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“I’m not trying to harass her.” He looks at me. “I’m not, Liv. I promise.”
“Good. Then you’ll leave her alone,” Chloe says. “I promised her a night of drinks and dancing, and that’s what I’m going to deliver. The rest of this can be figured out…later,” she says with a wave of her hand.
I look at both of them with a nod. “That actually sounds like just what I need right now.”
“Good,” Chloe says. “Let’s go.”
Nick pays our bill, and we head over to the club. As soon as we walk into The Pack House, a Pitbull song pulses through my body. The margaritas have left me warm and fuzzy, and I’m really hoping I can dance away any memory of last night.
“You guys go ahead and hit the dance floor. I’m going to the back bar for a minute,” Nick says, kissing Chloe before walking away.
“Let’s go!” Chloe grabs my hand to lead me onto the dance floor. She keeps looking over her shoulder in Nick’s direction. I try to see what she’s looking at, but she’s pulling me too fast to see anything. Chloe and I are both caught up in the beat of an old-school hip-hop song when, midway through, I glance toward the bar and my stomach drops.
No. What is he doing here? There’s no doubt in my mind right now that they set this up. I turn and grab Chloe’s arm. “Chloe, what the hell is going on here?” Before she can respond, Ethan is already heading straight in my direction, with Nick following closely behind.
Damn it.
I turn to walk away, but his large, warm hand catches mine and pulls me back to him. He takes my other hand in his as well and turns me to face him. “Hello, Olivia.” His voice is as comforting and smooth as I remember.
“Why are you here?”
He smiles with a dry laugh. “I’m here for you.” The heat of one of his hands is on the small of my back while the other brushes my cheek and rests in my hair as he begins to lean in. It’s like pulling steel away from a magnet, but I force myself to step back before his lips make their way to mine.
I place my hand on his chest, and a surge of warmth spreads through my body. “You can’t just kiss me.”
Ethan sighs and studies me with a grin. “You’re mine now, Olivia.” Nick is observing us with intensity while Chloe watches wide-eyed.
My anger bubbles up at the nerve of this man. I raise my eyebrows at his audacity. “Why would you say that?”
He continues staring at me with his piercing eyes. “Because you are.”
“You can’t just kiss someone, tell them they belong to you, and then say, ‘because you are.’ It doesn’t work that way.”
“I told you last night, this is about far more than just a kiss, Olivia.”
I poke him in the chest with my finger. “I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about. I think you’re a little bit crazy.”
He leans back and crosses his arms with a smile, while I’m left wondering why I now feel warmth traveling up my arm. “Is that so?”
I hold my hand up so my engagement ring is visible. “Do you see this ring on my finger? I’m engaged. I am not yours.” My heart beats fast in my chest while the thoughts racing through my head are begging me to reconsider.
He shakes his head and pulls his hands down his face. “We need to get out of this noise so I can explain.”
“Did you not hear me?” I say, mockingly pointing to my ears. “I’m engaged. You met my fiancé last night. Colin Burke. Remember?”
He shakes his head again. “I don’t accept that. You’re coming with me,” he says, nodding his head toward the back door. “Nick, you and Chloe too.”
My mouth drops open. “You don’t accept that? You don’t have a choice. I’m not going anywhere with you.” I cross my arms and stick out my hip.
“Yes, you are.” He looks me up and down. “You were a very willing participant last night, Olivia. I need to explain what’s going on between us. Not to mention, if I don’t get you out of here, I’m going to end up in a fight with half of the fucking bar for not being capable of keeping their eyes to themselves.” His biceps bulge as he runs his hands through his hair and down his face in frustration, and I do believe in jealousy. I hold my breath as excitement rushes through my body at the sight in front of me before shaking myself back to reality.
I shrug my shoulders and cross my arms. “That still doesn’t mean you have some sort of claim on me. You kissed me. Big deal. I’m not going anywhere.”
He shakes his head in frustration. “I kissed you, and you fucking loved it. Now, you can walk out of here with me, or I can throw you over my shoulder. Either way, you’re leaving.” He shrugs his shoulders and then crosses his arms.
I put my hands on my hips, narrowing my eyes at him. “Oh, yeah? I fucking dare you.” People on the dance floor have begun to watch our interaction. I hold my breath as excitement races through my body while I wait for his response. Ethan shrugs and bends down, and I squeal in shock when I’m suddenly tossed over his shoulder.
“Put me down, you asshole!” I say, slapping him on the back. The crowd parts for him to make his way to the back exit, probably assuming I’m just some drunk, out-of-control girlfriend.
