“And looked like some weird old guy picking a fight with them? That would have made a much bigger mess than anything I did.”
I shove my hands into the pockets of my pants and drift my foot over the pavement between us. “What if someone got what happened on camera?”
“I don’t really give a shit, Roman. There are much worse things to be called than a protector of your friends.”
“And that’s what Evie is to you? A friend?”
The harsh lines on her face begin to soften, exposing the warmth hidden behind them. “Yes.”
“You hardly know her,” I argue, completely uselessly. I’ve already given in. Accepted that she cares about my niece.
Because she’s right. I can think of a million things worse than Evie having a friend who will protect and stand up for her the way Brielle did tonight.
A bare, smooth shoulder jostles as she glances past me into the back seat. “It might surprise you, Roman, but I don’t have all that many friends in my life like Aubrey. I know you’re protective of Evie, so I’ll let some of your attitude go, but I do actually like her and would like to get to know her more.”
“You sound like you’re asking my permission to date her,” I mutter.
Her lips quirk, followed by a light laugh. There’s a gleam in her gaze that has heat zipping up my spine. “Unfortunately, I’m strictly into men.”
“Unfortunately,” I echo, voice dipping.
“Is that disappointment or relief I’m hearing?”
“Neither should matter to you.”
“It turns out that that’s not up to you.”
I reach for the door handle and give it a tug, ending the conversation. Brielle’s satisfied smirk tells me that my silence was answer enough, though.
“Get in, Brielle.”
She doesn’t argue. With practiced grace, she takes confident steps toward me and steps off the curb. One of her heels is stamped to the pavement when she twists her body to face mine and leans in. The inches that remain between us feel non-existent when her lips part, and I feel the heat from her fingers swipe across my chest.
“Say please,” she whispers.
My hand snaps out, gripping her waist and guiding her into the car. Her soft gasp floods through my ears and curls hot and heavy in my groin. I palm the top of her head to ensure it doesn’t hit anything before releasing her and straightening.
Instead of giving her what she wants, I shut the door and groan under my breath. My knuckles dig into the side of the car as I take long inhales to calm myself before pushing away and rounding the hood. I can feel her eyes on me through the windshield.
“It’s not that big a deal, Elle. I mean it,” Evie says while I’m slipping into the car.
Brielle’s twisted in her seat, her attention mercifully on my niece and not me. “Okay, so then tell me their names.”
The halter top she’s wearing has ridden so damn high on her body, her entire middle is exposed. If I had a blanket in here, I’d toss it over her. Maybe then I’d be able to concentrate on anything else.
My teeth grate as I turn the car on and yank my seat belt across my front.
“Are they the girls you went out with tonight?” I ask gruffly, looking into the back seat from the rearview mirror.
Evie looks out the window, her frown deep. “They invited me.”
“How do you know them?”
Brielle doesn’t soften her words. The flirtatious lift to them from earlier has been replaced with a cool indifference.
“They were in a photography class I took a few months ago. I didn’t know they even remembered me until they texted earlier and asked if I’d go out tonight,” Evie explains, her voice so soft it’s almost impossible to hear.
Brielle slowly sits back into her seat, bouncing her knee. “They’re losers, Evie. I hope you didn’t take anything they said to heart.”
