longer look at Tim. She saw the moment he recognized her ex. The two men hadn’t ever spent much time around each other and she had the impression Marc hadn’t liked her choice in husbands. Looking back, she realized sometimes he showed moments of true wisdom.
“Tim,” he bit off, his voice curt. Then he looked back at her and the hard glint in his eyes softened. “Chaili, please.”
Her heart just wanted to shatter. Or maybe it wanted to melt. She didn’t know. But then she reminded herself. She was done with this. With dreaming about him and—
“Hell, Marc. Why you wasting time on a bitch like her?” Tim said, his voice thick and scathing. “Dude like you, you ought to be dating one of those Kardashian babes or some starlet or something. Chaili’s damaged goods, you know.”
Shame hit her hard. Fast. But even as it came on, she shoved it down. Anger bit into her. Damaged? Staring at her ex-husband, she could have kicked herself for even letting herself feel ashamed. Damaged ?
She didn’t even realize she was moving until she’d already snatched the glass from Marc’s hand and tossed the contents into Tim’s face.
His face went red. She curled her lip at him and saw him moving, braced herself to block the punch she saw coming, but she was pushed out of the way and two seconds later, Tim was on the ground, one big, angry man crouched over him.
Damaged goods —
Blood roared in his ears and he didn’t know what had him more enraged. The fact that this son of a mother-fucking bitch had been that close to hitting Chaili, or what he’d just said about her.
“I ever see you lift a hand to her,” he whispered, bending down until he was speaking directly into Tim’s ear. “I’m going to gut you. And I’ll do it slow, my man. You hear me?”
Tim panted, his face still red, eyes snapping with fury. “Hell, she likes it when a man raises his hand to her, don’t you know that?” He tried to smile, but it fell apart. “Come on, buddy. I’ve seen where you go. I’ve been to Blue’s too. I know what you like…haven’t you figured out what she’s into yet? She likes it.”
“Oh, now that was the completely wrong thing to say,” Marc purred, his hand curling into a fist, muscles bunching. He could see the color red—splashing in his mind as he plowed a fist into Tim’s face. Red, one of the colors he saw pretty well, and just then he wanted to see it damn bad, spreading out in a fountain over Tim’s face. “I’m not going to wait to hurt you. I’m just going to do it now.”
“Stop it, Marc.”
It was probably the only voice that could have gotten through to him.
Slowly, he dragged his eyes away from the man he really wanted to beat bloody and stared into Chaili’s face. She was crouched by Tim’s head, her elbows resting on her knees. As he stared at her, she shook her head. “Don’t. If you do, it’s just going to cause you more trouble and you get enough of that on your own. You don’t need to pick up my trouble.”
Her vivid eyes rested on his, steadily. And she wasn’t trying to get away from him.
Okay.
Blinking, he blew out a breath and looked back into Tim’s face. Damn it, he wanted to see him bleed.
“You don’t want me to hit him,” he said slowly.
“No.”
“Shit.” Letting go of Tim’s shirt, he remained crouched over him for a minute. “You want to watch what you say, what you do. Shut the hell up, don’t look at her…don’t speak to her. Don’t speak about her.” Then he made himself look away from Tim before he did what he so badly wanted to do. As he straightened, he kept his eyes focused on Chaili, staring at her, only at her. “Leave with me. Talk to me.”
“Ahh…” She backed away a step.
He narrowed his eyes and glanced down at Tim who was scrambling his way to his feet. “Well, I can always finish what I started, I guess.”
Chaili rolled her eyes. “Now that’s just juvenile.”
“Fine. I’m juvenile. It will feel damn
“Tim,” he bit off, his voice curt. Then he looked back at her and the hard glint in his eyes softened. “Chaili, please.”
Her heart just wanted to shatter. Or maybe it wanted to melt. She didn’t know. But then she reminded herself. She was done with this. With dreaming about him and—
“Hell, Marc. Why you wasting time on a bitch like her?” Tim said, his voice thick and scathing. “Dude like you, you ought to be dating one of those Kardashian babes or some starlet or something. Chaili’s damaged goods, you know.”
Shame hit her hard. Fast. But even as it came on, she shoved it down. Anger bit into her. Damaged? Staring at her ex-husband, she could have kicked herself for even letting herself feel ashamed. Damaged ?
She didn’t even realize she was moving until she’d already snatched the glass from Marc’s hand and tossed the contents into Tim’s face.
His face went red. She curled her lip at him and saw him moving, braced herself to block the punch she saw coming, but she was pushed out of the way and two seconds later, Tim was on the ground, one big, angry man crouched over him.
Damaged goods —
Blood roared in his ears and he didn’t know what had him more enraged. The fact that this son of a mother-fucking bitch had been that close to hitting Chaili, or what he’d just said about her.
“I ever see you lift a hand to her,” he whispered, bending down until he was speaking directly into Tim’s ear. “I’m going to gut you. And I’ll do it slow, my man. You hear me?”
Tim panted, his face still red, eyes snapping with fury. “Hell, she likes it when a man raises his hand to her, don’t you know that?” He tried to smile, but it fell apart. “Come on, buddy. I’ve seen where you go. I’ve been to Blue’s too. I know what you like…haven’t you figured out what she’s into yet? She likes it.”
“Oh, now that was the completely wrong thing to say,” Marc purred, his hand curling into a fist, muscles bunching. He could see the color red—splashing in his mind as he plowed a fist into Tim’s face. Red, one of the colors he saw pretty well, and just then he wanted to see it damn bad, spreading out in a fountain over Tim’s face. “I’m not going to wait to hurt you. I’m just going to do it now.”
“Stop it, Marc.”
It was probably the only voice that could have gotten through to him.
Slowly, he dragged his eyes away from the man he really wanted to beat bloody and stared into Chaili’s face. She was crouched by Tim’s head, her elbows resting on her knees. As he stared at her, she shook her head. “Don’t. If you do, it’s just going to cause you more trouble and you get enough of that on your own. You don’t need to pick up my trouble.”
Her vivid eyes rested on his, steadily. And she wasn’t trying to get away from him.
Okay.
Blinking, he blew out a breath and looked back into Tim’s face. Damn it, he wanted to see him bleed.
“You don’t want me to hit him,” he said slowly.
“No.”
“Shit.” Letting go of Tim’s shirt, he remained crouched over him for a minute. “You want to watch what you say, what you do. Shut the hell up, don’t look at her…don’t speak to her. Don’t speak about her.” Then he made himself look away from Tim before he did what he so badly wanted to do. As he straightened, he kept his eyes focused on Chaili, staring at her, only at her. “Leave with me. Talk to me.”
“Ahh…” She backed away a step.
He narrowed his eyes and glanced down at Tim who was scrambling his way to his feet. “Well, I can always finish what I started, I guess.”
Chaili rolled her eyes. “Now that’s just juvenile.”
“Fine. I’m juvenile. It will feel damn
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