Page 49 of Wanting What's Wrong

“So, Kat,” Luke starts, taking another step into her as I seethe, fists clenching, ready to light into my best friend for even putting his eyes on her let alone breathing the same air.

She turns to face him, smiling up at him. As she does, the strap of her dress falls from her creamy shoulder.

And then? Then everything goes into slow, slow motion.

Luke reaches forward with one finger, hooks it over the strap, and starts to lift it back up into place.

Don’t fucking do it, man. Just do not.

As soon as his fingertip touches her, it’s like a starting pistol in my head.

You motherfucker.

Rational thought evaporates. There’s no calm processing of what I am seeing. Instead, I explode forward. I grab Luke by the shoulders, sending his beer flying.

“Don’t you fuckingtouch her,do you fuckinghear me?” I grind the words out through clenched teeth.

“Trent!” Kat screams. “What the fuck?”

But I don’t back down because I can’t. Every cell in my body is raging to protect what ismine.

Luke leans back in my vice grip. “Easy, Trent.Easy.”

“Easy would be busting your fucking jaw into three, asshole.”

Luke nods, looking me right in the eye. Like a bomb defuser waiting for the big bang.

One breath. Two. My heart thumps in my ears, and I’m as laser-focused on him as if I were about to fire the killshot.

But then I feel Kat’s hand on my shoulder.

Her touch makes me take a breath.

Slowly, the shocked look in Luke’s eyes somehow gets through to me. He’s seen me in a near-homicidal rage before. War does crazy fucking things to soldiers.

“Eaaaaaasybrother.”

Kat’s grip tightens, and I feel myself start to disengage. I take another breath and let him go. “Sorry. Just don’t you touch her again, okay?”

Luke nods—nods the understanding of a brother who will forgive, no matter what. “Understood. My bad. No touching, no looking. I’ll even leave if that’s what you want.”

I shake that off. “No, stay.”

Luke reaches out for my hand. “You sure. You fuckingsure?”

I give his palm a squeeze. “Yeah. Hard adjusting back into civilian life, you know? Here, head out on the terrace. I’ll bring you another beer.”

As he makes his way out onto the terrace, I turn to face Kat. She looks both terrified andtotallyfucking turned on.

“You scare the shit out of me sometimes, you know that?” She sounds so soft and sweet, but fear is hot and thick in her voice.

Good. She should be scared: I’m 250 pounds of raging possessiveness. Pent up doesn’t come close to what’s buried in my gut. I glance over my shoulder to make sure Luke’s not watching. I push her up against the refrigerator, cupping her pussy in my hand, and then press my lips against her ear.

“Go upstairs. Stay there.”

“Sending me to my room like a bad girl?” she hisses, all saucy and naughty.

I growl some affirmative sort of man-grunt into her ear.

---