But not just a skirt. A short skirt.
A sexier than sin, short as hell, leather mini skirt.
He blinked a few times, not sure he was seeing things right, but Colton didn’t miss his opportunity. He moved toward her, sauntering across the room with a shit eating grin, and took hold of her hand. He kissed the backs of her fingers. “I knew you’d have killer legs under all those clothes.” He spun her around and clicked his tongue. “Damn.”
Her cheeks immediately flushed, and she pushed a strand of hair behind her ear before turning toward Elliot.
Words escaped him. Not just words, but his breath too. They twisted in his gut together, the words and his breath, making it almost impossible to stand there and not cover her with a blanket. The reaction was almost primal, a need to protect her from the world and everything in it, but especially Colton. He wanted to rip Colton fingers off. Wanted to slap that stupid smile right off of his face.
Fe stepped toward him, her fingers inching the silky white strap of her camisole back on her shoulder. He’d never seen this side of her before. This wild, vixen like side that simultaneously reminded him of an angel and a seductress. He swept his gaze over her body from head to toe, then swallowed. “Took you long enough.”
Hurt washed over her face, and she looked down to her feet. Dammit! What was wrong with him? Why was he being such a dick? He couldn’t explain it, all he knew was he wasn’t made for this. For the jealousy that was pulsing through his heart just thinking of all the men who would see her like this tonight. But how on earth could he be mad at her? He wasn’t mad at her! He was mad at himself. Mad at Colton. Because damn it, things were just becoming normal, and then she had to come out looking like that.
“Yes.” She nodded. “I’m finally ready.”
Never in his life had he been more thankful for his brother’s presence then he was right now, but as he was learning to realize, there was a first for anything.
Fe was pissed at him, and rightfully so. She also had a way of letting everyone within a hundred-mile radius know it. She sat in the front seat next to him, her shoulders square, proper, with perfect posture. He could see goosebumps on her legs, but not once had she complained about the temperature. Actually, she hadn’t said a world since they got into his truck. He had to stop himself at least ten times from taking off his sweater and wrapping it over her shoulders. Mostly because he knew that would only piss her off even more. If there was anything he’d learned in living with Fe for the last five years, was that giving her space when she was riled like this was wise. Because trying to make amends now would only get his head bitten off.
Colton sat in the back seat, barely paying any attention to either of them as he fiddled with his phone. “The crew and I were here the other night,” he said casually “If you’re looking for a fight, this’ll the place to find one.”
Elliot’s grip on the steering wheel tightened and released, but he said nothing. A fight didn’t actually sound like the worst idea in the world. He needed a release. Some way to let go of all this pent-up tension.
It was a good twenty minutes later when Colton instructed him to get off the highway. “Take the next exit.” He waved a finger toward the windshield. “Make a right, it should be just two blocks down on the left.”
They approached the building, where a line was wrapped round the perimeter of the bar. Colton instructed him to pull his truck into a small dirt covered lot, where they parked, and climbed out of the cab.
“Are you sure this is safe?” Elliot asked, glancing over the row of cars in the pitch-black lot.
“Trust me,” Colton said, pulling on his leather jacket to straighten it. “The crew and I were here a few nights ago. It’s fine.” Then he turned toward Fe, touched her cheek with his thumb and whispered something Elliot couldn’t understand into her ear.
He wanted to close his eyes, to look away, but he couldn’t. He needed to see her reaction. To see if there was a connection between them.
She nodded her head, then glanced over to Elliot. It was the first time she’d looked at him since they left the apartment, and a chill ran down his spine. He didn’t blame her. He’d been an ass. But that didn’t stop him from taking his fill of her. She looked different, beautiful, but she wasn’t his Fe.
Ten minutes later they were all in front of the building, standing in line.
Colton put his phone in his pocket, then leaned over to whisper in Elliot’s ear. “That skirt looks amazing on her, right?”
Elliot cleared his throat, but kept his gaze straight ahead. “Yep.”
“When I saw it in the store, I knew she had to have it.”
Elliot stopped, turned to Colton, and blinked. As though seeing him for the first time. “You bought her a skirt?”
Colton’s eyes flickered with humor, and his mouth turned up in a grin. “She said she didn’t have one. A shame with a body like hers.”
Elliot clenched his jaw, and turned to Fe. “You let him buy you a skirt?”
But she didn’t answer him. Maybe he deserved it. Had she really let his brother buy her a skirt? A tiny skirt, that barely covered her ass?
Colton grinned, punched Elliot in the shoulder, then jogged ahead of them. “I’m gonna go check out the font, see if I can get us in. Wait here.”
Elliot shoved his hands in his pockets and leaned against the building. Fe’s body language alone told him she didn’t want to look at him. He braced one foot against the wall. “Are you cold?” he asked her, studying her profile as she looked straight ahead.
“No.” She shook her head. “I’m fine.”
He cleared his throat, and prodded. “But you have goosebumps.”
It was a long moment, but she finally glanced over at him. “I said I’m fine.”
He nodded and clenched his jaw.
Damnit all, he wanted this night to be over. Either that, or he wanted to start the night over. He was in the middle of trying to decide which, when Colton popped his head out from around the corner and waved them to the front of the line. “I got us in, come on.”
As soon as they walked past the bouncer, they were surrounded by almost complete darkness. Music was thumping, people were hollering, and things seemed to only get louder by the second. Fe’s fingers immediately found the fabric at Elliot’s shirt, and twisted until they were almost stuck. He covered her hand with his, relieved by her touch, and bent down to her ear. “It’s okay.” He whispered. “We’ll find someplace quiet, just hold on.”
Almost completely blind, he led her toward some lights off in the distance. It was no small task either, because people were everywhere. Dancing, talking, standing on chairs. Lights were flashing, making things even more disorienting. He looked around for Colton, but it was nearly impossible to find anyone.
Soon, he found the other end of the room, where he pulled a barstool out from a small table. “Here,” he said looking down at her. “Have a seat.” She nodded, though her cheeks were almost colorless, and he could tell she was having a hard time. Not quite to a panic attack, but close. “Do you want a drink?” he asked, worried. He hadn’t seen her this affected in a long time.
She pulled in a few breaths, took a seat, and shook her head. “I’m good.”
He swallowed, searching her eyes to make sure she was being honest. “You sure?”
Her face softened, and she nodded again. “I’m sure.” But the way she said it, in that soft way of hers, told him exactly what he needed to know. Not only was she okay, but she wasn’t mad at him any longer.
“I um—” he began, because how could he really justify his behavior earlier. “I’m sorry about earlier. You look beautiful, and I was being an ass.” But a woman screamed at that moment muffling his voice.
“What?” Fe asked with her hand at her ear.
He shook his head, realizing he’d need to say it all over again… “I’m sorry!” But things became louder again, and he realized it was hopeless. He would save his apology for later. Maybe then, he’d
have better words to say than “I’m sorry.” Maybe then, he’d understand the fucked-up emotions that were rolling around in his chest.
It wasn’t just Colton being around that was screwing with him. Something had crawled under his skin. An uncomfortable, unsteady feeling, like he knew something was about to happen. He’d been walking through life waiting for it, anticipating, like walking on a thin sheet of ice, knowing the next step would make him fall.
For a while, he’d convinced himself it was work. That he wasn’t being challenged enough. Noticed enough. That he was missing out on love, that he was missing out on something.
His brows furrowed, and he looked up at Fe, who’s attention was off somewhere in the distance. “About earlier,” he began again—but Colton came walking toward them then, and his words immediately stopped.
“Compliments of the bartender,” Colton drawled, as he set a tray of alcohol on the table. Tequila, shot glasses, lemon slices and salt. He winked at Fe. “One of the perks of being friendly.” He yelled, elbowing Elliot in the ribs. “You should try it sometime. It’ll look good on ya.”
Before Elliot could respond, Colton proceeded to fill two shot glasses with the amber liquid and passed one to each of them “Have you had tequila before?” he asked Fe.
She looked him in the eye and nodded.
“Good girl,” he said, turning to Elliot. “Lick, bite, suck,” He instructed. He then glanced between the two of them, and flashed a wry smile. “Lord knows you both need it.”
“I can’t, I’m driving—“
But Colton shook his head. “Why do you think there’s only two glasses, Elli. I’m DD. You guys enjoy yourself. I prefer watching anyway.”
When they both remained quiet, Colton braced his arms on the table and glanced between the two of them. “Well get on with it! We don’t have all night.”
Fe hesitated for a brief moment, licked the back of her hand, salted it, then passed the shaker to Elliot. “We’re almost there,” she yelled. “Step number seven.”
He grinned a little. Because she looked so serious. So determined. Somewhere along the way, this thing became a bigger deal to her than it was to him. He wasn’t even sure what they were doing anymore, but he could see she needed it. He picked up the salt, sprinkled it on the back of his hand, and picked up a lemon “To lucky number seven”.
Chapter 20
It was four shots in when Elliot finally started to relax. The alcohol was running its course, warming his insides, and easing the tension that was spiraling like a spring in his stomach. He still had no idea what they were doing there. Why Colton had insisted this was the place to be. All he knew was that at some point during the night, he was supposed to get into a fight.
He turned to Colton, pushing his fingers through his hair, and yawned. “So, what’s this plan?” he said sleepily, because all of a sudden, he wanted to get on with it. To get it over with, so he could get out of this place, and in bed.
Colton didn’t even look up when he responded. “This is it.”
Fe’s brows pinched together, like it took a tremendous effort to concentrate, but there was something in her body language that told him she knew more than he did.
Colton’s cheeks lifted in wry smile, and he turned toward the table, filling each glass one more time with tequila. “Do you dance, darlin?” he asked Fe.
She looked down to the table, picked up her glass as though expecting the invitation, then pressed it to her lips before answering. “Not by choice.” She threw back the shot.
He laughed. “Well then, let’s pretend you don’t have one.” He rose from his chair, then held out his hand in a silent invitation.
She took hold of it, glanced back to Elliot and frowned. “Are you coming?”
He only shook his head, “No. And you know you don’t have to go either, right?”
She visibly swallowed, looked over to Colton, then back at him. “I’ll be fine.”
Their eyes locked for a moment, because not a half hour earlier she’d had a death grip on the back of his shirt. But now she’d had five shots of tequila, and was about to follow his brother to God only knows where. But maybe that made all the difference. Maybe she trusted him. Lifting one shoulder, as though to say, “do what you want”, he watched as she disappeared into the crowd with his brother. An unexpected knot of jealously mading it hard for him to see straight.
He didn’t dance. Wouldn’t dance as part of his brother’s stupid schemes, but he hated the fact that she was out there alone, and he couldn’t see her. In a room full of strangers, looking the way she did right now. His eyes scanned the dance floor, hoping for any glimpse of her. Partly because he didn’t trust Colton, but also because he was protective of Fe, for no other reason than the fact she was his. She was his Fe. His iron woman.
When they got to the very edge of the dance floor he spotted them, Colton’s hand on her lower back as they started swaying. Dammit if his brother didn’t move like a God damned Casanova, which somehow made him even more of an asshole.
Elliot turned toward the table again and poured himself another shot. He didn’t need to watch this. His brother charming the pants off of yet another one of his friends. He’d seen it happen too many times to count. Even when he warned them explicitly that it wouldn’t last, that Colton was only after one thing, and when he got it, he’d only be onto the next. For some reason though, it hurt worse now, and the knot in his stomach was starting to make him sick.
“Elliot, is that you?”
An excited voice pulled him from his thoughts, and he looked up to see his friend Jennifer. She was a junior associate at Fredrick and Morgan’s, but she’d since switched departments and he hadn’t seen her in a year. She was walking toward him now, wobbling slightly in her stilettos. The red bra she wore beneath her sheer black blouse completely visible. “Jen?” His eyes squinted. “Is that you?”
She laughed, waved her hand over her ensemble as she took a seat on one of the stool across from him. “I should say the same about you, handsome. What have you been doing with yourself?”
He laughed nervously, glanced down to the table and shook his head. He knew he was different, but sometimes he forgot. It had been a couple weeks since he’d gotten the haircut, and the comments at work had died down to almost nothing. Jen on the other hand hadn’t see him in a long time.
She glanced over the table, to the bottle of Patron sitting in the center. “Drinking alone, I see,” she said with a wink.
He ran his hand over his hair and shook his head. “My roommate—er—and brother are here too.” But he didn’t want to talk about them. Or even think about them for that matter. “How are things? How’s the new office?”
She wiggled into her seat, causing her vinyl plants to squeak slightly as she crossed her legs. “It’s good. Crazy with the acquisition and all, but I like it.” She glanced back to the tequila. “I didn’t realize you could get a full bottle here.”
Elliot turned to the dance floor again, not able to stop himself. “I’m not sure that’s normal.” But that’s where his words stopped, because standing in front of the bar was Colton, but Fe wasn’t with him.
“No, it’s cool. Don’t get me wrong…” She cleared her throat. “Do, um, you mind if I have a shot with you, Elliot?”
He turned back to Jen, who’s hand was already inching toward the shot glass. “No, of course not.” But he was distracted. He looked back to the dance floor, scanning from left to right. Where is she? His heart began pounding and he stood from his seat. “Will you excuse me?” he said to Jen, but didn’t wait for her to answer.
The closer he got to his brother, the louder the music became. He walked around the perimeter of the club, scanning over face after face. He was no longer relaxed. He was tense and nervous and scared. Where is she?
When he finally got to Colton, another woman was on his arm, whispering in his ear. Elliot resisted the urge to pull him by the collar as ask what the fuck he was doing. “Where is she?”
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But his brother only shrugged his shoulders, as if Fe’s whereabouts meant nothing to him. Elliot spun on his heels, pushing through the crowd, fear expanding in his chest and making it almost impossible to breathe. Colton had left her alone. In a crowded bar, partially drunk.
But then off to the distance, about twenty feet away, he spotted her dancing with a stranger. Her eyes closed, with the stranger’s hands all over her body.
Elliot began pushing through the crowd more urgently, his need to get to her growing by the second. He could see the anxiety on her face. Her fear, her panic. So much so he could almost feel it inside his own body.
The stranger’s hands traveled down the small of her back, over her hips, until they slipped lower, cupping her ass.
Before he knew what he was doing, he was across the floor, his arms on the stranger’s chest, pushing him against the wall. “Get your hands the fuck off of her!”
His whole body was shaking, his vision burry, and disoriented. The stranger righted himself and shoved Elliot backward. “I don’t see your name on her, asshole.”
The floor broke into total chaos. Fist went flying, people were screaming. He wasn’t even sure he felt his own body anymore, all he knew was that the man whose hands were all over Fe, now had blood dripping from his nose.
A strange woman wrapped her arms around the man’s waist, fell to her knees and pleaded to Elliot. “Stop, please. Please, don’t hurt him.”
The guy wiped the blood from his nose, smearing it over his cheek.
Out of Elliot’s peripheral vision, he could see Colton pull Fe to the side and force her behind his back, but she was struggling to get away from him. Struggling to get to him. In slow motion, he watched as the guy ripped the girl from his waist and charged forward, but Elliot couldn’t duck fast enough, and the force of the blow hit him directly in the mouth.
A loud ringing consumed his body, and his balance completely disappeared. He spun around, trying to gain his bearings, but he was hit again, this time in the stomach. He folded over instinctively, and yet another fist came flying for his jaw. He stumbled backward, barely able to keep himself up right.
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