Page 34 of Casualties

She's every man’s wet dream, and that thought stops me.I look around and notice multiple men staring at the two women in front of us.Most of them are so obvious, even when standing next to their wives.Pathetic.

Cassie moves toward our table, with Morgan right on her tail.I steal Ainsley’s attention, lightly grabbing her arm and guiding her to follow the two of them.My lips hover near her ear to give her a warning.

“If you think you got off easy because your brother is distracted by Cass, think again.”Her body freezes in place at my threat.My smirk doesn’t give away the fury combined with arousal she's summoned out of me.Those beautiful red lips of hers start to say something, but I press my finger to her mouth to silence her.

“Shhh, princess…Not now.”No one can hear me, and Morgan is so irate with Cass, I’m not worried about him questioning how close I'm standing to his sister.She just nods and follows me to the table.

We spend the next ten minutes listening to Morgan and Cass whisper-yell back and forth at each other.It's exhausting watching them fight when I know all they really want to do is fuck.That is, if they haven't already.It's painfully obvious something is happening between them.They must think we are idiots to not see it.

Cassie stands up abruptly, shooting her chair back a foot, looking around before she speaks.“AC, I’m going to the restroom to freshen up.I’ll be back in a bit,” she announces loud enough for the table to hear.

“Do you want me to go with you?”Ainsley starts to stand up, but Cass shakes her head.

“No, that's okay.I won't be gone long.Besides, I noticed Jackson in the corner over there.He's been staring at you since we walked in.”The wink she gives Ainsley pisses me off, but I'm more angry at the look she gives me after pointing out Douchebag to Ainsley.A lot can be said in just a look; it seems Cassie Sinclair may know more than she lets on.Morgan noticeably shifts in his seat as he watches her walk away.Here it comes, in three…two…one.

“I’m getting another drink.”Not waiting for a response, he storms off.Not to the bar, though—no, he is following her.

“Wow, he's not being subtle anymore.Like we can't see something is going on with them,” Ainsley says.She's eyeing Jackson across the room, as I try my best to pull her attention back to me.We haven’t spoken to each other in a week, not since I sent her that last text.I'd be lying if I said she wasn’t on my mind every second of the day.She consumes all of my thoughts, and while I know I could never have her the way I want, I would at least like us to go back to the way we were.

“You look beautiful, princess.”Her attention comes back to me at the compliment.I can't decipher the questioning look on her face—maybe she's trying to find sincerity in my words.Before we became whatever this is, she would take my words at face value.It pisses me off that she questions everything I do or say like I would ever intentionally hurt her.

“Come on Ace, you don’t really think that.I mean, don't get me wrong, I appreciate the gesture, but you don’t need to blow smoke up my ass.” Why the fuck would I say that and not mean it?Every man in this ballroom has a hard-on for her; she has to know she's the most attractive woman here.I want to stab their eyeballs out with one of the many pretentious forks at this table for looking at what's mine.

Dude, get it the fuck together; she isn’t yours and never will be.

I know space between us is for the best.I must be a masochist for putting myself through this torture, wanting to be near her all the time.Ainsley has this way of causing my brain to fog with lust, then I lose track of my moral compass that usually points me in the opposite direction of her.I open my mouth to try and explain to her that I meant what I said, when the last person I want near her approaches our table.

“Hey Ainsley!I was hoping we'd run into each other tonight.”Her face lights up when she sees him.The rage that rolls through me at seeing her smile for Jackson fucking Davis is on another level.She used to smile at me like that.What fucking spell does this dude have on her?I get it, he's the quarterback, and objectively good-looking, but that stuff never mattered to her before.He's obviously laying it on thick, blinding her to his true colors.Why wasn’t my warning enough for her?She used to listen to me, care what I had to say, now my words hold no merit to her.

“Hi Jackson, it's good to see you.”Her smile is on him, but she side-eyes me.I’m sure she thinks I'm going to lose my shit again.In any other setting I would, but this is not the time or place to lash out at her.If I cause a scene, I have no doubt my dad would hear of it and rip me a new one.So no, I just sit back and painfully watch them flirt with each other.

He bends down to whisper something, only she can hear.She giggles and lightly smacks at his hand.I’m fuming at this disgusting display of affection.

"Ahem."I force a deep cough from my throat to break up their conversation."I didn't know Jackson was a comedian.What's so funny?I like to laugh."I can't help myself.If I have to watch this shit, I will make it uncomfortable for them, too.They both choose to ignore me.

“You promised me a dance, Toots.”Standing to his full height, he holds out his hand for her and she gladly accepts.What the fuck did he just call her?Toots?They've only known each other for a week, and he has a pet name for her.The fact that he approached our table and has only acknowledged her is infuriating me more.I can’t help what comes out of my mouth next.

“What the fuck did you just call her?”My voice may be low, but you can't miss the anger in my question.He doesn’t get to have her!I know deep down I'll have to accept her dating, I can't claim her for myself, but not him!This prick doesn’t deserve someone as good as her.

“Ace,” Ainsley says my name in warning.

“Maddox, hey, didn’t see you there, man.”He feigns surprise, totally full of shit.He clocked me the second he approached the table, if not sooner.I'm sure he waited until he saw Cassie and Morgan storm off.

My question goes unanswered.He returns his focus to Ainsley, and with a wide grin, she stands to follow him on the dance floor.

One...Two...Three...Four...Five...Six...Seven...Eight...Nine...Ten...I count in my head to keep my racing heart from exploding out of my chest, giving these rich assholes a show.

Ainsley obviously doesn't give a fuck what I have to say about this, so I keep my ass glued to my chair.I can't help the repetitive bouncing my leg is doing under the table.I'm doing everything I can to stay calm as I watch her bat her lashes at him, as he sways her around the dance floor.

That bright-eyed smile she's flashing him is one I haven't seen since before she left for California.I take this moment to really process what happened on that trip back home to make her so angry with me.It was a weird time for Morgan and me.We still weren't fully in the swing of working for Denny, and we had just finished our freshman year.I'm honestly drawing a blank.

She texted me to let me know how excited she was to see us.Another text about how much she missed us.What the fuck could have happened in that short span of time?

I decide tonight she will tell me; I won’t give her a choice in the matter.I head back to the bar where we first spotted the girls, and Cassie slides up next to me.Her hair is disheveled and her dress is a little ruffled.Did these two seriously fuck at a charity event?At least someone's getting laid.

“Hey, shithead.Why so glum?”I see her peering around me, probably looking for Ainsley.Once her gaze is on the dance floor, recognition dawns on her face.

“Yeah,” is all I can muster.

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