Page 41 of In the Grey of Dawn

Mel casually walks back to me, the smile on her face undeniable.

“You know he's going to kill you for this. If I had a dollar for the amount of times I asked him to have a country night, I’d be a rich woman. Also, could you have at least told me about it because I would have dressed up as well.”

“He’ll be fine,” I say waving my hand in the air as we both turn to where Porter is standing looking at us, the deep frown on his face unmistakable. Returning to the shadow man, he briefly continues their conversation before shaking his hand and stalking toward us.

“You’re in trouble,” Mel says, the obvious laugh in her tone.

“I am not. It will befine.”

Except I'm not quite sure if it will be as he winces slightly walking past a table of women singing along to the music.

“Charlie. Mel. What is thisshit musicplaying atmybar,” he growls.

“Please, please, please let me keep it on. I just want tolivePorter. I'm just a small town girl trying to make it big. It's just me and my guitar against the world.”

“Baby, what the fuck are you talking about? You don't own a guitar and aren't you from the city,” he says, folding his arms across his chest, confusion spread across his face.

“Just let her live her bestCoyote Uglylife tonight Porter.”

Mel laughs, wrapping her arm around my shoulder. The two of us clearly against him now.

“What the fuck is aCoyote Ugly? Is this weird girl shit? What's the right answer here?” he sighs, rubbing his hand across his face trying to hide a small grin.

Quickly pulling my phone from my pocket I search for the best film of all time,Coyote Ugly, and show him pictures of how they danced on the bar top and poured drinks without reason, all while singing and having the best time of their lives. I wasn't expecting to get this far with him so the non committalhumph he gives me is better than nothing. Reaching up I give him a quick kiss on the cheek and say, “Thank you. I promise I'll behave.”

Wrapping his arms around my waist, he pulls me into him and looks down.

“Stay behind the bar. Only cash payments, and no dancing up there where you could hurt yourself,” he says, nodding at the bar top.

I'll take what I can get at this point because I know he's only doing this for me. I might even be able to dance up on the bar after closing, give him a private show, smirking at the thought.

“Did you say goodbye to Dimi before he left this morning? He said he flew over specifically to see you because he's not sure when he can come back.”

After the drama of the weird bar fight between them the night before, I managed to fix Dimi’s nose and we all shared lunch before I left them to catch up on lost time.

Porter and Dimi are brothers, or should I say Pasha and Dimitriy are brothers. I guess it explains why he asked me to call him Pasha that night in the office. A little taste of his true self peeking through and now that I understand why he wanted me to call him another name, I wish he'd ask me to call him it more often. I don't think he realises how much I'm starting to love all of the different things that make him, him.

“Onlyhewould fly a helicopter over the ridge this time of year. I still can't believe out of all the people in this world, you and my brother are friends. And don't think I’ve forgotten he asked you to marry him. I'll have my next welcome gift ready for when he next shows up.” He utters, his voice drifting off as he gently places a hand around my neck, squeezing his fingers ever so slightly.

“Hush, now. If you keep talking like that you won't get your surprise later.”

He raises an eyebrow at me, a look of intrigue over what surprise I could be talking about. If he doesn't figure it out at some point tonight, he will when we're home and I sit on the kitchen bench.

I can’t wait to see the look on his face when he realises the lack of underwear I have on under my denim mini skirt. I can already see how grumpy he's going to get knowing I had nothing on all night.

Dipping his head he gives me a slow kiss, mumbling the reminder to only take cash and to stay behind the bar.

“I don't want to have to chop anyone's hand off for touching you.” He says it so sweetly, I almost miss it in the chaos surrounding us, like an intrusive thought that just slipped out. And I know I shouldn't like it but gods does it make me wet over how protective he is of me.

???

For three whole hours I have laughed, smiled and had one of the best nights out in a long time.

Porter has stayed on the other side of the room for most of the night, talking to the shadow man while Mel and I have had free run of the place. He only stepped in when a small table of visiting tourists started to get the wrong type of rowdy.

One of them grabbed Mel’s ass as she was serving their drinks and all hell broke loose. Porter gave him a quick lesson in the local constitution, picking him up literally by the scruff of his neck and threw him on the ground, yelling at him to get out and what would happen if he showed his face again.

The guy was so confident he had done nothing wrong, that Mel should be grateful he took an interest in her. Hestarted barking about how he was going to sue the whole town if something wasn't done about the way Porter handled him.

---