Page 2 of Wicked Flirt
She jumped. Someone just pinched her ass! She turned, face-to-face again with drunk Uncle Spitty. She’d forgotten his real name.
He leered at her. “There you are, girl! Let’s go to my place for a nightcap.” Apparently he’d forgotten her name too.
“Don’t touch me again,” she bit out.
Marcus’s arm dropped over her shoulders. “She’s with me and we’re about to leave.”
She froze, shocked at Marcus’s gentlemanly move saving her from Uncle Spitty.
Uncle Spitty leaned close. “What about us?” Spittle sprinkled her cheek.Gross.She was about to back up a step when Marcus used his grip on her shoulder to turn her away, guiding her toward the exit.
She didn’t appreciate the manhandling, but what the hell. She’d wanted to leave anyway.
“Don’t go!” Uncle Spitty hollered belatedly.
She took a few steps away with Marcus before glancing over her shoulder. Uncle Spitty was making his unsteady way to the bar.
She halted in her tracks, and Marcus stopped too, looking down at her in question. Like he was waiting to follow her lead. Curious. She’d figured him for thelarge and in chargekind of guy. “Thanks for calling off Uncle Spitty. I got it from here.”
Marcus dropped his big hand from her shoulder. “No problem. Uncle Spitty?”
She nodded. “He’s a close talker. He’s been accidentally spitting on me all night.”
He laughed, a rich deep rumble of a laugh.
She laughed too. This whole night had been ridiculous—networking in a room teeming with love-goggled couples, fleeing Uncle Spitty’s close conversations, pretending she was enjoying the heck out of the romantic night flying solo.
“Hey, Lexi! Hey, Marcus!”
Crap. Her friend Hailey approached, wearing a deep red off-the-shoulder dress with red ballet flats in honor of Valentine’s Day. Little Rose’s white furry head peeked out of Hailey’s pink doggie purse. She really hoped Hailey wasn’t about to do some matchmaking. Lexi had been very firm with Hailey about the matchmaking, but it was no use. Lexi was the last single woman in their formerly all singles Happy Endings Book Club, a romance book club that Hailey had started with the goal of helping every last one of them find their very own happy ending. Lexi had only joined the book club because two of her friends were members. Now she had a big ol’ bull’s-eye on her forehead with a perky strawberry blond hunter closing in. Hailey was also single, but that didn’t count. Hailey was in a relationship with her dog.
Marcus poured on the charm for Hailey, saying in a deep honey voice, “Hey, sweetheart, how’s it going?”
Hailey sped up. “Great!” Her pale blue eyes were huge, taking them both in. Rose’s big dark eyes seemed equally surprised. Rose had a pink bow with red hearts on her white tuft of a ponytail perched right in the center of her head. The bow matched her dog sweater.Give the poor dog some dignity.“I just need to borrow Lexi for a minute.”
Next thing she knew, Hailey had dragged her several feet away. Lexi braced herself for the third degree leading to some serious Marcus matchmaking—nail that guy down—but Hailey surprised her.
“What’re you doing with Marcus?” Hailey whispered. “Are you guys together? Rumor has it, he’s a player.”
Lexi glanced over at Marcus, standing a distance away, waiting for her. Maybe to shield her from Uncle Spitty? She turned back to Hailey. “We’re not together. He just helped me avoid a drunk guy.”
Hailey squeezed Lexi’s arm, looking relieved. “Don’t get me wrong, he’s a good guy, he’s just not someone you want to get involved with.”
Obviously Hailey meant well. She was a good friend. It was just that she’d stepped one too many times into aggressive territory with the matchmaking. “Thanks for having my back, girl.” She gave her a fist bump, which Hailey returned. “Have a good night.”
“You too.” Hailey smiled, waved goodbye to Marcus, and headed back to the dance.
Lexi headed for the door, and Marcus kept pace with her. “I was on my way out too,” he said, reaching for the door handle and holding it open for her.
“Thanks,” she mumbled, walking out to the small foyer.
She pulled her black wool coat off the rack and stuck her arm in the sleeve. Marcus shifted behind her and helped her put it on.
“Uh, thanks,” she said softly, feeling a little weird in a good way. No guy had ever helped her on with her coat before. What did it say about her that her expectations with men were so low that she delighted in such a simple gesture? It shouldn’t be such a big deal that he had good manners. Probably Mr. Campbell had drilled them into his head just like all the Campbell guys and their honorary brothers.
He snagged his black wool coat and shrugged his bulky shoulders into it. They matched in black coats. They were also alone in the small space, which suddenly felt filled with large man.
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