Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 65156 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 326(@200wpm)___ 261(@250wpm)___ 217(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 65156 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 326(@200wpm)___ 261(@250wpm)___ 217(@300wpm)
The man removes his arm, and stands upright. “I wasn’t looking for trouble,” he says, wavering slightly on his feet. “But damn she’s the hottest bitch in this bar. You can’t hog her.” He pushes me, and I lose it.
“Don’t talk about my wife like that,” I say before landing a punch square across his jaw.
The man stumbles back two steps, the bar catching him before he falls. He leans against it, rubbing a hand over his jaw.
“What the fuck?” he mutters, before swinging. He lands a punch with thin air, and nearly stumbles again.
“Goddammit, Randy,” the bartender shouts. “Chuck, will you get Randy an Uber and send him home,” she calls over her shoulder. She slides two beers across the bar. “Sorry about that. Drink’s on me.”
I reach into my wallet and pull out some cash, though I know it won’t make much difference. “That won’t be necessary,” I mutter, dropping the bills onto the bar with a nod to the bartender. The truth is, if anyone deserves to be arrested, it’s probably me—I did just hit a man. But judging by the looks on everyone’s faces, no one in this bar seems to care. They all saw what happened. They all know Randy had it coming.
And I’d do it again without hesitation. The image of him touching Violet still burns in the back of my mind, and my fist tightens involuntarily.
I slip my arm around Violet, pulling her in closer, feeling the warmth of her body against mine. “I’m sorry,” I say, my voice soft as I glance down at her. The adrenaline is still pumping through my veins, but the feel of her grounds me.
She tilts her head slightly, raising her beer to her lips and taking a slow sip before looking up at me with a teasing smile. “For what?”
“When I saw him touch you, I… sort of lost it,” I admit, my voice lower now. I wasn’t thinking, just reacting. Protecting her felt instinctive, like there was no other option. The memory of how fast I moved, how hard I hit him, still lingers in the back of my mind.
Violet’s smile widens, her baby blues glowing with amusement. “It was sexy how you rushed over here and got all protector vibes on me.” There’s a playful edge to her voice, but the way she’s looking at me—like I’ve surprised her in the best way—makes my chest swell.
“Yeah?” I tug her even closer, our bodies pressing together as I lean my forehead against hers, my breath mingling with hers in the intimate space between us. “Did it turn you on?”
She giggles, the sound light and warm, her fingers brushing against my chest. “It so turned me on,” she says, her voice husky with laughter.
And just like that, I’m the one who’s turned on. The tension between us shifts, from anger to desire, faster than I can process. Her giggle turns into a quiet hum as she presses closer, and I feel the heat rising between us.
My grip on her tightens as I dip my head, lips grazing the curve of her neck. “Good,” I murmur, the word barely audible, but thick with promise. Everything about her—the way she’s looking at me, the way she feels against me—has me wanting more. So much more.
I can still taste the rush of adrenaline from earlier, but now it’s mixed with something else. Something undeniable.
I need to be buried deep inside this woman. I keep trailing kisses along Violet’s neck, completely oblivious to the world around us. The fact that we’re standing in the middle of a dive bar doesn’t even register. I’m too wrapped up in the feel of her, the taste of her skin, the soft sighs she lets out each time my lips find a new spot. My need for her is overwhelming, and for a moment, it’s like nothing else exists.
That is, until I hear a familiar voice from beside me. “Hey, you two,” Paxton says, shattering the spell I was so happily under.
I pull away from Violet reluctantly, feeling the cold absence of her warmth the second I do. My mood shifts instantly when I spot my brother standing there, his arm draped casually over Hartford’s shoulders. Pax and Hart. Of course, they’d show up right when things were getting good.
Violet, on the other hand, doesn’t seem phased at all. “Hey!” she chirps, her voice bright and cheerful. Her easy smile is in place, and she looks genuinely happy to see them, while I, on the other hand, am internally fuming.
I try to play it cool, but I can’t help the frustration gnawing at me. “Hey, what are you two doing here?” I ask, trying not to sound too annoyed, but I know it slips through in my tone. It’s not like I can stop them from being here, it’s a public bar, after all. But seriously, can’t I take my wife anywhere without some family member showing up and interrupting us? I mean, I get it—we’re close—but can’t I get one night alone with Violet?