The three men got down off the stools as she approached, and Jimmy introduced her.
She shook their hands as they reached out, and in no time at all they were surrounding her. She felt the table against her back and an uneasy feeling move across the skin of her spine.
Jimmy took her wrist in his hand and lifted it slightly as he spoke.
“You look beautiful tonight, Paula.” He looked her over then smiled.
“Thank you.”
“Are these real rhinestones on here?” the other guy asked as he brushed his pointer over the pocket of her black jeans, where a rhinestone design sat on the back. He looped a finger through one of the belt loops, turning her to his liking.
The other guy stared at her chest. She wore a pretty red camisole that was beaded along the trim of the bustline and a sheer black blouse that had one button holding it closed. She recognized that dark look in their eyes, and she knew she needed to get the heck out of there.
She pushed the guy’s hand away and began to try to move away from them.
“Whoa, honey, where are you going? We wanted to talk some more.” The other guy grabbed her around the waist. The music was louder now that the band got started, and she immediately smelled the beer on the guy’s breath. They were feeling pretty good, and she needed to get out of this situation.
“Okay, honey, you need to settle down before you fall flat on your face. Let me go. I need to get back to work,” she told them in a firm yet calm tone. At least she hoped they wouldn’t sense her fear.
He hugged her to him and whispered in her ear.
“You got a perfect set of tits on you, baby, and a great ass.”
He squeezed her ass, and she tried pushing away from him. Jimmy and the other guy laughed.
“Release her now.”
The firm voice came from behind her as the guy released his hold and looked shocked to see the person talking. Before she could look behind her as she stepped quickly away from the three men, a strong arm wrapped around her waist and a solid chest pressed against her back. Whoever was behind her was big and muscular. His thick forearm was across her belly and she felt a large palm against her hip bone.
She turned to the right and saw Matt was there, too. His shoulder-length brown hair pressed into his blue collared shirt. The look in his eyes scared her, and she wondered what would happen next.
“What the hell? We were talking to the lady first, so take a walk,” said one of the men in slurred speech.
“That’s where you’re wrong. I saw her first and she’s mine.” The sound of Tyler’s firm, deep voice vibrated through her body. He squeezed her tighter, and she grabbed onto his forearm as he nearly lifted her off the floor. She was not only shocked by the strong authoritative tone but also by the fact that she was actually in his arms.
“Go sit back down, enjoy your beers, and leave her alone. That’s your final warning,” Matt stated, and the arm that wrapped around her pulled her away from the three men. She saw their facial expressions, and they looked downright pissed off.
She grabbed Tyler’s wrist and tried prying it off of her as he walked her away.
“Let go of me.” She looked up sideways to a large shoulder and then the mean, intense expression on Tyler’s face.
Holy fuck, Tyler looks pissed.
Suddenly her heart was racing and she felt about to vomit. Of course the smell of the other man’s stinky beer breath and cigarette smell was nearly gone and replaced with some expensive men’s cologne of Tyler’s. All fear and concern about the past situation cleared from her mind, and she was suddenly keenly in tune to Tyler. His muscular forearm was pressed below her bustline. Her breasts felt perky, and her nipples were hard. The sensation in her belly was a mix of fear and delight. Was Tyler actually paying attention to her? Only minutes ago he had ignored her at the bar.
By the time they had her in the hallway away from the crowd, she got him to releas
e her.
“Will you let go of me, please?”
Tyler turned her around and pressed her against the wall. Her ass hit the Sheetrock and then her shoulder blades. The rhinestones on her back pockets dug into her ass, but she dared not move, not with the looks both Matt and Tyler gave her.
The two men stared down at her, and she had never realized until this moment how tall and muscular they were or how intimidating.
Tyler placed one hand against the wall over her shoulder and very close to her skin. The other hand held her waist so she was trapped against the hard surface. Matt leaned beside her with his arms crossed and a mean expression on his face. She swallowed hard.
“What the fuck did you think you were doing going over there to talk with those assholes?” Tyler asked, and she was startled by his abrasive tone.