Page 27 of Party Favors

“What, do you think you’re too good for me? You’re not. You’re lucky I’m willing to lower my standards.”

Adrenaline coursed through me and I reached into my bag, ready to get my pepper spray. But then I felt an arm going around my shoulders, and even though I shouldn’t have, I instantly relaxed.

It was Max, and it was like my body knew it was him before my brain registered it.

“Are you ready to go, la mia lei? I paid for the drinks.” He was holding on to Basta with his free hand and she let out a low growl, staring at TC.

“Yes, I’m ready. Let’s go home.”

“Why didn’t you say you had a boyfriend, you stupid cow?” TC called behind us, and Max’s arm tightened slightly around me.

Max kept his arm around me until we reached the coat check. I was trembling slightly and didn’t know if it was because I was coming down from the rush of adrenaline from being afraid that TC guy was going to hurt me, or because Max was touching me.

Maybe both.

“Are you all right?” he asked, and I realized it was the third time he’d done so that evening. I felt silly that he had to keep coming to my rescue.

“I’m fine.”

“Do you have your ticket for your coat? I can grab it for you.” He handed over his own ticket, and the checker returned quickly with his black coat. Max put it on.

“Vella stole it because she was cold.” I didn’t tell him the part about her suggesting I go back to his place to warm up.

“You should borrow mine.”

“Oh, I can’t do that.”

“I insist,” he said, taking it off and handing it to me. “I’m wearing a sweater and you’re ...”

His voice trailed off, and was it my imagination or had Max just given me a thorough once-over? And was that an appreciative gleam in his eyes, as if he liked what he saw?

It was then that I realized I hadn’t even paid attention to what he was wearing, as I’d been so fixated on his gorgeous face all night. He had on jeans, casual shoes, and a light blue sweater that I was willing to bet was probably the exact same shade as his eyes.

He could have sat down next to me naked earlier and I probably wouldn’t have noticed.

Okay, that was a lie. If he’d sat down next to me naked, I wouldn’t have wasted my time looking at his face.

“I’ll be fine,” he said, and I snapped out of my not-safe-for-work thoughts to take his coat. “Do you have a car coming?”

“No, I was going to walk.”

His eyes narrowed at me and he said, “Is it okay if Basta and I walk you home? I don’t want you to walk home by yourself when ...” He gestured toward the bar, where TC was in a loud fight with the bartender and probably about to get thrown out. I shivered at the possibility of having to walk home with him following me.

“Yes,” I said gratefully. I slid his coat on, and it smelled like Max. I wondered if it would be weird if I sniffed it. It was too big for me, but I liked having it on.

Definitely sad. I really needed to fix my life.

He went to the door and shoved it open for me, and it creaked loudly again. Basta surged out onto the street, but with a couple of words in Italian, she relaxed and stopped straining against her leash.

“I would have enjoyed punching that man in the face,” he said as we went outside.

“Me too.”

“I was more concerned with getting you out of there.”

His concern was touching and it was nice to feel protected and safe. Given his broad shoulders and the big biceps visible through his sleeves, I was pretty sure Max could have destroyed that TC guy if he’d wanted to.

“Which way?” he asked. I pointed south and we started walking in that direction. I noticed when Max moved positions so that he was closest to the curb. Most women probably wouldn’t have picked up on a detail like that, but my meemaw had told me once that it was a sign of a good guy—one who put himself between you and potential danger.

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