Hold Me Close (Bridgewater County 4)

Turned out, I didn’t need to ask what he’d done to make her uncomfortable. Ethan and I could see with our own eyes as soon as we drew near. Neither one of them had spotted us, which gave us time to take in the scene.

From a distance, all had looked normal. Just a beautiful young woman and a smarmy, but nice-looking man sharing dinner at The Barking Dog. But when we got close, I saw it and I saw red. His hand was on her knee under the table.

We watched as she jerked her leg to the side and his hand fell. But then, not more than two seconds later, he moved it back. She visibly flinched at the contact and he just smiled. Clearly, he couldn’t read women’s cues for “no” or he just didn’t care.

That was it. I couldn’t stand by and watch anymore.

Luckily for Bob’s pretty face, Ethan beat me to the table. “Well, well. Fancy meeting you here.”

He’d turned on the laid back, cowboy charm he was known for and I was glad to see Rachel’s visible relief when she spotted Ethan. Then her hazel gaze turned to me and the happy look shuttered, but not before I saw a flicker of nerves.

Shit. I hated that she was nervous around me. I wasn’t like Bob. I wouldn’t lay a finger on her if she didn’t want it. Yeah, I’d said stuff that wasn’t all that appropriate, but I hadn’t meant it.

I’d been trying so hard to put her at ease this last month in the office. I always kept the door open when she and I were in the same room, never moved in too close even though I ached to be near her. I’d maintained the perfect, courteous gentlemanly demeanor. But it was clear that despite my best efforts, she was still nervous around me. I just hadn’t had an opportunity to prove I wasn’t that guy. But Bob? He was totally that guy. The fucker.

I would have given up the ranch and all my savings for a chance to go back to that day at the rodeo and do it all over again, listened to the voice of reason that had said “this woman is no buckle bunny.” I’d give her a chance to explain who she was and what she was doing there before leaping to stupid conclusions. To keep her away from the other horny assholes by protecting her, not running her off.

God, I hated to think about how she must see me. Like I was some sort of man-whore or something. That wasn’t the case. Sure, I’d had my fair share of women, that I really did want to do the dirty things I’d said to her, but not until she knew we wanted to marry her. I wanted her for more than just a night.

I hadn’t even glanced at a woman since that horrible first encounter. None other had a chance in hell with me now that I’d met Rachel. My dick didn’t get hard for anyone but her. Just her scent in the air made me hard. And thinking of her? Fuck. I spent too much time in the shower rubbing one out these days. It seemed I was perpetually hard when she was around. Or not around. But how was I supposed to get her to see that if she kept me at arm’s length?

She was forever, I knew it in my bones. While I wasn’t a Bridgewater man born and raised, I was just like one because I knew when I’d found the one. I glared at Bob over Ethan’s shoulder. She might not know it yet but she was ours.

Ethan drew closer, placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “Rachel, good to see you enjoying yourself.”

Even though Ethan’s voice was calm and even, the gesture was a sure sign of possessiveness and his eyes said “ours” loud and clear as he stared down Bob.

Nicely done, Ethan. He’d managed to calm Rachel while scaring the crap out of Bob. The asshole looked ready to shit himself as his gaze turned from Ethan to me. I stood a few feet away, not wanting to spook Rachel, but I made no attempt to hide my hatred for this handsy piece of shit. Rachel might not know his rep, but we did. And he knew we did. It wasn’t going to happen; we’d shut that shit down.

Ethan turned to Rachel and I could see the warmth in his eyes. Sure enough, Rachel blushed. She’d seen it, too. “You enjoying your night, Rach?” he asked.

She made a noncommittal sound and started inching toward Ethan, sliding out of the booth. He took her hand, helped her up as she said, “Yes, thanks.”

Fuck, she looked good in the sundress. It was white and fell to flirt just above her knees. She seemed innocent and sweet, the color only highlighting her tanned skin, her smooth shoulders.

“But I think it’s time I head home.” She barely glanced at Bob as she mumbled a thanks for dinner.

That would have made me happy except she avoided meeting my eye, too, as she made a beeline out of there as if the hounds of hell were chasing her. Or perhaps maybe she thought I was chasing her.

Bob made a move to stand and follow but froze when I turned to glare at him, a low growl escaping from my throat.

“Date’s over,” I told him, putting my hand on his chest and pushing him back into his seat. “And don’t call for a second.”

This asshole didn’t realize how lucky he’d been. I was a breath away from losing my shit. The only thing standing between this fucker and a beating was Rachel. I couldn’t just let her run away, not if she was upset and definitely not out in the parking lot across the street by herself. Yeah, she could take care of herself, but we’d see to her safety.

The parking lot was dark when Ethan and I followed her out. She was hurrying toward her small sedan, a car we’d need to replace for her once winter hit. There was no way I’d let her drive to the ranch every day in the snow and ice without four-wheel drive. How we’d convince her to let us buy her a car was a problem for another day. Right now, all that mattered was she was unharmed, that she was safely in her car, engine running, doors locked before we left.

“Rachel, wait up,” Ethan called.

She came to a stop next to the car, her hair falling over her shoulder. She stared down at her keys with her back to us. Either she’d forgotten how to unlock her car or she was stalling. We stopped a few feet away, but the distance was killing me as I knew it was Ethan. I wanted nothing more than to go to her, wrap her in my arms and not let go until she was safely tucked into my bed. Our bed.

After that…well…I couldn’t let my imagination go there or I’d scare her away if she glanced down at my cock. That was the last thing I needed. My cock was already straining against my jeans at the sight of her in that dress. If I started picturing all the ways we’d love to fuck her I might come right then and there. So I cleared my mind of all thoughts and took some slow, deep breaths to keep cool.

Rachel shocked the hell out of me when she spun around to face us. Her normally sweet expression had been replaced by a ferocious scowl. “What was that?” she demanded.

I was the one with a temper and I’d come to think of Rachel as Miss Calm, Cool, and Collected. This reversal of roles had me blinking at her like an idiot. I saw Ethan jerk back in surprise, but he recovered quickly, holding his hands up in surrender. “Easy, sweetheart, we didn’t mean to step on your toes back there—”

“I was on a date.” She crossed her arms over her chest and I tried my damnedest not to notice the way it pushed her tits up and out, accentuating her already phenomenal cleavage.