Maggie had noticed his dismissal, because when he’d cast a quick look in her direction, she’d been talking to some guy who looked as if he’d just stumbled out of a frat house, and probably had.
Ren had noticed the guy earlier. He had been circling around Maggie all night, moving through the crowd like a shark sizing up its prey. Even now, he was standing right behind her, his eyes locked on her ass as she swayed to the music.
Ren’s jaw clenched. He wanted to jump down off the stage and blacken both of the bastard’s wandering eyes.
But he didn’t. He wouldn’t. Maggie was not his woman to defend. And frankly, the college kid wasn’t doing anything wrong. And showing his jealousy was not the sign he was trying to give Maggie. Jealousy was not disinterest.
Maggie sighed. She was wasting her time, that was painfully obvious. Ren could not be more uninterested in her if he tried. It was time to admit she’d missed her chance. Ren was so over her.
And really, did she want a one-night stand with someone who could forget about her that easily?
She knew she couldn’t expect a grand romance, but she didn’t want to be just another notch on the bedpost either. She had believed she was special to him, even in that short a time. She’d seen it in the way he looked at her. Or least she thought she had.
Wasn’t she the strangest combination of ego and insecurity?
She sighed. She should just go. She couldn’t take watching him not watching her any longer.
She took the last sip of her soda, then turned to go toss the empty cup in the trash can near the bar, but instead she ran smack into a wall of chest.
“Oh,” she said, startled. “Sorry.” Then she realized it was Mark. He smiled down at her.
“Not a problem.”
His words were said easily, but something about the way his eyes roamed over her stirred a ripple of wariness. She started to walk around him, but he sidestepped, blocking her.
“Are you leaving?”
Chapter 10
M aggie nodded. “Yeah. It’s getting late.”
“No, it’s not. The party’s just getting started.”
She jumped as he grabbed her waist, pulling her tight against him. She struggled slightly, then realized she wasn’t going to easily break his strong hold. Suddenly she realized the boy she’d considered a teddy bear was more like a grizzly. Apprehension snaked up her spine.
“Come on, Maggie, let’s dance.” Mark’s words were slurred and she smelled the beer on his breath.
She pushed at his chest. “You know, Mark, I really am tired.”
“One dance.” From the way his hand was squeezing her bottom, she didn’t think dancing was at all what he had in mind.
She squirmed, trying to slip out of his hold, but that only made him grip her tighter. Tight enough that her ribs ached. But it wasn’t pain that made her panicked. No, it was what he was shoving up against her. The distinct hardness of his erection poked against her belly.
“I’ve been watching you all night. And I’ve got to say you are the prettiest little thing in this place.”
Maggie blinked. She would have thought hearing a man say those words would have made her feel good, but given her current position, she just felt sickened. And nervous.
“Mark,” she said slowly, trying to reason with him. “I’m flattered, but I think—”
Before she could finish, his head came down and his mouth covered hers. Wetness and the stale, sour tang of beer filled her mouth. His teeth ground against her lips, rough, painful.
She turned her head, breaking the disgusting kiss, and shoved at his chest, but couldn’t get any leverage.
“Let her go.”
Ren’s voice echoed all around Maggie, and it took her disoriented and appalled brain a moment to realize that he’d said the words over the microphone.
She struggled against Mark’s hold to look over her shoulder at Ren. He stood on the stage, glaring down at them. Although his hard stare wasn’t directed at her, but at Mark.
Mark hadn’t noticed
Ren had noticed the guy earlier. He had been circling around Maggie all night, moving through the crowd like a shark sizing up its prey. Even now, he was standing right behind her, his eyes locked on her ass as she swayed to the music.
Ren’s jaw clenched. He wanted to jump down off the stage and blacken both of the bastard’s wandering eyes.
But he didn’t. He wouldn’t. Maggie was not his woman to defend. And frankly, the college kid wasn’t doing anything wrong. And showing his jealousy was not the sign he was trying to give Maggie. Jealousy was not disinterest.
Maggie sighed. She was wasting her time, that was painfully obvious. Ren could not be more uninterested in her if he tried. It was time to admit she’d missed her chance. Ren was so over her.
And really, did she want a one-night stand with someone who could forget about her that easily?
She knew she couldn’t expect a grand romance, but she didn’t want to be just another notch on the bedpost either. She had believed she was special to him, even in that short a time. She’d seen it in the way he looked at her. Or least she thought she had.
Wasn’t she the strangest combination of ego and insecurity?
She sighed. She should just go. She couldn’t take watching him not watching her any longer.
She took the last sip of her soda, then turned to go toss the empty cup in the trash can near the bar, but instead she ran smack into a wall of chest.
“Oh,” she said, startled. “Sorry.” Then she realized it was Mark. He smiled down at her.
“Not a problem.”
His words were said easily, but something about the way his eyes roamed over her stirred a ripple of wariness. She started to walk around him, but he sidestepped, blocking her.
“Are you leaving?”
Chapter 10
M aggie nodded. “Yeah. It’s getting late.”
“No, it’s not. The party’s just getting started.”
She jumped as he grabbed her waist, pulling her tight against him. She struggled slightly, then realized she wasn’t going to easily break his strong hold. Suddenly she realized the boy she’d considered a teddy bear was more like a grizzly. Apprehension snaked up her spine.
“Come on, Maggie, let’s dance.” Mark’s words were slurred and she smelled the beer on his breath.
She pushed at his chest. “You know, Mark, I really am tired.”
“One dance.” From the way his hand was squeezing her bottom, she didn’t think dancing was at all what he had in mind.
She squirmed, trying to slip out of his hold, but that only made him grip her tighter. Tight enough that her ribs ached. But it wasn’t pain that made her panicked. No, it was what he was shoving up against her. The distinct hardness of his erection poked against her belly.
“I’ve been watching you all night. And I’ve got to say you are the prettiest little thing in this place.”
Maggie blinked. She would have thought hearing a man say those words would have made her feel good, but given her current position, she just felt sickened. And nervous.
“Mark,” she said slowly, trying to reason with him. “I’m flattered, but I think—”
Before she could finish, his head came down and his mouth covered hers. Wetness and the stale, sour tang of beer filled her mouth. His teeth ground against her lips, rough, painful.
She turned her head, breaking the disgusting kiss, and shoved at his chest, but couldn’t get any leverage.
“Let her go.”
Ren’s voice echoed all around Maggie, and it took her disoriented and appalled brain a moment to realize that he’d said the words over the microphone.
She struggled against Mark’s hold to look over her shoulder at Ren. He stood on the stage, glaring down at them. Although his hard stare wasn’t directed at her, but at Mark.
Mark hadn’t noticed
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