a steady gait and protective ease—nothing like Ryan's presumptuous grabbing, but somehow more effective than any force could have been. Instead of heading toward the main dining area, he led me toward a discreet hallway at the back of the club.
"Thank you," I said quietly as we walked. "For back there. I didn't know how to get out of that situation."
