Page 76 of Casita Casanova
“What?” he snaps, meeting my gaze again. His face puckers into a scowl. “Who the hell do you think you are? How old are you?”
I give him my cockiest smile. “Old enough to know you should have never let this one go.”
Maryn steps up beside me, and I give her a quick once over. She’s stepped back into her bikini but she’s still too exposed for this prick. She stands close enough that she’s somewhat protected by my frame, but not touching me. I wish she’d touch me right now, really drive it home for this asshole.
The way he looks at her makes me want to break his neck. I’ve worked so hard these last few days to put a fucking smile on her face and this guy waltzes back in here and looks at her like she has something to be ashamed of.
I know that if I look at her again, I’ll see that shame all over her beautiful face.
So I sidestep again and put myself between them. “You should go.”
“This is my house.”
“Is it?” I tilt my head. “Pretty sure it’s hers, and I think she wants you to go.”
“Maryn, we need to talk,” he says, trying to look past me again.
My hands clench and unclench at my sides. I haven’t hit a bag in days.
“There’s nothing to talk about, Eddie.”
My chest constricts at the sound of her voice. Only moments ago, it was raspy and dripping with pleasure, and now it’s sad, and… beaten. Fuck this guy.
“Tick tock.” I take a step toward him. I’m not above making him leave, I’d just prefer not to get into a fist fight in my fucking Givenchy swim trunks.
He begins to step back.
I match him stride for stride.
When he reaches the door, he curls his lip as he says, “One man’s trash—”
The growl that escapes my throat stops the words on his tongue. I cock my arm back and Maryn grabs it, pulling as hard as she can to keep me from breaking this guy’s fucking nose.
“Leave, Eddie!” Maryn yells, the entirety of her body restraining my arm.
He disappears down the stairs and I slam the door, quickly locking it. For his benefit, not ours. If he comes back, she won’t be able to restrain me a second time.
My body vibrates with the need to hit something. I stand still, eyes closed as I breathe through the rage. After a moment, when I can unclench my jaw and open my eyes without seeing red, I turn around.
And the tears in her eyes gut me. I close my eyes on a long blink, then reach for her, but she raises both hands and takes a step back. I drop my hands. I don’t like it, but I don’t want to force her to let me in either. “What can I do?”
Her eyes search mine, head shaking, then she gives a little shrug and tears fall down her cheeks, and my heart breaks.
I give her a curt nod, then step past her into the living room. First, I close the blinds and double check the lock on the front door, then I head to her bedroom and do the same in there. He walked right into her house like it still belonged to him. Likeshestill belonged to him. The thought tightens my jaw. You don’t get to discard a woman and then claim ownership to her; even I know that and I discard them all the fucking time.
Standing in the middle of Maryn’s bedroom, I’m at a fucking loss. I don’t know what to do to help her, or why I even want to. I don’t know myself right now.
And I don’t know this woman, but fuck if that pain in her eyes didn’t just break something inside of me.
I go into her bathroom and start a bath. I don’t know what else to do, but I know chicks love baths.
I test the water, and when it’s too hot for me—which is usually perfect for chicks—I plug the drain and turn around.
Maryn stands in the doorway. “Are you… running a bath for me?”
I nod.
She steps into my arms and I wrap mine around her, holding her tightly.
