Total pages in book: 98
Estimated words: 94653 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94653 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
Pronto.
Or I’ll run him out of the bar myself.
When my gaze snags Gerry’s, he arches a brow in silent inquiry before cracking his knuckles. His show of muscle is enough to dissolve my previous irritation.
“You need any help over there?” His deep voice reverberates across the space now that the music has been turned off.
Eyes widening, the guy who’d just propositioned me disappears without so much as another word.
A smile trembles around the corners of my lips as I shake my head. “Nope, it’s all good. Thanks.”
“No problem, sweetheart. All you gotta do is let me know when someone is bothering you.” There’s a pause before he adds, “The crowd was pretty tame tonight. Not one single fight broke out.”
“I’m sure you’ll get a chance to knock a few skulls together tomorrow,” I joke.
He cracks the muscles in his non-existent neck. “Hope so.”
As the crowd continues to thin, I search for Viola and Madden. They were here earlier with the rest of the hockey players. I’m hoping to catch a ride home with them instead of Wolf.
After our earlier convo, I don’t want to spend any more time with him.
My gaze slides around the room until it locks on the one person I was trying to avoid. He’s leaning against the bar as a couple of my coworkers, and Sully, yap his ear off. His thickly corded arms are crossed over his broad chest as his attention stays pinned to mine. He’s wearing a gray T-shirt that fits him to perfection. The way his biceps bulge is enough to have my mouth turning cottony.
One dark brow slinks upward as our gazes stay fastened. That’s all it takes for heat to reluctantly burst to life in my core. The guy has an effect on me even when I’d rather he not. I stand frozen in place, unable to break free from the spell he’s woven around me. It’s only when he crooks a finger in my direction that I snap out of the mental fog that has descended and swing away.
I take my time gathering up stray glasses. Once the tray is stacked full of dirty dishes, I grudgingly return. His gaze stays fastened to me the entire time. As much as I want to beeline to the other end of the bar, I can’t. It’s probably not a coincidence that Wolf has taken up residence near the trash where the glasses are being washed. It’s a constant battle to keep my attention focused on Victor, one of the bartenders, and not on the muscular goalie who invades all of my waking thoughts.
“Did you have a good night, Fallyn?” Victor grabs a few glasses and a pitcher.
“Yup,” I say with a nod. “It flew right by.”
“Always does on game nights. I’m giving Erin a ride home. Do you need one?”
Before I can respond, a deep voice cuts in, “I’ve got her covered. Thanks for looking out for my girl.”
Grrrr.
Victor flashes a smile before holding up both hands in a gesture of surrender. “Sorry, man. I wasn’t trying to step on any toes. Just wanted to make sure she got home safely.”
My brows slam together as I glance at Wolf.
His girl?
No. I am most definitely not his girl. I will never be his girl.
And he should know that.
The smirk on his face dares me to argue.
“Actually, I was going to catch one with Viola and Madden,” I snap, only wanting to shoot him down.
“That would be difficult since they took off an hour ago.”
Crap.
I sneak a peek at Victor.
Well…he did offer before Wolf rudely cut him off.
It’s as if Wolf knows exactly what thoughts are flitting through my brain because he shakes his head before crowding my personal space and whispering, “The deal was that I drive you to work and take you home.”
I grit my teeth. “Does it really matter?”
His green depths spark with both heat and challenge. “Yeah, it does. I’ll meet you at the car.”
With that, he pushes away from the bar and heads for the back door before I can say anything else. My eyes narrow at his retreating form.
“I’d have to be a real dumbass to get in the middle of that,” Victor says with a snort.
“There’s nothing to get in the middle of,” I grumble before taking off for more glasses and pitchers.
“Someone should probably tell him that.”
It takes another fifteen minutes to clean the place up and get it ready for the next day. Then we count out the tips. I give a small percentage to the barback before snagging my purse and coat. My tummy trembles as I push through the metal door into the nearly deserted parking lot. Wolf’s Mustang idles near the back as I burrow into the collar of my jacket. Even from here, I feel the heat of his gaze leveled on me. There’s no way to escape it. No matter where I go, he’s there, standing in my way, forcing me to acknowledge him.