Page 44 of Hunt for the Roses
“Hey, can I buy you a drink? Least I can do after the great show you gave on the dance floor,” he says.
Seriously?
Aria smiles shyly, and I can tell she’s a little uncomfortable. Aria doesn’t have a mean bone in her, so I know she’s about to entertain this clown. On the other hand, maybe my instinct is wrong, and maybe she is interested. Thinking rationally, I’m going to need to feel the situation out before I step in. But if she gives me the eyes that tell me to save her, it’s game over for Homeboy over here.
Aria puts a palm over her forehead like she’s embarrassed. “Oh good lord, a show?” Then Aria turns to face this guy. “Well hopefully my dancing wasn’t too obnoxious,” Aria jokes.
“Not at all. You’re a sight for sore eyes. Even off the dance floor.”
Wow.
Aria bites her lip on a smile as she briefly turns her head away, but then she turns back to him. “What’s your name?”
“Chris. You?”
Aria holds out her hand. “I’m Aria. Nice to meet you, Chris.”
“Likewise.”
Is she actually interested in this guy?
I take a sip of my drink as I watch this unfold, but act unknowing at the same time. My discomfort level is increasing, but I’m not sure if it’s because I feel awkward being a third wheel, or if it’s because I feel…jealous.
I can’t help but think back to what Aria and I were talking about right before Chris walked up, and the irony of this entire scenario. Aria was telling me how it would be weird for me to compliment her, even though all I really wanted to tell her was how amazing and sexy she looked on the dance floor. I want to tell her how I find her quirkiness to be absolutely adorable, and how she’s unlike any woman I’ve ever met. But as luck would have it, someone else beat me to the punch, and now I’m sitting here practically being friend zoned. And even though it’s the only zone I should be occupying when it comes to Aria, I feel frustration creeping up on me anyway.
“So how about that drink?” Chris asks Aria.
Aria shakes her head with a grateful smile. “I really appreciate the gesture, but I already have a drink.”
“How about if the next one’s on me?”
Aria playfully brushes him off. “No, you don’t have to. Thank you though.”
I notice Chris bend his head lower and turn his head so his lips are hovering over her ear, speaking directly into it. I can’t hear exactly what he’s saying, but I’m pretty sure it’s a sexual proposition. When I see Aria’s smile completely drop and her body stiffen, I notice his hand at her lower back, caressing her through the fabric of her crop top.
Then it hits me.
It isn’t just the fact that some random guy is touching her. It’s the fact that she hasn’t been touched like this in a whole goddamn year, let alone by some random guy she doesn’t know at all. I don’t even think before I stand up from my seat at the bar.
“Hey,” I say to get Chris’ attention.
Chris furrows his brows at me. “Was I talking to you?”
“I’m talking to you.” I don’t waste any time with a rebuttal.
When he peels his palm off Aria’s back and stands up straight, he says, “My bad. Wasn’t aware she had a boyfriend.”
I shove my hands in my pocket and eye him with a tight jaw. “She doesn’t. But the next time you touch her in front of me, we’re gonna have a big problem.”
I feel Aria place a hand on my elbow. “Dane, it’s fine,” she says.
I ignore her efforts as I hold Chris’ eyes, and he lets out a laugh, making it a point to laugh at me. Then Chris turns his attention to Aria. “Hey, babe, how abo-”
“I’m not playin’, bro. Leave her alone.” I don’t even give him the chance to finish his sentence when I place a hand to his chest and get only inches away from his face.
Aria is now the one to get up, and she snakes her arm between us, placing her hand on my chest. “Dane, stop it.”
When I look down at Aria, she’s pleading with her eyes for me not to make a scene, and when I catch a glimpse of her bright, brown eyes, I become more aware of her small palm touching my broad chest. And the longer I stare into those gorgeous eyes, my alpha streak starts to recede.
