Page 19 of Seeking Her Studs

I take pride in my control. I am disciplined and even-keeled. I don’t drink often. I start every day the same and end every day the same. I don’t raise my voice. I’m dependable. Just like I needed to be for my parents when they were still alive and just like I will always be for Kaylee.

And I almost just stomped a damn man out.

This is why Blaire is no good here. Every time she comes into our lives, she brings a damn wrecking ball with her.

She scoots into the back seat of my truck, looking sheepish. Her eyes glance up at me in the rearview mirror and anger roils through me again at the vision of Wyatt’s fingers digging into her skin, forcing her close to him.

“Thank-” she starts, but I cut her off.

“What the hell were you thinking?” I grit out.

“Seriously.” Reese shakes his head in disapproval as he jumps into the front seat. “Are you looking for trouble, Hollywood?”

As soon as Briggs jumps into the back with her, I pull out of the parking lot and roll the windows down. I need the fresh air right now.

I could have done so much worse back there. I was ready to do so much worse.

“What am I getting in trouble for here?” Blaire says calmly. “I’m a grown woman who chose to dance with someone.”

“You’re not just a woman.” Reese shoots back. “You’re Blaire fucking Evans. And you chose to dance with a man who has a prior conviction of assault.”

Her face looks stricken at the words. Of course, there was no way for her to know that, but some damn basic survival instincts would help.

I watch her in the rearview mirror as she closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. God, she’s so damn beautiful. When she’s out of my sight, I always think that I can’t be remembering her right, that my brain must fill in the gaps with exaggeration. But then I see her and realize my memory can’t even do her justice. Her tanned face glows in the dim light of the night and her plush, bitten lips are just plain unfair.

She opens her dark brown eyes and stares right back at me in the rearview mirror. I hold our gaze for a moment longer than I should before I turn my attention back to the road.

“Listen,” she starts with a sigh. “While I’m grateful for your help, you didn’t even give me a chance to try to figure it out for myself.”

“Those videos would have been sold to the highest bidder by now.” Reese turns around in his seat to look at her. “You’d be putting money into the pockets of the biggest low-lives in Solace Springs. And let’s not forget, don’t you have a damn fiancé to worry about?”

“Oh, look who keeps up on celebrity news.” Blaire cocks an eyebrow at Reese.

“It’s kind of hard to avoid.” He grumbles, looking back out the window as we pull into our property. “Why can’t you just admit that we saved your ass back there?”

“Stop here,” she says as her camper comes into view. “I’m staying there tonight.”

“Blaire,” Briggs’ voice is calm in contrast to the rest of us. “Just enjoy your room in the house. We won’t bother you if you need some space.”

I don’t stop the car, but she swings the truck door open. “Just stop!” She says with real anger. I swing my head back to look at her while I pull the car to a stop.

“All of you. Just stop.” She says again. “Have you ever once thought that I came here without my bodyguards for a reason? And I don’t need you to step in as them? I’ve been told what to do my entire life and I’m done. If I want to dance with a damn stranger, then I’m going to dance with a damn stranger.”

She jumps out and slams the car door closed behind her. She stomps away towards the camper.

Then she stops and swivels on her boots.

“And one more thing!” She points her finger at us all. “I’m not engaged. I may not know about Solace Springs, but you clearly don’t know a damn thing about Hollywood or a damn thing about me if you think I’d be doing that to my fiancé. Let me spell it out for you, I don’t have a fiancé! I don’t even have a boyfriend! It’s all fake! Just like you probably view me. A pretty picture with no real meaning behind it.”

We stare at her as she turns back to the trailer. Her fancy cowboy boots that couldn’t last a day doing real work stir up dust in the headlights.

Shit.

I did think the worst of her. At least I didn’t rule out the possibility that she was willing to cheat on her big hotshot boyfriend with that low-life scum before he showed his true colors. Maybe a part of me wanted to think that because I felt betrayed by her when she wouldn’t give up my brothers for me. And I wanted to think that it’s just her nature and betrayal wasn’t anything personal. But the fact is, she never owed me anything. Just like she doesn’t owe us a damn thing now.

“We fucked up,” Briggs says from the backseat.

I want to get out of the car and apologize just so she’ll come back to the house with us. But that’s the last thing she probably wants.

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