Enraptured(30)

"Get the fuck away from her, Greg." Dace's tone was low and commanding. My heart froze as Greg chuckled, pulling away from me slowly. His eyes measured Dace and an easy smile spread across his face.

"I didn't know you had a claim on her, Dace." He looked sideways at me. "Are you seeing this guy?"

I shook my head tensely. "No. He's just a friend."

Greg laughed and from the corner of my eye, I saw Dace's jaw working violently. His fists were clenched tight and the veins in his arms were protruding from colored skin. The people who'd been dancing around the bar were all standing still, their eyes hungry for bloodshed.

"I said stay away from her. Consider this a warning, Greg."

"Or what?" Greg flashed a cocky grin. "You'll make me?" Greg laughed as though he'd made a joke and I shook my head in irritation. Dace looked ready to murder. "You've already backed out once tonight - what's stopping you from doing it again."

"I never back out." Dace growled low. He didn't move from where he stood, his eyes measured every breath Greg shot out from his lungs - every movement and muscle twitch. Dace was sizing him up for what? A fight?

"If I'm correct, Daman's taking your place tonight." Greg taunted.

"Something came up," Dace replied tightly, his eyes flashing to mine for the briefest of moments. "I'll be sure to reschedule with you. Don't worry."

"I'm not worried." Greg laughed again and although I didn't know what they were talking about, I had a inkling that Greg was just a little too cocky for his own good.

"I think you should go, Greg." I felt a blush rise in my cheeks for the billionth time tonight and fought the need to look at the floor. I wasn't exactly good at confrontation, but I was coming out of my shell. It wasn't that I was afraid of it, because I wasn't. But I didn't exactly know how. There was no confrontation in my house. My family talked about everything…or I thought we did until just recently. Their deaths proved the opposite.

Greg scoffed, "You think I should go?"

I nodded. "Only because Dace is my boss and I can't lose this job." I glared at Dace. I wasn't afraid for my job - I was afraid they would start beating the life out of each other right here and now.

"All right." He nodded, taking another swig of his beer. "You got a pen?" I nodded as I walked to the till behind me. I plucked a pen from the canister and tossed it over the bar at him. He grinned mischievously as he pulled his wallet from his pants. I watched as he plucked a receipt from the folds before scribbling something down on the paper and handing it to me. "My number." He explained as though I couldn't piece it together. "Call me sometime. I was serious before. I want to get to know you."

I smiled. "I'd like that."

"Good." He looked at Dace. "See you around."

Dace didn't say anything as Greg disappeared into the sea of people, and as though nothing had happened, the people around us who'd been waiting for a scene started dancing. The tension quickly forgotten.

I looked at Dace and my heart jumped at the anger in his blue eyes. If I was standing any closer, I may have been burned. "What?" I snapped, shoving the number into my back pocket.

"You're seriously going out with him?" His tone was low and angry. I feigned indifference.

"What does it matter to you, Dace?" I grabbed a rag and wiped down the bar. "You're not my father, my brother, or my boyfriend so stop acting like you have a right to demand me about. You don't. You're my boss. That's it."

"That's it, huh?" He asked.

I nodded determinedly. "That's it."

For a moment, I thought he was going to fire me. I could see the words hanging on the tip of his lips, but he didn't. "You couldn't have picked someone who might respect you?"

I laughed. That was hilarious coming from him, but he obviously didn't find it amusing. His sharp features were frozen in rage. "You couldn't have picked someone who respected herself?" His eyes widened at the words I threw back at him and I smirked. He'd better learn to take it if he wanted to dish it. "That's right, Dace. I saw you take that girl up to your office."

With those words, Dace hopped the bar so he was standing close to me. We were nearly nose-to-nose in front of everyone and there was no way in hell that I was backing down now. No way! The fact that I could smell and almost taste his breath over my face did nothing to calm my sudden need to prove that he was an ass-hat! "I couldn't fuck her, Angel."

"Why?" My heart leapt.

Dace curled his arm around my waist, sliding his hand over the small of my back and slowly moving lower and lower. My mind was in a frenzy. I couldn't think. "Because I saw you with him."