Page 37 of Landlord Wars
I pulled up behind her and sent the man a direct message. It went something like this:Back the fuck off.
“Could have just said she’s taken,” the guy murmured and turned his back on Sophia.
She spun around in surprise. “What just happened? I was talking to him.”
The bartender slid two pints my way.
“Is there a problem?” I said innocently, and passed her a pint.
“Thank you,” she said, gripping the beer. “How did you get your order so quickly? I’ve been waiting for forever.”
“You sure you didn’t miss the bartender while talking to your friend?”
Her gaze narrowed. “Were you eavesdropping?”
“I would never do that.” Of course I would.
Her delicate jaw shifted. “I’m trying to date more—or really, at all—and you’re not helping. Jack is a much better wingman.”
I caught the guy she’d been talking to weaving his way across the bar. “Shall I bring him back?”
Eyes narrowing again, she sipped the dark malt. “Did you scare him away on purpose, Max?”
I’d never considered myself a territorial man. My ex-girlfriends would have been thrilled if I had exhibited this kind of caveman behavior with them. But I’d never felt possessive when it came to anyone else, only for the woman who was subletting a room from my best friend and spent an unusual amount of money on chocolate. Her animosity toward my dickish behavior coupled with her cute rear in baggy pants and fiery green eyes called to me. And I didn’t feel the least bit like fighting it anymore.
I slid a large tip to the bartender and casually inched closer to Sophia. “Now, why would I scare him away?”
She seemed to chew on that a moment. “Who can say? You also eat my chocolate even though I’ve threated to maim you for it, but at least that I understand. I have good taste in chocolate.”
“This is true.”
A flash of dark hair crossed my vision before Sophia was shoved into my chest and beer splashed between us. The sticky malt was the least of my concerns, because all my senses homed in on Sophia’s soft frame and light scent.
“Whoa!” Elise said, and reached for napkins from the bar.
Sophia swiveled her head and glared over her shoulder at her sister. “What the hell, Elise?” She was still holding on to my arm, and I didn’t feel it necessary to point it out.
Elise thrust napkins at the two of us. “Sorry about that. This place is crowded. I overshot the bar when I beelined past the pub-crawlers. Let’s go back to the table.” She looked over to where Jack was sitting. “Your friend is avoiding me, and it’s getting boring.”
Jack avoiding an attractive woman was…unusual. Come to think of it, he’d been acting strange around Sophia’s sister from the start. I’d assumed he was steering clear of women for a while, but seeing him out tonight, I wasn’t so sure.
Sophia straightened, putting a bit of space between us, which I reluctantly allowed. We headed to the table, and the look on Jack’s face was one of relief.
“What took you so long?” He shifted in his seat, angling his body away from Elise as we sat down.
“I’m assisting Sophia with her dating life,” I said. “It seems her taste in suitors is lacking.”
Sophia shot me a furious look that got all my senses firing. “Excuse me? My taste is excellent.”
Elise choked on what looked like a half-full gin and tonic. “Your taste in men sucks.”
“Not anymore it doesn’t,” Sophia said, pushing her light-brown hair over her shoulder confidently. “I’ve turned over a new leaf, and Jack is helping me.”
I needed to have a talk with my best friend. His loyalty could use fine-tuning.
“Exactly,” Jack said, missing my cutting glare. “Speaking of which…” He turned to a group of men at the table beside us. “This is my friend Sophia I was telling you about.”
Four average-looking guys proceeded to check out Sophia.
