Beautifully Damaged(30)

"Hi, Trace."

He reached up and ran his finger over my cheek and down along my jaw as a smile touched the corner of his mouth. He then pulled his hand away and balled it into a fist as he turned toward Dane. His eyes took on the properties of the metal they resembled, hard and cold.

"Who's your friend?"

"Dane."

"How do you know Dane?"

It was rude to talk about someone when they were standing right there but something in Trace's manner had me curious enough to ignore manners and answer honestly.

"I don't, really. Lena and her boyfriend decided to surprise me with a setup."

His eyes turned to mine and, damn, I had to give Dane some credit for not peeing his pants because Trace looked positively murderous.

"You don't know him at all?"

"Nope. Met him for the first time a few hours ago when we arrived at the restaurant and he was standing there, waiting."

For some reason that seemed to piss Trace off even more because he slowly turned his head to Dane and took a step closer to him. "So Dane, are you partial to your face?"

Dane's voice cracked -- no surprise there -- before he managed, "Who are you?"

"Trace Montgomery. So, tell me Dane do you generally end your dates with a felony? Why don't you tell Ember what it was you and Todd were discussing in the restroom?"

I actually heard Dane gulp.

"No? Not feeling like the big, bad-ass now, are you, Dane?"

Trace then tilted his head from side to side stretching the muscles in his neck before he lifted his hands and started cracking his knuckles. The muscles in his arms flexed and, oh my, have I mentioned that I really love his arms? His eyes were burning holes into Dane with a look that was so feral it had my heart pounding in fear and I wasn't even the recipient of that fierce stare.

"You're a sick motherfucker but I'm feeling generous so I'm going to give you to the count of three to get the fuck out of here and if you, or your friend, ever come within a five-mile radius of Ember, I'm going to break every fucking bone in your body."

It was like watching a cartoon; the stool was still spinning but Dane was gone. I pulled my eyes from the stool to look up at Trace.

"What did I miss?"

"I overheard him talking with Todd in the men's room, planning."

"Planning what?"

Trace pulled his hand through his hair but held my stare when he offered, "He didn't just want to take you home, Ember. He was planning a sleepover regardless if you wanted one or not."

I knew I paled since I felt all the blood drain from my face and my knees suddenly couldn't hold my weight as I dropped onto the stool behind me. Trace hunched down in front of me and took my cold hands into his.

"He won't touch you, Ember, I won't allow it."

"If you hadn't been here, I..." I couldn't finish as my lower lip trembled and tears filled my eyes. "Thank you."

His face looked positively fierce as he reached up to wipe the tears that escaped my eyes to roll down my cheeks.

"I need to find a new apartment."

"I think that would be wise."

I looked at my watch and it was past two in the morning. "Too late to get a room. Lena's probably at Todd's tonight anyway. I'll look for something in the morning."

"You can't go home, Ember, for all you know Dane is hiding out waiting for you. A man like that doesn't like to be made to look like a coward. He won't come at me but I get the sense he isn't that smart and will try to come at you."

"I have no where else to go."

"Come home with me. I owe you"

Not really since according to my count I was down two when it came to saving but I didn't want to go home so I held his gaze and nodded my head in agreement. He kept my hand in his as he stood and pulled me from the stool. I looked over my shoulder to see Luke watching us but his expression was not one I could discern.

"See you later, Luke."

"Take care, Ember."

Trace pulled me through the crowd and like I observed before, people parted to let him pass. It made it easier for me to see the looks on their faces, particularly the women, who were not at all happy to see him leaving with a wallflower like me. One woman specifically looked downright ornery and then I realized that she probably had been his date for the night. That thought hurt -- a lot actually. I pulled on his hand which had him looking down at me.

"What about your date?"

The look he gave me had my heart flipping over in my chest. "She's not my date."

We reached the coat-check before Trace asked, "Do you have a jacket, Ember?"

"No."

He took his and as soon as we stepped outside he turned to me while holding up his jacket.

"It's cold." Was all he said as I obediently slipped my arms into it. His bike was parked right at the door as he reached for the helmet and placed it on my head before settling on his bike and holding it for me. I didn't hesitate to wrap my arms around his waist as we started down the street.