The moment I stood before them I exploded.
“What the fuck are you doing?” I roared with such fevered intensity that even the stripper on stage froze for a moment. “I turn my back for two fucking minutes, and it’s just enough time for you to disappear and let this guy feel you up? You are mine. Stand up.” I glared at her as my teeth gritted shut. Eden’s eyes widened and the color fell from her face as she took in my words. I was yelling in this poor girl’s face. I heard Ashlyn inhale sharply behind me, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw Josh standing with the woman I had earlier seen with Eden.
Chris put his filthy hand on Eden’s ass as she attempted to stand and pulled her back into his lap. “Piss off Crawford. This one is mine. Go back to your preppy little office and leave us the fuck alone.”
I saw red. “Get. Your. Fucking. Hands. Off. Her.”
“She wants it, and she certainly hasn’t said no. Look at this tight little body, the little slut was begging for it.” His hands tauntingly ran up and down her thighs, running higher than they should as a smug look took over his face. I reached out and snatched her hand pulling her away from his grasp with all of my strength until she crashed into my chest.
“Stay here,” I growled into her ear, hauling her close to my body which allowed me to feel her thudding heart against my chest. I wrapped my arms tightly around her waist locking her in and then turned my attention back to Chris.“Get the fuck out of here Edwards and stay away from my fucking girlfriend.”
A cocky laugh boomed from him. “She isn’t your girlfriend.” He looked knowingly between us. “I know what this is. You just want to dive into that sweet pussy yourself, don’t you Crawford?”
I unlocked Eden from my embrace and moved her so she was standing behind me. With one step I was chest to chest with Chris. I didn’t hesitate. “I don’t just dive into her pussy Edwards. I fuck it hard, I taste every inch of it, and I savor every shudder that she makes. That pussy is mine so just remember that when you are fucking some three dollar hooker tonight.”
I didn’t stick around to hear anything else Chris decided to spit. My hand encased Eden’s, entwining our fingers in some protective move that I couldn’t put into words. I tugged on our joined hands, and she instantly followed me though the crowd toward the far corner of the bar where we were still close enough to the action yet able to be hidden from the fuckwit likes of Chris. My mind raced with what I could possibly say to explain my irrational actions. Since when had I become some knight in shining armor? When we reached a vacant couch, I halted and promptly dropped her hand from mine. Stepping back, I collided with the hard wall of Josh’s body and over my shoulder I found him staring at me with curious eyes. I ran my hands through my unruly hair and groaned in frustration.
“Do something dickhead. All eyes are on you after that little performance. You don’t go caveman and grab your woman and then just stand beside her like she’s a stranger.” Josh threw at me, and his eyes darted between me and Eden.
He was right. I looked back toward the sleazy corner of the bar and wasn’t surprised to find Chris and his crew watching with knowing smirks on their faces. I had two choices. I could walk away right now, leave the bar knowing that I had done a good deed and hope to Christ that Eden could take care of herself, or I could man the fuck up and finish off what I started.
Within a heartbeat, Eden was against my chest, and my arms wrapped tightly around her waist so her back was against with my chest. Resting my chin on the top of her head, I couldn’t help but notice how well her body molded against mine. She still hadn’t spoken, but her body roared every unspoken word. She was rigid in my arms, frozen in fear and what I was sure was confusion, and after I heard her inhale sharply, she was now holding her breath.
I leaned down until my mouth was beside her ear and whispered, “You’ve got to breathe.”
She simply nodded while she trembled like a leaf in a hurricane against me. Her hands clutched onto my bare forearms that rested over her stomach for dear life and her sharp nails dug into my flesh, sending a shot of pain up through my arms, but I didn’t say a thing.
Her body continued to tremble and my grip tightened, pulling her body closer to mine. She was completely breaking down in my arms, and I didn’t know what the fuck to do so I did what I hoped would calm her down. I attempted to provide her comfort and calm while the crowds around us continued with their night completely oblivious to what was happening.