Top Dog

“My Mom says you were in the Special Forces,” I said, not sure where I wanted to go with the conversation. It was the wine. Fucking alcohol and it’s magical confidence boosters.

“Yes,” he said, nodding. “I was in the Special Forces for a very long time.”

“What brought you back?” I asked, curiously. A dark look clouded his face then, and I instantly realized I had hit a painful button. “I’m sorry. I was just curious to hear what brought you back since Special Forces are elite, the top of the top.”

“Too much death, and I needed to be home for personal reasons,” Harley said, distantly. His eyes flicked down to his forearm briefly. “That’s why I came back.”

Not knowing what he meant by the second part but I didn’t want to pry more and ask about his personal life – not just yet anyway. “And now you get to escort my bitchy friend and me around,” I said in a desperate attempt of humor to get the dark, intense look off his handsome face. “Aren’t you lucky?”

To my relief, it worked. The shadow lifted from Harley’s face instantly. The edges of his lips twitched in a ghost of a smile.

“You said it. Not me,” he responded, wryly.

An awkward silence stretched between us. Maybe it was just the wine, but damn Harley looked sinful sitting in front of me. My fingers itched to run along the broadness of his chest and shoulders. I would have given just about anything to feel his muscles twitch beneath my fingertips.

I blinked at the heat searing through me, an entirely different type of heat I never experienced before. This heat was the type that would consume me whole if I wasn’t careful. A soft pulsing started between my thighs, and it suddenly felt so damn hard to breathe.

“I’m sorry for Libby,” I blurted out then. “She’s a lot to handle, I know. I guess it’s why my Dad didn’t want her coming in the first place, but she means well.”

“I really don’t care about Libby,” Harley said, shrugging. He didn’t seem to be affected by me being near at all. Maybe I was the only one experiencing anything. Liquor. It had to be the liquor.

“I’m not being paid to babysit her. If she gets kidnapped, good luck to her.”

I shrunk back at the curtness of his words. I had a hard time believing that someone trained in the Special Forces would let something like that happen.

“You’d honestly—”

“There you are.” Libby appeared around the corner dressed in a very tight, short black romper that revealed the valley of her perky breasts. I instantly felt sloppy seeing how well put together she was. She flicked a gaze between us curiously.

“I found a nightclub down the street,” she said. “We should go. It’s just a short walk from here.”

I fiddled with the hemline of my shorts nervously. I hated nightclubs, but I was getting restless staying in our hotel room. We were in Madrid, and I wasn’t going to get another chance to have fun. I glanced over at Harley who didn’t even bother hiding his disapproval of the idea.

“I don’t think that is a good idea,” he said.

“Oh, lighten up,” Libby said, rolling her eyes. She grabbed ahold of my elbow to tug me out of the chair. “You aren’t in charge here. You don’t get to tell us what to do. You just get to tag along, like a little lost puppy.”

Harley stood to catch my eyes as Libby tugged me in the direction of our room. “I don’t recommend this, Abi. It’s not a good idea.”

Abi. I shivered at the way he said my nickname. This wasn’t going to be good. Not the club… him being in my life for the next month. It had been a few days, and already I found myself undressing him in my mind and wondering just how big he was underneath that shiny silver zipper.

“It’ll be fine,” I said, panting a little. “I want to go.”

CHAPTER SIX - HARLEY

This was going to be a bad fucking idea.

I could already feel it in the air while I followed behind a wobbly Libby and Abi to the nightclub. The bass from the nightclub a short walk away from the hotel could be felt in the streets.

I kept my eyes trained on Abi as she walked unsteadily in a pair of high black heels that Libby had insisted on her wearing. Her legs were bare from the tight black sequin skirt she wore along with a low cut white tank top. She hadn’t bothered unclipping her brunette strands of hair from the bun on top of her head. To say she looked good was an understatement. I’d be fucking myself later that night in the shower or the bed with her in mind, wearing nothing but her heels.

“This is it,” Libby said, pointing to the corner where a line of people stretched around the building. “Let’s go straight in. Come on, Harley. You’re being slow.”

I was sorely tempted just to let Libby be captured by the few men I spotted lurking in the alleys while we walked. Neither one of them had even noticed it— particularly Abi who was so damn sheltered and innocent. I had debated on asking Roco from the hotel to go with them, but I couldn’t trust that fucker. Something about him didn’t sit right with me.

The bouncer didn’t even question it. He opened the door wordlessly for us, and I followed them into the flashing neon lights followed by blaring music that shook the floor. It was hot and crowded as I followed Abigail and Libby to the bar.

“Three shots,” Libby shouted to the bartender. She handed one to me a minute later with a smirk. “Drink up, Jordan. You need something to relax.”