flippancy in her behavior didn’t help one bit.
I stretched my neck from side to side, tried to alleviate some of the mounting tension. “Who are you meeting here?”
“Give. Me. My. Phone.”
“No.” If she didn’t want to tell me, I had no qualms in finding out for myself. Holding her phone over my head, I scanned the still open screen and read the text she was sending before bumping into me.
Ari, where are you? ~Yuli
Just got here. Meet you in a few. :P ~Ari
“That’s private property, asshole. I’m so going to break your face.” Sexy and angry, she cocked her fist back and came at me. Poised in anger, her lips pulled back over her teeth while her chest heaved.
Didn’t move an inch. “Dare you.” I was neither scared nor worried for my safety. Instead, I stood my ground, cocky and proud—peacocking it for the benefit of her ire.
“You are such a—the hell!” Her tiny fist was so close to my body when she was suddenly pulled back, Gabriel’s hand wrapped tight around her waist, yanking her a few steps back before she could hit me.
The man looked horrified. Looked ready to call security and have her thrown out.
Mike stood between us now, his face hard. “Back away.”
Fuck and no. “It’s okay—”
“Everything okay here, boss?” Gabriel looked down at the raging beauty still in his arms. Boss? She was the fucking owner?
At that moment, Tex and Rick decided to come over and see what the commotion was about. Half the club was attuned to our every move, and the other half was standing at the ready, waiting for their own paparazzi debut to commence.
“What’s going on, Chester? Cris?” Rick snapped, worried someone had messed with me. And in truth, she had.
“Nothing’s wrong.” Filthy lies. “Just a simple misunderstanding between me and my chick.”
Every head within hearing distance snapped toward me, and they gaped. Not that I blamed them. My girl? The fuck.
At my words, his brow rose almost to his hairline. “Are you sure?” Rick pushed, not quite sure how to react.
“Yeah,” I assured him, my eyes set on hers. “Everything’s cool. Isn’t that right, Boss lady?”
“It would be.” Mirth danced behind those green eyes. “If you’d quit trying to convince me that stealing private property is the way to a girl’s heart.”
Four
“Okay?” He posed it as a question. Not sure just how to answer, he did what Rick did best and pretended the exchange didn’t happen. He turned his attention back to the two women standing next to Tex. Scantily clad and clinging to his every word, they giggled and touched any part of him they could reach.
How did I ever find that sexy?
“Um, we’re ready to head back. You know, continue the party with these two and a few of their friends. You in?” At his question, I shook my head. Was he blind or stupid? How could he not see just how full my own hands were at the moment?
“Perfect,” boss lady interjected. “Now you can get out of my face and club.”
“Never mind.” Tex extracted himself from the blonde to his right and walked over. My woman’s sultry tone pulled him in; his eyes traversed her. With a sly smile stretched across his face, Tex ate up every inch of the angry-looking Latina standing next to Gabriel. “Who’s this, and where do I get one?”
“Watch it,” I snarled, lip curled over my teeth.
“Cool it, Tex, Cheetos is…” Cris chuckled, and I looked over at him with annoyance “…possessive of this one.”
No need to state the obvious.
“Lead singer complex. He gets them all,” Tex hissed out, only to smirk at me a second later. The man was giving me whiplash. Weirdo.
Just as I opened my mouth to tell them to fuck off, the sweetest giggles met my ears. Even that was sexy.
“Seriously?” Hands on knees, she bent at the waist and laughed, uncontrollable peals that left her breathless. “Cheetos...as in the mascot for the snack chips?”
I nodded and rubbed the back of my heated neck.