Page 49 of Her Reluctant Hero
Lover Boy wasn’t as astute, though. Either he was drunk or determined, but he moved in, catching her hips. She leaned away, shoulders as far back as she could go.
Alex was on the dance floor before he thought about it, pushing his way through the crowd toward them. He caught Isabella’s hand and tugged. She turned and her eyes widened, then she broke away from her partner. Alex pulled her flush against him, then glared over her shoulder at Lover Boy, who looked surprised at his suddenly empty arms. Drunk, maybe. Still, Alex didn’t want to underestimate any man.
“Sorry, our song.” He curved his fingers around her back and put his body between them, though he kept the guy in his peripheral vision. He’d seen enough bar fights to know the “wronged” man came at you from behind.
“We don’t have a song.” Her breath was warm against his throat, her words not loud enough for her former partner to overhear.
“We do now.” He moved with her to the beat of the song he didn’t recognize, but kept his attention on the retreating man.
“I don’t need you to take care of me.” She wound her arms around his neck and moved to the music.
She wasn’t against him, not like he needed her to be, but he could feel every muscle in her move. He kept his hands on her back, not sliding them down to her ass and pulling her against him like he longed to do. “I didn’t like the way he was grabbing at you.”
She loosened her hold, folding both arms around the back of his neck and looking into his eyes. “You still don’t get it. Whatever they do to my body doesn’t matter.”
His grip tightened, his jaw clenched. “And me? What about what I do to your body?”
She shook her head, her expression drawn, and glanced away. “That doesn’t matter either.”
She didn’t move out of his arms, but that didn’t make him feel less like shit. Why had he wanted her answer to be different? He wasn’t any different than those men who’d used her. He was just as rough, just as disrespectful. But at least his hunger had been for her, and not power over her. Not that he could expect her to see the difference.
He looked over her head, inspecting the crowd. He couldn’t forget why they were here, not even with her in his arms. She, too, seemed to move without thinking, and he wondered what the hell was going on in her mind.
As soon as the song was over, she drifted away, out of his arms. He followed her, wanting to reach for her, but getting the feeling she’d shake him off.
Not that she seemed to notice he was there. She was focused on something else. Where the hell was she going?
Then he recognized the direction she was moving, leading to the tunnel heading toward the restrooms. This time he did grab her. “What are you doing?”
She widened her eyes at him in mock innocence. “I’m going to the ladies room.”
He frowned. “You weren’t going to say anything?”
She dropped her gaze to his fly. “I didn’t want you to think it was an invitation.”
He dropped her arm and passed a hand over his hair. “Christ, Bella.”
“I saw someone here I wanted to talk to.”
“In the restroom.”
She nodded and slid her eyes toward the wall, where clearly she expected him to wait. He dropped against it with athunk, but kept his gaze on her as she opened the restroom door. Every instinct wanted to shove her out of the way, give the room a once-over and make sure she was safe.
Who had she seen in there?
His body was on high alert, and he tightened up each time someone came down the hall.
Which was often, because of where the hall led.
Just when he’d had enough, she came out, smiling over her shoulder at someone. When she turned to Alex, she had a hint of the smile left, but it faded quickly. Why was she so pissed at him again? Something about him protecting her?
“We missed a step.” She motioned him to follow her down the tunnel, away from the noise.
What the hell? But he followed, hating the disconnected feeling. When had he started feeling connected?
“What made us think Santiago would come here under his own name?” she asked, her words quick in her excitement. “Of course he wouldn’t. I never even thought of that.”
Alex had thought of that, as had the DEA, but he let her continue.
