But he so wasn't okay with any of it. Having her so close was like being taunted with the sweetest piece of candy but being told he could only look at the delicious, tempting, sugary treat because it wasn't his to touch or taste. And fuck, he wanted to touch and taste Ella again in the worst way possible, and knowing that he'd been banned from indulging his sweet tooth had made him a stupid, pouty, and irritable brat, like a recalcitrant little boy who hadn't gotten his way.
Yeah, definitely not one of his finer moments.
He wasn't sure if she was still at the store or if she'd already headed home and her employees were shutting everything down for the night. Hell, he didn't even know if she'd talk to him after the ass he'd been.
Not sure what he wanted to do, he exhaled a deep sigh as his cell pinged with a text notification. He pulled the phone from his pocket and read the message from Nolan.
Hey. You mentioned that you're staying in town until tomorrow morning when I saw you earlier. Got any plans for tonight? his friend asked.
Other than heading back to his mom's, eating dinner, and taking a long, hot shower to wash away the sweat and grime, his night was pretty wide-open. No, not really. What's up? he typed back.
I thought we could head over to the Roadhouse and have a few beers.
Kyle groaned. The only reason a guy went to the Roadhouse was to try his best to get laid, and knowing what it was like to be deep inside of Ella, the thought of being with another woman any time soon left a bad taste in his mouth. It would be like trading in fine champagne for cheap tequila, and he'd discovered that he fucking loved the taste of champagne.
I'm not sure I'm in the mood . . .
Oh, did I forget to mention that Claire happened to tell me that she was going to be there with Ella tonight? Something about a girls' night out . . .
Kyle felt the hairs on the back of his neck bristle. Well, that certainly had him reassessing his answer, because the only thought in his mind was imagining some asshole coming on to Ella, and he'd fucking kill anyone who touched her.
If Claire is going with Ella, then why are you going? he asked curiously.
Why the fuck do you think? I want to keep an eye on Claire, but if I go alone I'm going to look like a goddamn stalker, so I need it to look like I'm there for a casual night out with a bro. We'll keep a low profile and let the girls have their fun, but I, personally, want to make sure no one messes with what's mine.
Damn, Kyle definitely understood that territorial feeling, like something was clawing his insides to shreds. Are you and Claire exclusive?
No, but that's not the point, Nolan replied, clearly not giving a shit that he and Claire had yet to have that committed-relationship conversation.
Wouldn't it be easier if you did make things exclusive with her, instead of tailing her wherever she goes like a creeper? Kyle smirked as he hit the send button. Okay, now he was just giving his friend shit, because Nolan was obviously into Claire in a big way, and the situation was clearly making the other man a little crazed.
Look, I only just realized I want to be exclusive with Claire. Like the moment she texted me to tell me that she wouldn't be able to see me tonight because she was going out with Ella to the fucking Roadhouse. The fact that I'm feeling possessive as hell pretty much says I'm fucked where she's concerned.
Kyle chuckled as he replied. Roger that.
Good. So, are you in or not?
I'm in. Kyle hoped to God he didn't regret his decision. He wasn't sure he could even handle watching another man talking to Ella, knowing that the guy was probably mentally undressing her as they spoke.
I'll pick you up at nine, Kyle added. Which was when the place really started getting busy on a Saturday night.
By the time he was done texting with Nolan, most of the lights at the market had been shut off, so he nixed the idea he'd had to go and apologize to Ella. If he was going to see her at the Roadhouse anyway, he figured that would be just as good of a time, and a great excuse, to talk to her and keep her occupied so no other guy had a chance.
* * *
Finding a parking spot at the Roadhouse on a Saturday night was nearly impossible. The designated area was packed with vehicles, forcing Kyle to park his truck in the next grassy lot over and him and Nolan to make the extra trek to the bar.
After leaving the new Celebrations building, Kyle had driven to his mother's and gone through the routine he'd already had in mind-he'd eaten the pot roast dinner his mom had waiting for him and spent an hour talking with her about the day while they'd enjoyed the meal together. Then, he'd taken that long, hot shower, and since he'd had the time, he'd shaved his neck and trimmed his beard and added a splash of cologne. He'd dressed casually, in dark jeans and a black T-shirt, because tonight was supposed to be about having a beer or two with a friend, and nothing more. Oh, while keeping an eye on Ella. Yeah, that, too.