Page 21 of The Right Woman

I shove the sleeves of my Henley up my forearms. The party is crowded and noisy. Definitely not my scene.

“Emily has them this weekend.”

Little Rosy’s spring green eyes peek around my brother and roll heavily, like she can’t stand seeing me here. Involuntarily, my brow lowers with frustration. I can’t let her know how much she’s getting to me.

“Too good to dress up for Halloween?” She snorts a sarcastic laugh through her cute nose.

“Dressing up for Halloween is for children.”

Eli laughs. “Hey! I’m dressed up!”

I snag a cold beer from the fridge and tip the top toward his outfit. “That’s my point.” With a smirk, I screw off the cap as Eli tosses a napkin in my face. As I chug back some of the suds, Piper grabs Essa’s hand and flashes her eyes over at me.

“Come on. Uskidsare going to dance and let theold menrest.” Her hips sway as her black cape flutters with her hurry into the living room, where the music blares a deafening beat.

My brother leans his thick arms over the kitchen island and gives me alook. One I don’t want to see. I can already feel my cheeks flaring with color. “You like her.”

The ceiling seems especially interesting, and I study the patterns of plaster stamped in it, tipping back the rest of the beer. But even when I finish it, Eli’s warm eyes still find me. Deadpan, I ask, “Who?”

Instead of answering, he smiles, shoves back off the counter, and wanders toward his girlfriend. After forced mingling with some of Rhodes’s friends, I find Tate hanging out in the back talking to Heather, who he’s tried to get foryears. She gives him a pity laugh and walks away as he spots me.

“No luck?” I hand him another open beer and loosen the top of my own.

His eyes follow her as he shrugs. “Someday. Just gotta be patient.” I watch where he’s looking and catch Piper, who looks filled with joy, tossing her arms in the air. Something about the image makes my heart ache in a way I can’t understand. To feel that free and devoid of responsibility must be refreshing. It’s how I felt in the alley and in the library. In the club as Daddy Don. As him, I could create an image, be in control, and only worry about my sub’s needs alone.

Tate and I avoid talking about work for almost an entire hour before I’m too bored to stay at the party and my extroversion has been exhausted. I stretch my neck and glance around for a polite way to leave, but I can’t stop staring into the living room in front of me.

My balls ache at the sight of Piper dancing seductively on my brother’s girlfriend. She flips her torso forward and gyrates up while flashing her ass to a woman behind her, who’sdefinitelynoticing her moves.

The tops of my ears flash with heat when the woman grips Piper by the waist and undulates with her. Biting my lower lip, I fight the urge to stomp in there and remind her of what I said in the library. That she should be availablefor me. Is she so irresponsible that she’d just have sex with anyone without protection?

I spin and face the counter to stop myself from doing something stupid. My arms spread wide on either side of the sink as I take a deep, steadying breath. Catching my reflection in the back window, I rub a hand over my face. “Adon, what the fuck were you thinking?” I ask myself aloud.

In the distorted image, I watch Eli hug his girlfriend and the love between them shows. They’re in their own world. Safe and comfortable together. Both of their faces are lit with happiness and serenity.

Something I’ll probably never have.

A shrill scream interrupts my moment as Celine flings champagne against the wall. Sparkles of glass shatter in the low lamplight of the hallway as Rhodes stomps after his girlfriend, the two in an intense argument in the middle of the crowded area. People part like the two have an infectious disease, then slowly mill out of the house, the drama like a loud last call.

My eyes drift toward Piper, who grips the hand of the woman she’d been sidled up to earlier. Part of me thinks I should just letthis go. Toss the weird feeling in my gut aside, then bury it, and let the young girl be.

But then, she glances at me.

Rosy’s eyes lock onto mine, before she tosses a sly grin over her shoulder like she knows every fucking thing she’s doing to my dick right now.Callingme over to her like a siren song.

This brat is asking for it.

Do I let the jealous monster win?

Sure as fuck I do.

When she follows the woman out the door, I wade through people leaving to try to catch up. If she thinks she’s going home with someone else, she’s sorely mistaken. Not after what we’ve done and what I plan to continue doing. She needs to take care of this growing situation in my jeans.

Outside, the two women hop into a small white electric car, and I scurry toward my vehicle to follow. Once I finally get to my truck, I jump in and throw on a baseball hat sitting in my passenger seat as a cheap disguise. It’s too dark for them to really see who it is anyway.

I tail them to a bad part of town as the car drives up to a shitty apartment complex. As soon as they pull into the parking lot, I follow close behind. Like a deranged stalker. There’s no denying it. Is that what I am now? Look what she’s made me do.

When they stop, I block in the car and jump out just as Piper opens the passenger door with a giggle that stops short as she spies me strolling toward her side. I flip the ball cap around so she can see my face. I don’t want to scare her. Not completely.

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