Cuffed: A Novella Read Online Free PDF

lady is here with me. I suggest you go find your own.”

 
    Toby was now squared up to Shane; this would not end well if
I didn’t do something. Shane wouldn’t back down and it didn’t look like Toby
would either. Shane had a good two inches on Toby, and even though Toby
outweighed him by at least 50 pounds, Shane was a wall of muscle. I had to stop
this before it went any farther.

 
    I put my hand on Toby’s chest, “It’s okay. He’s my best
friend’s sister. He probably just wants to check up on me. He’s a cop, you
know.” The word cop seemed to lower Toby’s ire considerably and he took a step
back.

 
    “Fine.” Toby stalked back to the table, not at all pleased
with the turn of events. Well neither am I buddy , I thought to myself
crossly. I’d rather still be crowded against Toby than stepping into Shane’s
open arms, and to think I had been worried about coming across as rude.

 
    “What do you want,” I hissed at Shane as soon as Toby was
out of earshot, “And where did you find dress clothes so fast?” I asked annoyed
that he’d shown up at the restaurant only minutes after my arrival looking like
he had stepped out of a magazine ad.

 
    “I told you we needed to talk but you didn’t want to
listen.” He said looking annoyed, with what, I had no idea. “And I keep a suit
in my truck for work.”

 
    “I told you at my house that there wasn’t anything left to
say. Were you trying to ruin my night by making me late and then showing up at
the same restaurant with the blonde? Did you really need to rub her in my face
again?” I was furious that he thought his interference in my life was
acceptable behavior.

 
    “I’ve been trying to call you all week, but you won’t answer
my calls.”

 
    “What are you talking about?” Then it dawned on me, the
calls I’d been getting from the unknown number. “Wait, that was you? Why didn’t
you leave a message? I didn’t know the number so I didn’t answer.”

 
    “This isn’t something I wanted to discuss through voicemail,
and I knew you wouldn’t return my call if I did leave a message.”

 
    “That should have given you a hint. I don’t want to talk to
you,” I said hotly.

 
    “Lex, we need to discuss what happened between us,” he said
softly.

 
    Looking into Shane’s green eyes I was suddenly very aware of
the way his hand cupped my hip and the fact that he had laced our fingers
together as he twirled us expertly around the small floor. It was strange to
actually be dancing instead of the usual side to side step the few men I had
danced with over the years had done. I could only smell a faint hint of Shane’s
cologne; apparently he didn’t keep that in his truck too. That scent had
followed me home Saturday and I had spent the rest of the weekend torn between
wanting it gone and never wanting it to leave.

 
    The reminder of the weekend brought me back to the present.
Shane had no right to ruin my evening. Toby was a nice man and didn’t deserve
to be pushed out of his own date by a man who didn’t even want me. The song
ended and I pulled out of Shane’s grasp and walked off the dance floor. Toby
wasn’t sitting at our table, but the blonde was still sitting at Shane’s.

 
    Maybe he’d gone to the bathroom, but I had a sinking feeling
that he’d left while I was dancing with Shane. My suspicion was confirmed when
there was a note sitting on top of my boxed up leftovers. Toby was a good man,
he didn’t deserve to be treated the way Shane had acted on the dance floor.

 
    Dinner’s been taken care of. I won’t be made to feel like
second best. Please erase my number from your phone.
    Toby

 
    Poor Toby my foot. I could feel my anger growing again. Mr.
Handsy was lucky I had stepped in when I had, but was he grateful? No, he
thought I was choosing Shane over him and instead of talking to me he had slunk
away like a spoilt child. Screw it! I was done with this crap.

 
    I could