Slide(Boosted Hearts Book 3)(15)

Lucy suddenly felt alone.

There were people all around her, her family, the people she loved most in the world, and she felt like the only person on the planet.

The next song was slower, and the guy with her offered her a smile then opened his arms, asking permission without words to pull her closer. She let him. Right then, she needed the closeness, even if it was with a total stranger.

They talked and danced for a few more songs, and it was during one of these conversations she learned all about his partner, Chris. The hottie was gay. So much for taking a page out of Adam’s book. But she was having a great time and he was a lot of fun, so she stayed and hung out with him. Ha! No wonder her brothers left without a backward glance. He’d been working at Abella’s for months and seemed to know Shay and Darcey fairly well. They obviously all knew she wasn’t in any danger of being seduced by the guy. Still, it wasn’t like her brothers to not insist on seeing her home safe.

She leaned in and her new friend, Palo, did the same, his hand going to her shoulder so he could hear her. “I’m getting a drink. You want one?”

He declined and she headed to the bar. She was just about to make her order when someone tapped her on the shoulder. She turned around, expecting it to be Palo.

“Adam?”

Okay, now she knew why Hugh and Joe had no problem leaving without her. Her good buddy was there to look out for her. Neat-o.

“I don’t need you here. You can go,” Lucy said, dismissing him.

His eyes were glittery, kind of wild. “You had enough of rubbing my face in it? Or are you planning on fucking that guy to see what happens?”

“What?”

He curled his fingers around her bicep. “Time to go, baby girl.”

“I beg your pardon?” She knew her mouth was hanging open, but there was no disguising her reaction to his heavy-handed bullshit.

“You either leave with me now…or you go back on that dance floor, that guy puts his fucking hands on you again, and you wait and see what happens.” He bared his teeth. “And here’s a heads-up. It won’t be pretty.”

Lucy had indulged in a few drinks, more than a few if she was honest, and her tequila haze was making it kind of hard to comprehend what in the hell was going on. “What?” she said again stupidly.

He moved suddenly. His chest hit hers, backing her up, and her butt slammed against the bar. “If you let that fucker touch you one more damn time, Lucy, I will lose my shit. Do you understand?”

No. No, she didn’t. Not at all. She opened her mouth, snapped it shut, and opened it again.

Then they were moving, Adam towing her through the restaurant and out the door.





Chapter Four





Adam stared down at his fingers still wrapped around Lucy’s wrist, grip tight and unyielding, and told himself to let the fuck go.

He couldn’t.

He’d sat there and watched as some other guy danced with her, ran his fucking hands over her, made her goddamn laugh, and what he’d felt was something he’d never experienced in his life.

When he’d found out about Lucy and her professor, her fucking married-with-a-family professor, it was after the affair had ended, after Hugh had torn the asshole a new one. It was all over. Adam had been angry, fucking furious. But the whole thing had felt abstract, just words that he’d shoved to the back of his mind as fast and as deep as he could. He hadn’t had to see it, witness her with someone else, with his own two eyes.

He hadn’t felt this, this feeling of…Christ, white-hot jealousy.

No. Fuck that. Jealous wasn’t the right word for what he was feeling. This went beyond that. Something deeper—darker.

Something damn near primal.

Right then letting her go wasn’t an option, not after seeing her with someone else. Not after seeing her eyes shine with laughter at something the guy said. Watching as another man made his move on her and knowing if he didn’t do something it was going to work, that for whatever reason Lucy had decided tonight she would go home with a random asshole and let him fuck her.

Wasn’t going to happen.

Lucy gripped his fingers and tried to pry them off. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

Adam didn’t stop. He kept walking around the side of the restaurant to his car. “Taking you home.”

“I don’t want to go home.”

They got to his car and he towed her to the passenger side. “That guy was all over you.”

She yanked her arm out of his grip and this time he let her. “So?” She straightened her spine, eyes flashing. “Maybe I wanted him all over me.”

“You’ve been downing fucking tequila shots. You don’t know what you want.”