And that’s when I finally got it. He’d sent some skank back to set me up in some kind of compromising position.
The Ten of a year ago would’ve been all over that. Hell, the Ten of three months ago might’ve even fallen prey to her. But the Ten who’d discovered the woman of his dreams had secretly slipped into his room to be with him wanted nothing to do with this cheap imitation.
Jerking away, I threw up my hands, dislodging her hold on me. “What the fuck?!”
I should’ve known Noel was up to something awful the moment I approached the bar at Forbidden to make sure he and Oren hadn’t killed each other yet.
He sent me an evil little smirk.
“Looking for your boyfriend? He went back to the stockroom.” When he tipped his chin toward the back hall, encouraging me to go, I knew I’d find something I didn’t want to, something about Oren that should change my mind about him.
I told myself not to go, but damn it, I had to know.
I heard his voice even as I opened the door to the storage room. “Did you follow me back here? That’s messed up. I don’t even know you. And don’t ever touch me like that again.”
“But that bartender up front said you’d been watching me and talking about me all night. He said if I followed you back here, you’d make it worth my while.”
“Oh, he did, did he? Well, he was fucking wrong. I have a girlfriend, and I’ve never even seen you before just now. So, sorry to disappoint you, but you need to step off. Right now.”
The woman coming on to him reached out to caress his chest. “You absolutely sure about that, honey? I mean we’re already back here...all by ourselves. And I don’t see your girlfriend anywhere.”
“Then maybe you better turn around, bitch, because I’m right behind you. Get your fucking hands off him.”
Oren’s eyes went wide as he actually slapped the whore’s fingers off his chest.
“Caroline!” he gasped desperately, pushing past her to hurry down the row to reach me.
I wasn’t mad at him, but I was too mad for any kind of snuggling. So I jerked backward and lifted my hands to keep him back.
“Excuse me,” I said through gritted teeth, “while I go kill my brother.”
“Wait!” he called after me, but I was already on a rampage.
Noel looked so smug and full of himself when he saw my murderous expression as I marched toward the bar. The bastard actually thought I was this upset with Oren.
“Get a nice little show?” he asked.
“Yes, I did.” I climbed onto a stool so I could reach over the bar. Then I slapped him as hard as I could.
His head jerked back and he immediately lifted his hand to cradle his cheek. Eyes wide with surprise, he yelled, “What the hell?”
I pointed a threatening finger right between his eyes. “Next time you send someone in to seduce my boyfriend away from me, you should probably pick a better slut who actually interests him, because, sorry, he didn’t take your bait.”
I spun away, only to find Oren hurrying from the hallway toward me, his eyes lit with concern. I grabbed him by the face, yanked him into me and kissed him as hard as I could. He looked dazed when I pulled away. Glancing back at the bar, I called, “And that, you asshole, only made me fall in love with this man even more.”
I started away from the bar, but Oren caught my hand and tugged me back around to him. “What’re you doing? Where are you going?”
I touched his face, loving the concern in his eyes. “I’m not mad at you.”
He shook his head. “But you are mad. I don’t want you driving while you’re upset. You did drive here, didn’t you?”
“I borrowed Aspen’s car.” I doubted Quinn would let Zoey come back to the bar again until the baby was born, so I’d had to sneak Aspen’s keys out of the kitchen.
“Don’t drive mad.” He pressed his forehead to mine. “I have a bad feeling.”
“I’ll be fine.” Leaning up to kiss him lightly on the lips, I smiled, unable to stay as mad as I wanted to. “I promise.”
He didn’t look too sure about my claim, but he did kiss me back. “Text me when you get home.”