Page 36 of Off-Limits Bad Boy
“Right.” She laughs, a little shaky, but it's music to my ears. “I don’t think Alex would believe you’re telling me off again.”
“No, I don’t think he would,” I say, watching her tuck a stray curl behind her ear. She's beautiful, disheveled from our kiss, and I'm certain there's nowhere else I'd rather be than with her.
“Kade?” Her voice is softer now, uncertain.
“Yeah?” There’s no question I wouldn't answer if she asked right now, and I know how dangerous that power is.
“Thank you. For stopping when you did.” She chews on her lower lip, and it takes everything in me not to kiss her again.
“Of course,” I say as if there’s no other option, because there’s not. But I sense there’s something she’s holding back, something she’s not telling me. And I want to know what she’s hiding.
But I guess I’ll have to wait until she’s ready to share with me. And as she leads us both out of the storage room, I wonder what she’s keeping from me.
Chapter Fifteen
Emma
The clink of glasses and the low hum of conversations fade into the background as I wipe down the bar, my mind replaying the kiss Kade and I had shared.
His lips, urgent and hot against mine. The way his hands sent shivers racing across my skin. The way he’d touched me, the excitement thumping in my very soul...
Even now, my heart pounds at the thought of what he’d done to me and heat wells up in my body.
“Another beer, sweetheart?” A new customer slides onto a stool, snapping me back to reality. His gaze crawls over me, and I resist the urge to run my hands from my elbows to my shoulders. I’ve dealt with worse, and I’ll no doubt deal with more in the course of my work. So I plaster on a flirtatious smile designed to get him to buy more booze, and he asks to buy me a shot.
“Sure thing,” I say, the pasted on, practiced smile never leaving my lips as I pour his drink. He reeks of cologne and entitlement. I know how to get a bitter tip, and I lean forward, whispering that I’m too young to drink.
“All right!” he says, lifting his beer as I fill a shot glass from a vodka bottle full of water. I’ll still charge him, but I’m not about to drink. Let him think whatever he wants. I make a face, cringing as if I’ve actually drunk alcohol.
“Nice moves earlier,” he slurs, his hand creeping toward mine. I pull back, trying to keep things as professional as possible. “How about you give me a private show after your shift?”
I stiffen, my smile surly and strained. “No, thanks,” I mutter, but he leans in, his intentions clear as he grabs my wrist. My pulse races, not with excitement, but with fear.
“Aw, come on—”
Before he can pull me in toward his sloppy lips, I see a blur of motion. Kade is suddenly there, his body a protective barrier between me and the drunk. “She said no,” Kade growls, his voice low and dangerous.
“What are you, her boyfriend?” the guy protests, but Kade's fist connects with his jaw, sending him sprawling to the floor as I take a step back, terrified.
Alex jumps in, his protective instincts flaring as he and the bouncer give the creep a lasting reminder of the importance of consent. I'm frozen, the violence shocking yet oddly comforting. I meet Kade’s glance as he wipes his brow with a bloodied hand. He’d defended me without a second thought.
“Emma, let's go,” Alex says, ushering me from the fight. His tone is firm and steady as he moves me away, his arm around my shoulders. I glance back, wishing it was Kade leading me to safety instead. I want his comfort, his warmth, not my brother’s.
But I can't tell Alex that. I can't confess how much I want Kade to be the one holding me, keeping me safe. So I let Alex guide me away, my body still tingling from the memory of Kade's kiss and the rush of his sudden, fierce protection.
We're standing in Kade’s office - don’t ask me why - a safe distance from the chaos still unraveling in the main area of the bar. Alex's grip on my shoulder is tight, protective. His brow is knit with concern and something else I don’t like—suspicion.
“You like him, don't you?” He sounds so sure. “And he likes you.”
“Who?” I feign ignorance, trying to keep my face neutral, hoping my racing heart isn't as audible as it feels. “The guy at the bar, absolutely not.”
“No, Kade.” He doesn't miss a beat, his eyes boring into mine as if he's trying to read my thoughts. It's unnerving how well he knows me.
My heart skips a beat, betraying me if he’s close enough - and perceptive enough - to notice. “Of course not,” I say, the lie smooth as it crosses my lips. At least I hope it's smooth. My brother lets out a sigh that warns me he doesn't believe me.
“Just... be careful, Em.” There's an edge to his voice, a plea wrapped inside a warning I don’t understand.
I nod, not trusting my voice, as he leads me back toward the bar, his phone going wild with messages.