Savage Love (Ash and Innocence 2)

She bit her lip at me, smiling. “You know. I think it’s actually really cool that you’re not all about sex. I mean, most guys like you? They would’ve definitely tried to hook up by now. But you’re different, aren’t you?”

I grinned, staring at the diner and scanning the windows for any sign of her. Of Charli.

“Yeah.” My voice was distant.

She kissed my earlobe, giving it a playful nibble.

I flinched away from her. She sat back, looking offended. “Is everything okay, Cass?”

Fucking pet names. When had that started?

“I’m just hungry.”

She put her hand on my leg again. “Well, we could share an appetizer before we go in…” Her hand slid up to my cock, which she squeezed through my jeans. “I could go for a hotdog.”

I frowned when I spotted her. Charli was sitting at a table with Zoe and Clint, that fucker from the swim team. I’d seen him doting on her after her track practices for the last couple weeks, but I hadn’t been sure of his intentions. Now he was sitting beside her with his arm around her like he owned her.

I stepped out of the car, only remembering I hadn’t answered Sophie when I felt her hand slip away. I leaned into the car. “I need some fries or something.”

She gave me a half smile. “Yeah. That sounds good.”

Maybe I should’ve felt bad for the way I was treating her. Except nobody told her to latch onto me. We’d made out a little at the party, talked some, and drank. I didn’t even remember what I’d said to convince her we were a couple, but she clearly thought we were.

She trailed after me as I headed toward the entrance.

Tristan bumped into me before I got inside. He tilted his head back, giving me a curious look. He was the quintessential star high school quarterback, prom king prototype. It only made me want to punch him more.

“Where is your babysitter?”

“Kennedy? She’s with her dad, tonight.” He pushed my shoulder again, meeting my eyes. “That means if you fuck up, there’s nobody to call me off you.”

I scoffed. “Good. Then I’ll get a chance to fuck up that face of yours this time.”

Sophie caught up and wrapped her arms around my waist, peeking her head out from behind me. “Cass… are you picking fights again?”

“Not with him.” I looked inside toward Clint and felt everything in me go rigid. I wanted to rip his arm off, and I had no idea why.

Tristan followed my gaze, then laughed. “Been there, man. Careful.”

I squinted at him. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

He just tapped his temple and grinned. “It means I’m reading you like a book right now, and I’m going to enjoy watching this play out.”

I shook my head, then worked my way free of Sophie to head inside Dead Ringers. I walked up to Charli, Clint, and Zoe, not really knowing what I planned to do or say.

Clint was holding a fry up to Charli’s mouth. She bit it and pulled it back, trying to eat it without her hands and laughing.

Seeing her happy pissed me off. That was it.

“Babe, you said you were hungry. Shouldn’t we—” Sophie’s voice faded into background noise.

I tapped Clint on the shoulder. He looked up at me, and before he could remember to be tough in front of the girls, I saw a flicker of fear pass over his eyes. “Yeah?” he asked.

“I’m going to hit you, so you can either stand up and defend yourself, or sit there and take it like a bitch. It’s your call.”

“Cass—” I put my hand out, shutting Sophie up. I saw it all in a moment of clarity then. All she’d been was a pathetic attempt to distract myself. But Charli didn’t deserve an ounce of my mercy. She deserved to watch the happy little life she was trying to build here turn to ash on her tongue.

Clint stood, squaring up with me even though he had to know he stood no chance. He was built, but he wasn’t on my level. I was taller, thicker, stronger.

Charli got up and tried to shove me from the side. “Cassian, this is embarrassing. For you. Just let it go. I don’t care about you or what you do. What is it, are you jealous? You can’t stand the idea of seeing that I actually like someone other than you?”

Clint forgot I was about to murder him long enough to raise his eyebrows at Charli. “You do like me?”

That was enough. I thought about punching him. Shoving him. Maybe even kicking him in the nuts so even thinking about putting his cock near her would physically hurt him.

But what he needed was to be reminded he was nothing.

My arm snapped out before he so much as flinched. I gripped his neck and drove him to the ground, climbing on top of him so I could put my weight into it. Distantly, I felt Charli hitting at me and sensed the way everyone in the diner was staring. Zoe joined in, trying to pry my arm free of Clint’s neck. Three pairs of arms all tugged at me while Clint stared back with wide, frightened eyes.