"We're friends. He's protective."
Woods nodded slowly but I could tell he didn't believe me.
"I don't mind the competition. I just like to know what I'm up against."
He wasn't up against anything because all he and I would ever be was friends. I wasn't looking for a guy in his crowd. "I'm not and will never be part of your crowd. I don't intend to seriously date anyone that is a part of your elite circle."
I didn't wait for him to argue. Instead, I walked around him and out the door. I needed to get home before the party got too wild. I did not want to see Rush wrapped up with some girl.
It wasn't a wild ragger. It was just about twenty people. I walked past several of them on my way to the pantry. A couple of them were in the kitchen fixing drinks and I smiled at them before stepping into the pantry and then my backroom.
If his friends hadn't known I slept under the stairs they did now. I changed out of my uniform and pulled out an ice blue sundress to slip on. My feet hurt from being on them all day so I was going barefoot. I shoved my suitcase back under the stairs and stepped into the pantry to come face to face with Rush. He was leaning against the door leading into the kitchen with his arms crossed over his chest and a frown on his face.
"Rush? What's wrong?" I asked when he didn't say anything.
"Woods is here," he replied.
"Last time I checked he was a friend of yours."
Rush shook his head and his eyes quickly scanned my body. "No. He isn't here for me. He came for someone else."
I crossed my arms under my br**sts and took the same defensive pose. "Maybe he is. Do you have a problem with your friends being interested in me?"
"He isn't good enough. He's a sorry ass f**ker. He shouldn't get to touch you," Rush said in a hard angry tone.
Maybe he was those things. I doubted it but maybe he was. It didn't matter. I wasn't going to let Woods touch me. His nearness didn't make my stomach do flips and the ache between my legs start up.
"I'm not interested in Woods that way. He is my boss and possibly a friend. That's all."
Rush ran his hand over his head and the silver flat ring on his thumb caught my eye. I hadn't seen him wear it before. Who had given it to him?
"I can't sleep while people are going up and down the stairs. It keeps me up. Instead of sitting in my room alone wondering who you're upstairs screwing tonight, I thought I'd talk to Woods out on the beach. Have a conversation with someone. I need friends."
Rush flinched like I'd hit him. "I don't want you outside with Woods talking."
This was ridiculous. "Well, maybe I don't want you screwing some girl but you will."
Rush pushed off from the door and came toward me backing me into my small room until we were both inside. One more inch and I would be falling back onto my bed. "I don't want to f**k anyone tonight," he paused then smirked, "that isn't exactly true. Let me clarify, I don't want to f**k anyone outside of this room. Stay here and talk to me. I'll talk. I said we could be friends. You don't need Woods as a friend."
I put both my hands on his chest to push him back but I couldn't make myself do it once I had my hands on him. "You never talk to me. I ask the wrong question and you stalk away."
Rush shook his head. "Not now. We're friends. I'll talk and I won't leave. Just please, stay in here with me."
I looked around the small rectangle that barely had room for my bed. "There isn't a lot of room in here," I said, glancing back at him and forcing my hands to stay flat on his chest and not fist his snug fitting shirt into my hands and pull him closer.
"We can sit on the bed. We won't touch. Just talk. Like friends," he assured me.
I let out a sigh and nodded. I wasn't going to be able to turn him down. Besides, there was so much I wanted to know about him.
I sank down onto the bed against the headboard and leaned back. I crossed my legs underneath me.
"Then we'll talk." I said with a smile.
Rush sat down onto the bed and leaned back against the wall. A deep chuckle came from his chest and I watched as a real smile broke out on his face. "I can't believe I just begged a female to sit and talk to me."
In all honesty, I couldn't either.
"What are we going to talk about?" I asked, wanting him to start this. I didn't want him to feel as if this was the Spanish Inquisition. I had so many questions whirling around in my head that I knew I could overwhelm him with my curiosity.