“Mila!” Someone called at me before I could do something stupid.
Arms slid around my waist, as lips trailed up my neck.
“Where have you been gorgeous?” Mark said as he came into view.
“Mark?” I said, tensing up as I recognised his voice. He was drunk… being a little too handsy for my liking, especially with my stepbrother sitting right there.
Dev glared at him as Mark pulled me off the chair, arms still around my waist, his groin grinding against my ass, in time with the music.
“Mark, I’m here with my stepbrother, let me go, please,” I asked as I tried to undo the hold he had over my body. My eyes darted to watch Dev’s reaction. Having Mark draped all over me for some reason made me feel incredibly guilty, as if I’d been caught cheating…
“Ah, but I’ve missed you so much,” he said, oblivious to the tatted man only a few feet away from us. Mark danced me towards the dance floor as I struggled to get free. “You’ve been a naughty girl, ignoring my texts.” His hand slid up between my legs, beneath my skirt, going for my pussy; groping me.
“What the fuck, Mark! Let me go!” I said more firmly. I couldn’t have him touching me while Dev, behind us, watched… not like that.
“Are you deaf? She said to let her go!” Devan was by my side in a flash.
“Fuck off, dude. Who are you? Her father?”
Dev saw red and proceeded to yank Mark away by the scruff of his neck, bending the other behind his back in a crippling move. Dev clamped down on Mark’s neck, his knuckles whitening, restricting his airflow.
Fuck, this was not good.
Dev’s eyes were wild with fury.
“It’s OK,” I said making eye contact, and touched his immovable arm, trying to calm the protective beast inside him. Dev blinked at me as our eyes locked and the room faded away as if we were the only ones there.
Instantly Dev threw Mark to the floor, discarding him like he would a piece of garbage.
“Let’s get out of here!” Devan shouted at me over the music and took my hand. Glancing over my shoulder I looked at Mark clawing at his neck over, and Dev took care of our tab.
“You didn’t have to do that!” I yelled.
“What?”
It was too much effort to keep yelling. “Thank you!” I yelled instead. “Let’s go!”
We stumbled out into the night air, and I mean really stumbled. I almost fell on my face and would have if Devan hadn’t caught my arm.
“Whoa there, Tiger,” he said and I blushed at the pet name he kept using in place of my own.
Tiger. I liked the sound of that. His voice was quieter outside, and he picked me up as if I weighed nothing, our faces got close, and I could smell the alcohol on his breath mingled with the warm heady musk of his sweaty body. It was a comforting smell. “Can you walk?” he whispered, and I almost said no, to prevent him from putting me down.
“I’m fine,” I said, hearing the slur in my own voice. “I’m fine.” I tried it again and got the words to come out more clearly.
He offered his arm, and I linked mine through it and leaned against him. He was toasty and strong, and god did he smell good, more intoxicating that the alcohol that was sloshing around inside me. I didn’t think I’d ever been this close to him outside of hugging him hello and goodbye. He felt nice, safe and dangerous all at the same time. He’s off-limits, I reminded myself. He’s your married stepbrother!
“He didn’t hurt you did he?” Dev asked quietly as we walked.
“Mark? No… I’m fine. Thank you by the way,” I replied.
I expected him to say that it was no problem, but his whole body seemed to tense up. “The fuck are you doing with a sleaze like him?” he snarled.
“I--”
Dev stopped and took hold of my shoulders.
“You deserve better than the likes of him, Mila.”
What could I say? I knew he was right. I nodded.
“He’s just someone I know,” I said weakly.
Dev shook his head, his jawline pulsing as he said through gritted teeth, “Promise me, Mila, that you won’t see him again. I don’t think I could stand his hands…” Dev stopped himself and looked away.
“Don’t think you could what?” I asked expectantly, wanting so desperately to finish that sentence.
He stood and let his eyes travel from mine to my lips and back up.
“Never mind.”
* * *
We took a cab home, and when the driver pulled up to the curb, it was obvious that Monique wasn’t home. The whole house was dark, and her car was still gone from its usual spot in the driveway.
Devan tipped the cab driver and then closed the door, turning to me. “I’m gonna walk you to your place,” he said surprising me; he’d been quiet the whole ride home.