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“You whore,” Alyssa said, her pretty face flushed withanger. She pointed a perfectly manicured finger Nicole’s way.
“Try again.” Heather suddenly sounded like a woman who couldforce someone to change their mind.
Alyssa ignored her. “Everyone knows you took Josh and thatfreak Grim back to your motel last night. I don’t give a damn about Grim.Please take him, but Josh is mine.”
Did this woman think she cared about what a bunch of uptightassholes thought of her? She’d meant what she’d said the night before. If she’dbeen with them, she wouldn’t hide. She’d gone through so much worse. “I did notsee your name tattooed on him. Did you write it in pen or something? Because heseems to shower on a regular basis, and pen will wash off. You should get thattatted up.”
“Oh, we’re going this way?” Heather’s brows had risen, andthere was a smile on her face. “I thought I was going to have to defend you.”
“I’m not as mousy as I look.” She wasn’t mousy at all, butshe didn’t normally like to draw attention to herself. However if Alyssa wantedto throw down, she could do it. After all, she’d be gone soon, and it didn’tlook like anyone else was going to challenge her. “Alyssa, does Josh know he’syours? Because he did not act like he knew last night, and I don’t think you’regoing to get far with him if you don’t take on Grim. He’s not a freak, by theway. He’s a lovely man.”
Who hadn’t wanted her the way she’d hoped, but she wasn’tgoing to let this woman disparage him.
“You’re not even ashamed,” Alyssa said like it was the mostshocking thing in the world.
“That I am an adult single woman who had blindinglyspectacular sex with two incredibly hot men? No. I’m fine with that. Now if youdon’t mind, I’m trying to get to the café.”
“You think you’ll still have a job after what you’ve done?”Alyssa asked, crossing her arms over her chest. “I don’t think the good peopleof this town will want you serving them when they hear how you spend yournights in bars picking up men and taking them from women who would be goodwives. I think I’ll have a talk with your boss.”
“You mean the woman who is basically my mother’s sister?” adeep voice asked. Josh was standing there. He’d parked a big SUV right in frontof the church and he’d changed clothes. He wore a fresh white T-shirt thatshowed off muscular arms and jeans that clung to him. His dark hair wasslightly mussed as though he’d gotten out of a shower and not dried itcompletely, and he had the sexiest scruff along his jaw. “You’re going to walkinto Christa’s and threaten my girlfriend’s job?”
What?
“She called her a whore, too,” Heather added.
Josh’s eyes went positively arctic.
“I don’t care, although sex worker would be more polite,”Nicole replied.
“See, that’s what I always say,” Heather agreed, and thengave Josh a once-over. “Girl, he’s hot. Is the other one…”
Nicole nodded. “Every bit matches him.”
“Josh.” Alyssa squared her shoulders. “I’ve been meaning toreach out to you. I know I hurt you when I said the things I said, but this isgetting ridiculous.”
“What is getting ridiculous?” Josh shook his head. “We brokeup six months ago, and it isn’t like we’ve spent a lot of time togethersince…let me see if I remember…I’m a massive pervert who can’t expect a womanto choose him.”
“So you’re not tattooed with this woman’s name.” She wasn’tsure why Josh was here, but he was. “I told her marking you with pen was a badplan. She seemed to think I should have known you belonged to her.”
“Nicole’s been handling her nicely,” Heather added. “I’m hernew neighbor. We were going to breakfast, and then we were playing out someweird Scarlet Letter thing.”
Josh stared out over the lawn where a good portion of thetown was staring right back at him. “Just so we’re clear, I know how this towntreated my momma when she came back and married my dads.She’s been happily married for over twenty years, not that it means anything toyou people. What you need to understand is if you’re going to have a problemwith Nicole, you’re going to have a problem with me. Understand I will hearevery name you call her, write down every single one of you who makes her feelbad, and there will be a reckoning. You think my daddy could be ruthless, youhaven’t met me yet. I’m Jack Barnes with a deep sense of privilege. I’m SamFleetwood, who knows no one’s sending me to jail. And while we’re at it, stoptalking about Grim like he’s some kind of freak. He’s one of the smartest menin this town, and we’re lucky to have him. The next time your poodle can’tcrap, don’t bug Grim. Do I make myself clear?”
The crowd broke up and quietly started moving away, not aone of them looking Josh in the eyes.
“Well, everyone told me you were bad news and not much of agentleman,” Alyssa pouted.
“I might not be much of a gentleman, but I know what’s mine,and I take care of it. You are not mine so I don’t care.” Josh started walkingNicole’s way. “But this one is, and she is not where I left her. Miss Heather,thanks for helping her out, but she’s got a date she seems to have forgotten.”
“I didn’t forget any…” She gasped as Josh hefted her overhis shoulder like a sack of flour. Her ass was suddenly in the air, and hishand came down in a resounding arc.
“That was for not calling to tell me you were leaving,” Joshannounced.
“Oww,” she said, though it hadn’ttruly hurt. It had sparked against her flesh. “I’m going to breakfast with mynew friend. I was walking her to Christa’s when that nasty woman accosted me.”
Josh turned and started for the SUV. “Christa’s is that way,ma’am. Sorry to take your breakfast friend, but she’s coming with me. And now Iknow to tattoo my name across her ass so she’ll remember who she belongs to.”
Nicole held her head up and saw Heather waving, a grin onher face like she’d enjoyed the show.
