"Well, we can't leave them at home. They have to come with me. This skirt is not short. I wear this into the office. You are being ridiculous. Obstinate. And you are about to piss me off. Now, let's go. "
"Okay. But I'm warning you. Just one mother fucker looks at you the wrong way, and I'm locking you in my office. Got that? " Possessiveness was running through his veins. Irritation at the thought that he could be jealous. He had never been jealous in his life.
"Yes, oh mighty one. I've got that. " She sailed passed him to the car.
Jenny sat across from him in the booth. He had tried to slide her in first so that she would be between him and the wall. She had balked at that. The more she got to know him, the more amazed she was at his machinations. The man truly wanted to get his own way. Yet, as the night wore on, she was beginning to think that he mostly acted that way with her. The idea was intriguing.
There was no doubt that he was a little spoiled. But he was also kind and generous. The bar had gotten busy early that night. He was patient with the waiter when their food came out cold. He was patient with the bartender when their drinks came over wrong. But he had bitten her head off when she got up to excuse herself to the restroom. "Didn't you go before you left the house? "
He barked and grabbed her hand and held her beside the table. She frowned. "That was three hours ago. Let go, Richard. I have to go. " She pulled on her hand.
"Don't go to the women's room in the back. Use the bathroom in my office. " He released her.
"Oh, whatever. " She rolled her eyes at him and turned away.
Bringing her here had been a mistake. He was feeling the same gut-churning emotions as two weeks ago when he had seen her for the first time. Only now, it was multiplied by ten. Back then, the men stared at the new merchandise. Now, they were salivating over her beauty and intrigued because she was with him.
He thought about her accusation that he was a dictator. Well, Goddamn, what did she expect? Did she expect him just to let her run loose and get lost in Baton Rouge? Did she think he didn't care if she stalled out in high water? Did she expect him to sit back and watch some guy hit on her, in his own fucking bar?
Unease gripped him. He knew he wasn't acting rationally with her. He probably should just quit seeing her and all this bullshit would go away. He thought about giving up her wholesomeness, her beauty. He thought about her liquid heat enfolding him. Hell no, he wouldn't give her up yet. He wasn't ready to let her go, and he damn well wasn't going to. He refused to consider the reason why she made him so fucked up. He wasn't even going to go there. He acknowledged he was a spoiled-ass bastard. He wanted to keep her. So he would.
As she left his office, she glanced around. The bar was filling up quickly. She had been oblivious to it earlier as they sat in the booth. Her attention had been solely fixed on him. Even though he had been attentive to her the whole time, she knew he saw everything going on around them.
"Jenny, right? " She stopped and looked at the bartender smiling and calling her name. She walked over and stood next to the bar.
"That's right. How are you? "
"I'm fine. My name's Sabrina. So, you and Richard, huh? " She lifted her brows and grinned in female camaraderie.
Jenny had to laugh. "Yeah, I guess so. What do you think? " she asked. Sabrina looked about twenty-five, and she was pretty in an unassuming way. The girl was being friendly and curious and Jenny enjoyed talking to her.
"I think you're brave. I mean, he's hot and all, I mean, for an old guy-- "
Jenny laughed out loud. "Yeah. I think he's hot, too. And probably old for you, but just right for me. "
"Yep. You seem perfect for him. I hope he realizes that. I like you, so I'm going to warn you. He uses women. Mostly the barflies that troll this place. He has a good heart, but he can be a real ass. Don't let him hurt you. "
Jenny saw the sincerity and concern in Sabrina's eyes. She nodded her head in agreement.
"Don't look now, but one of them is circling him now. " Sabrina was looking past Jenny and in Richard's direction.
"Are you serious? " Her voice sounded distressed, even to herself.
"Yeah. Hold on a minute, I need to serve that guy. Just a sec. " She moved down the bar and Jenny watched the mirror behind the bar. She could see a tall blonde leaning on Richard's table. Irritation went through her. She was stunned when the blonde reached out and minutely adjusted his tie. The movement incensed her. She couldn't see Richard's face but he didn't seem to mind. He was still sitting there.
Sabrina sailed back over and put a drink down in front of her. "For you. From that guy down there. "
Jenny was preoccupied with the booth behind her, and wasn't paying much attention. She reached down and took a fortifying sip. She glanced down the bar where a man about her age was looking at her and smiling. He lifted his glass to toast her. She tried to smile her thanks.
She looked back at Sabrina and asked, "What should I do? " She felt helpless and awkward in the situation and didn't want to just walk back over there with the blonde hanging around.
Before she received an answer, she felt someone move to sit on the barstool beside where she was standing. The guy that bought her the drink was making his move.
She did not want to have to deal with this right now.
"Hey. You're new. I've never seen you in here before. I'm David. " He held out his hand.
She automatically put her hand in his. "Jenny. Thanks for the drink, David, but I don't think-- " The words stopped when she felt heavy hands drop to her shoulders from behind her. She was stunned that he could appear like that when just a second ago he was talking to someone else.
She felt Richard reach around her and push her drink toward David. "The lady doesn't want your drink. " Antagonism laced his words.
"You don't know that. She can decide for herself. " David sounded surly and inebriated.
"I do know that. She doesn't want it. " Jenny stood in shocked silence as the drama unfolded around her. She looked up and saw that Sabrina was just as engrossed in the interchange.
"Look, Bergeron, you can't just walk over here and-- "
"I can. She belongs to me. Now. You can walk over there and keep drinking and find someone else, or you can leave my bar. Your choice. But don't try it again with this one. Understand? "
Jenny saw the man look closely at Richard, then at her again. He answered. "Okay, man. I didn't know she was yours. No problem. " He picked up his drink and moved away.
Jenny remained frozen in silence. Anger at his arrogance pulsed through her. She was about to turn and complain when she saw the blonde walk up behind him. Oh, my God! This just kept getting better by the second.
She watched in the mirror as the blonde started pulling on one of his arms. Her words when she spoke were slurred. "Come on, Richard baby. I thought we were gonna have fun tonight. " She wobbled on her slutty shoes.
He let go of Jenny and reached out and steadied the woman. "Not tonight, Darlene. You're drunk. You need to go home. " He spoke gently to the woman. Then he turned to the bartender. "Sabrina, will you call a cab for Darlene, please? "
Rage like she had never known filled Jenny's mind. She felt like the top of her head was going to explode. She steeled herself and forced herself to speak in a moderate tone. "Yes, Sabrina, will you make that two cabs, please? I really need to get home, also. " The bartender turned away to use the phone down the bar.
Richard stiffened at her words. Darlene was still hanging on him. He turned and set her on a barstool and grabbed Jenny's hand and started pulling her toward his office. "I want to talk to you, " he barked.
Jenny wasn't going to cause a scene by falling to the floor and refusing to go with him. She knew he would literally drag her behind him if he had to. She called out to Sabrina. "Just knock on the door when my cab gets here, okay? " She barely heard the woman's agreement before being thrust into the room.
The door slammed shut behind them.
Jenny shook off his arm and
walked across the room. She took a stabilizing breath and turned to face him. He was leaning negligently against the door.
"What's this all about, Jenny? " His voice was calm and soothing.
Jenny saw the tactics he was going to use to try to get his way. Her resolve hardened.
"I'm going home. "
"Why? "
"I'm not going to have a fight with you. I don't need to explain myself. You know what you've done. If you don't know, then I guess you've got all the time in the world to figure it out, now don't you? " Her voice was dripping sugar.
He straightened himself to his full height at her words. "What the hell is that supposed to mean? Are you threatening me, babe? " He advanced toward her.
She held her ground. "Stay away from me, Richard. " Her voice was alarmed, angry. Hysteria was not far from the surface. She didn't know what she would do if he touched her. She might hit him. Or she might melt in his arms. She stiffened her spine and braced herself.
He heard the panic in her voice. He stopped. He could see she was really upset. He needed to calm her. "Okay. I won't touch you. But you don't need to leave, sweetheart. We can talk about this. "
"I don't want to talk about it. " Her voice was shaky. "Not right now. I can't. I want to go home. "
"No. I don't want you to go home, I-- "
She cut him off. "No. You can't always have it your way, Richard. I want to go home. I th-think this is probably o-over, anyway. "
"No. Bullshit. It's not over. You need to tell me what the fuck I did wrong. " His words were clipped. Pissed. He started toward her again and she scooted around to the back of his desk.