An announcement overhead tells me that Nova’s next and it should be her last dance of the night. I lean forward, cupping my club soda and lime, and wait to see what she’s dressed in.
The bump of the table, sloshing my drink over my hands, jolts my attention to the man sliding into the other side of the booth.
“She’s a hot piece of ass, ain’t she?” Nico practically salivates as he speaks.
I refuse to answer or give any hints that Nova is mine, no matter how much I want to, so I look down at my drink.
“That’s okay. No need to say what we all know. It’s just a matter of time until I get her to break. Maybe I’ll take her to the office tonight, throw her over the desk and make it so she has to take it.”
My hands squeeze the glass so hard it breaks, shocking us both.
“Ahh, now I see. I’ll just have to do it on a night when you aren’t here then. Can’t be interrupted, after all. Maybe I’ll bring her back to my place so she’ll never see the light of day again.” He looks entirely too happy.
I know he’s trying to instigate me. The problem is it’s working. My teeth grit, and he slugs back his tequila.
“You’re not tough shit. You may be Oscar’s little pet project right now, but you’ll be gone soon enough. And by that time”—he looks over at me with a sneer—“I’ll have my pet project exactly how I want her. Submissive and silent.” He toasts his empty glass to Nova up on stage.
I snap.
His head cracks against the wooden table before I shove him down onto the booth. Punch after punch lands, but the red haze that clouds my vision is far from gone. Hands grab at my shoulders, ripping me away from the piece of shit trying to go after my woman.
My hands go up in surrender. “I’m good,” I pant. “I’m good.”
That’s when I look at Nova. Her eyes swarm with unshed tears, and there’s a look of fear I’ve never seen on her face before.
“That’s right. Take a good look now while you still can,” Nico spouts off as the bouncers lead him out the back hallway.
The one holding me grabs my shoulder so I don’t go after him. “The only reason I’m not kicking you out is because of Cano. Don’t make me call him.”
I shrug off his hold. I give Nova a nod before I tip my head to the backdoor. She subtly nods back but continues her dance. I go the way Nico went, just to ensure he isn’t hanging around the dressing room like the fucking asshole he is. Luckily, he seems to have gotten the message … for now.
Fifteen minutes later, Nova bursts through the back door, head on a swivel frantically looking for me.
“Oh my God! What happened?” she asks once she spots me against the brick wall.
“Nico knows we’ve been hanging out. We’ll need to be more careful, and you need to be extra careful here. Take a bouncerwith you if you need to go anywhere without cameras, and I’ll be here every night you work.”
“Chris, you’re freaking me out. What did he say?”
“Just …” I sigh, running my hand through my hair. “Trust me when I say be careful.”
“Youneed to be more careful.”
I smile at her words. “Worried about me, Nova baby?”
“Must be the naked sleeping. I’ve temporarily lost my sense of self-preservation.”
My feet move closer to her; my hands go on her hips. “Speaking of … What do you say to another night of naked snuggles?”
“I think I could be persuaded,” she says before she rests her head on my chest. My arms wrap around her, holding her. “What are we doing?” Nova whispers.
Somehow, I know she isn’t talking about right this minute. I just don’t have an answer for her. I can’t tell her that everything she thinks she knows about me is made up.
Not everything. You’ve shown her more of your true self than to anyone outside of your team.
“I don’t know. I can’t make any promises,” I murmur into the crown of her head.
“I’m not asking for any.”
