While It Lasts (Sea Breeze 3)

“He’s right. You need to go home.”

“But don’t you want to take me outside alone?” she asked in a hurt voice.

Preston shifted his gaze to me and the murderous glare flashing in his eyes was not something I was familiar with. The guy never got mad. What the f**k was with everyone tonight?

“Her idea. Not mine. I’ve got a date,” I reminded him.

Preston smirked and nodded his head at something behind me, “Looks like you might be wrong there. She seems to be having herself a fine time without you.”

Eva was dancing with some guy. Some random strange guy. I’d asked her to dance and she’d turned me down but this dude comes out of nowhere and she dances with him?

Eva

“I still can’t believe you’re here. When I turned around from ordering my drink and saw you sitting over at a table I thought I was seeing things.”

Brett Cortwright was one of the closest guy friends Josh had in high school. When he’d walked up to the table I’d been so happy to see a familiar face. Cage had gone off dancing with yet another blonde. I shouldn’t be mad at him because he’d asked me to dance and I’d said no out of fear. All the same, I was mad. I was hurt. I was jealous.

“I’m slowly starting to get out again. Jeremy is leaving next month for LSU.”

Brett frowned, “Really? You okay with that?”

Why was that everyone’s immediate reaction? Did they all think I couldn’t survive without him?

“I’m happy for him. It’s time he got back to his life. We’ve both been on pause for a while now.”

Brett nodded his head in agreement. A slower song started to play. “You up for a slow dance? I won’t bite,” he teased.

I’d only ever slow danced with Josh. I started to say yes when Brett took a step back from me. Confused, I looked up at him and he was focused on something behind me.

“Good idea. Go on. Get the hell away from her.”

Cage’s angry snarl startled me and I spun around to see him glaring at Brett. What was he doing? “CAGE! Stop that,” I demanded. “Don’t go anywhere, Brett.”

Cage’s furious expression shifted to me. “You’re on a first name basis now? Is this what you’re looking for? A preppy momma’s boy with good f**king manners?”

My blood was boiling. I’d never been this mad in my life. I stalked over until I was as close to being in Cage’s face as I could get.

“It isn’t any of your business who I dance with. You can apologize to Brett or I’m leaving,” I yelled.

Cage smirked but the angry gleam still flashed in his eyes. “I ain’t apologizing to anyone, sweetheart.”

I wanted to scream and punch his chest and cry because he wasn’t who I thought he was. He wasn’t the sweet guy I’d gotten to know the last couple of weeks. I should tell Brett goodbye but I couldn’t. I was too close to tears. So, I ran.

I heard Cage call my name as I pushed through the crowd but I didn’t look back. He’d shown his true colors tonight. I’d fallen for his act but not again. My chest ached and the lonely feeling I’d slowly been overcoming was seeping back in. I pushed out the first set of doors I came to and ran out into the parking lot. This wasn’t where my Jeep was parked. The tears I’d tried to hold back had finally started to fall and my vision was blurry. I hated this. I just wanted to go home. I wanted to cuddle into my covers and be safe. No more pain. No more being let down.

I started walking. I’d just walk around the building until I found my Jeep. Maybe I could find it before anyone came out here and saw me like this. I hated looking weak.

“EVA!” Cage’s voice called out from behind me. I wanted to run but I was wearing heels and walking on gravel. I’d just end up falling into a heap if I tried. Even so, I didn’t have to stop. If he wanted to talk to me then he could do it while I walked. It would be easier to ignore him that way.

“Eva.” He repeated my name again as he caught up to me. I didn’t turn my head to acknowledge him.

“I’m sorry. I saw you with that guy and I snapped. I didn’t think about your feelings; I just cared that he was touching you. I didn’t want him touching you. I was wrong.” The pleading sound to his voice was a little more powerful than I’d have thought. I stopped walking but I kept staring straight ahead. I was afraid to look into his eyes just yet. If he was as sorry as he sounded then his eyes would tell me and I’d melt. Damn his pretty face.

“Brett was a friend of Josh’s. He wasn’t some strange guy in a bar.”

Cage let out a heavy sigh. “Fuuuck.”

“You were dancing with some girl. I don’t see how me dancing with some guy was any different.”

Cage’s fingers wrapped around my arm, “Please look at me, Eva.”

He was really good at the begging thing. His voice even dropped to a low sexy rumble. Danggit.

I shifted so that I was facing him. His pale blue eyes looked desperate.

“I’m a jackass. I know that. I’m sorry. I should have never treated you that way.”

“Me? What about poor Brett?”

Cage frowned, “I didn’t touch him.”

“But you were rude to him.”

Cage gently tugged on my arm to pull me closer to him. “The girl I was dancing with was Amanda Hardy. She’s Marcus Hardy’s, Low’s fiancé, little sister. She was trashed and that is not normal for her. I danced with her because I was worried about who she might grab up if I turned her down.”

So, he was being kind. Not what I was expecting.

“Okay. I understand that.” I replied.

“Will you come back inside?” he asked as he cupped the side of my face with his hand.

“Will you apologize to Brett?”

Cage’s soft expression went hard but only for a moment. Then the corner of his mouth tilted up, “Probably not.”

“Then I’m not going back inside,” I replied.

Cage’s face fell, “But I never got to dance with you.”

Now that Brett had broken me in to dancing in that mass of people I was a little disappointed that I hadn’t been able to dance with Cage.

“Okay, but just one dance.”