Charity Case - The Complete Series - Piper Rayne Page 0,140

my thoughts.

We head to the bar, Dean’s hand on the small of my back, but we’re quickly stopped by a brunette who wants to say hi, openly eye fucking Dean right in front of me.

Am I really going to have to kick some ass tonight?

Chapter Fourteen

“Hillary, this is Chelsea,” Dean introduces me to the brunette whose eyes are throwing invisible daggers at me through her fake-ass smile.

“Nice to meet you.” She daintily shakes my hand.

“Pleasure.”

“How come you never mentioned a girlfriend?” Her entire body shifts to face Dean, like I’m not even there.

I roll my eyes.

“It’s a new thing.”

“Or an old thing,” I chime in with an insincere smile.

Judge me if you want, but I hate when girls think it’s some sort of pissing contest. Can’t we just allow another girl to get a guy and be happy? If she’s been setting the hints down and he didn’t pick them up, he’s not interested. Move on. Why do you want a man who’s not interested in you? You’re worth more than that.

Dean chuckles lightly, glancing over at me with a sparkle in his dark eyes.

“So, you’re an on again off again hook up?” Hillary asks.

“You can’t be serious,” slips out of my mouth before I can stop myself.

Dean’s hand lands on my side, applying a little pressure.

“Excuse me?” Only her head swivels my way.

“Nothing.” I bite my tongue. Dean owes me big for this one. I circle around, place my hand on Dean’s chest, my fingers running up and down. “I’m going to go get that drink.” I lift on my tiptoes, plant a kiss on his cheek and then set my eyes on Hillary. “Nice to meet you.”

She smiles, and I walk away before any voices or fists are raised.

The bartender sets a napkin in front of me, another woman but thankfully not an admirer of Dean. At least not yet. “What can I get you?” she asks.

“Just a Miller Lite.”

I keep my eyes poised on the televisions and not once do I allow them to linger toward Dean and Hillary. He isn’t mine. I’m here as a favor. Yes, he says he wants me back, but it’s yet to be established whether he really has changed.

I continue to stare at the television, feigning interest. Sometimes I’m so good at acting like I don’t care it scares me.

“I like you.” The bartender washes a glass and I’m surprised how few people are here. Surely this isn’t his entire office. “Ballsy to wear the black and white.”

“I’m not going to pretend I’m a Cubs fan.”

She smiles, lifting another glass. She’s probably in her late thirties, a modest wedding ring on her left finger.

“Good for you. Nothing good comes from pretending to be someone you’re not.”

“That’s for sure.” I sip my beer, sitting down on a stool and watching another televised game in a different city.

Her sentence causes a lump to lodge in my throat. Is that what Dean is doing? Is he pretending? My insecurity wins over my pride and my gaze veers to Dean who’s now talking to a group of two men. Relief hits me fast and hard. I take in the rest of the room and find Hillary by the opening to the bar, talking with a group of women who look like they’re currently rating me on a scale of one to worthy of dating Dean Bennett.

It doesn’t take long for Dean to join me, his hand going up to get the attention of the friendly bartender whose name tag reads Noelle. “Just a water please.”

“Are you bleeding?” I ask, and his large frame sits down on the stool next to me.

“What?”

“From her claws digging into you.”

He chuckles. “I always did love you jealous.”

“And you went to great lengths to make me jealous.”

Noelle opens the bottle of water for him, placing it on the napkin and sliding it in front of him.

“She’s Heiberman’s daughter.” He confesses and it all clicks together.

“And she wants you?”

“I’m not available.” He gulps down half his water, setting it back down.

“Yes, you are.” I swivel my stool in his direction, noticing the ladies still trying to figure it all out. I can hear them now, “Why is Dean wasting his time with her?” I could list a whole spreadsheet of my great qualities, but they’d probably still be confused.

“Even if you don’t agree to be my girlfriend, it doesn’t make me available. My heart only belongs to you. That hasn’t changed.” He says this all with a straight face.

Words that would