“Do any of you boys have a smoke I canbum?”
Quinn, the least good looking one out of them all, slid off his barstool and dug a pack of cowboy killers out of his front pocket. “Mind if I joinyou?”
I shook my head, walking around the bar toward the door. “The company is welcomed.” I turned to call over to Holt, “Going for a quick smoke. Watch thebar?”
Holt nodded and Quinn and I were out the door with lit cigarettes withinseconds.
“So how does a chick like you get to be working in a dive bar like this? Shouldn’t you be a model orsomething?”
Talk about laying it on thick straight out of thegate.
I forced a flirty giggle, twirling my hair as I let out a puff of white smoke, making sure I was standing right in the window in direct view of Abel, who was deliberately not looking our way. “I’m new in these parts. Gotta pay the billssomehow.”
He ashed and the wind whisked it right onto the bottom of my shirt. “Oh shit sorry.” He started to brush the grey off for me, taking a step closer—way closer than I would have wanted him to, but I was kind of flirting so who could blame him for trying to make amove?
I giggled again. “It’s nothingreally.”
“I’m such agoof.”
He took a step closer. I could smell the beer on hisbreath.
Gross.
“You should come to the show tomorrow night. You could hang out backstage with me.” He leaned in a little closer. Kneeing him in the crotch crossed my mind for if he tried to touch meagain.
I took a step back, crashing against the brick wall next to the window. His hand landed on my hip and I was ready to take a swing. Right then, Abel busted through the door like a bat out of hell, fire blazing in hiseyes.
He stomped over and without a word, his fist landed square on Quinn’sjaw.
I gasped. “Abel, what the hell?” I shoved him. “Wrongmove.”
His eyes narrowed as he stared at me. “This drunk asshole is not going to hit on you in mybar.”
Quinn bowed up a little and Abel growled. “Do something about it, punk. I fucking dareyou.”
I watched as Abel’s jaw flexed and Quinn’s fists tightened while he stood there silent like a littlepansy.
I put my hand on Quinn’s chest. “Let’s get some ice on that before it swells. Abel here needs to learn some goddamnmanners.”
I had to at least play pissed, even though I was silently thanking Abel for keeping me from having to be the one to defend myself. I knew that I had brought it on myself, but can’t a girl have a smoke with a guy without him trying to get into herpants?
Before I could even take a step, Abel’s hand was on my arm. “You,” he pointed at Quinn, “get your damn friends and get the hell out of here.” He turned to me. “I need a moment alone with myemployee.” He snarled as his grip got a little tighter thannecessary.
I was ready to start yelling. Who the hell did he think he was, pulling a damn stunt like that? He didn’t ownme.
Quinn practically ran into the bar, right as I was starting to raise my voice to my sex-on-a-stick boss that had never been more attractive to me than in thatmoment.
“Abel! What in God’s name do you think you’redoing?”
He spun me around and pressed me up against the wall, pinning me between his rock solid chest and thebricks.
His voice was low as his hot breath danced on my neck. “I think that guy was no good and I was protecting what’smine.”
“You don’t own me,Abel.”
“We’ll see about that, sugar. I get what Iwant.”
If he only knew that he could have had me before pulling a stunt like this. Other than the quick glances and the short comments, he’d never shown any interest in getting in mypants.
