to my girl and gives her a wink.
“Hello there,” he says.
“Hi.” She pops a tortilla chip into her mouth. “Maggie, these are fantastic.”
“Of course, they are,” Maggie says with a wink before returning to the kitchen.
“You recommend the nachos, then?” the stranger asks. He looks like he’s in his mid-thirties with tattoos covering his left arm. His dark hair is cut short, and right now, he can’t take his eyes off Lexi.
“So good,” Lexi confirms. “Get extra jalapeños. You’re welcome.”
“I’ll take that,” he says to Keegan, who nods and walks into the kitchen to place his order. “What’s your name?”
“Lexi. And you are?”
“Lane,” he says with a smile. “Do you live around here?”
“No,” Lexi says, shaking her head. “I’m from the Midwest. I’m here for work.”
“Same. Well, here for work anyway.”
I glance up to find Keegan watching me with a raised brow. I shrug. What am I supposed to do? It’s just friendly conversation. He hasn’t touched her, and she hasn’t done anything wrong.
So, why do I want to bust in his face, then? Because I’m suddenly a territorial ass, that’s why.
I calmly sip my whiskey, but the fire burns in my gut. I want to pull her away from this jerk. I want to tell him that she’s with me, and that he can go flirt with someone else.
It’s true. She is with me. But she doesn’t belong to me.
And that’s the part that doesn’t sit well with me.
“If you’d like a ride home, I’d be happy to give you one,” Lane says. Now, I do lean over and give him a cold smile.
“I’m her ride,”—inwardly smiling at the double-meaning of the word—“but thanks.”
Lane frowns. “Sorry, I didn’t realize.”
“I mean, I’m sitting right next to him,” Lexi says with a shrug. “So, I’m probably with him. But good luck, Lane.”
I expect the other man to say something rude, or to make a scene. But instead, he just laughs and takes a sip of his Guinness.
“You’re right. I should be more observant. I guess I just saw a beautiful woman and got tunnel vision.”
“Well, I can’t fault you for that,” Lexi says, and that’s about all I can take.
“Hey, Lex? I’d like to talk to you for a moment.” My voice is light and jovial, not giving anyone any idea that jealousy is raging in me like a living fire. Lexi nods and hops off her stool to follow me.
I lead her to the storeroom in the back, turn on the light, and lock the door behind us.
“What’s wrong?” she asks.
Rather than answer, I scrunch her skirt up in my fists and boost her up against the wall. My mouth is on hers in an instant, hard and demanding as I fumble between us to unfasten my pants, set myself free, and slip inside her.
She gasps, digs her fingers into my hair, and then hisses, “Yesssss,” as I pound into her repeatedly, her back against the wall of the storeroom.
It only takes a brief minute before I fall over the edge into a hard and fast orgasm, and when I’m finished, I set her down and tuck myself away.
“Well.” She swallows and straightens her hair. “I don’t know what just got into you, but that was damn hot.”
“I guess I have a jealous streak,” I mutter. She grabs my arm before I can unlock the door and leave.
“What in the world are you jealous of?” I glance down at her, and her eyes widen with recognition. “Lane? That weird dude out there?”
“I didn’t say it was warranted. But, yes. I didn’t like it.”
“I even pointed out that I’m with you.”
“I didn’t like it,” I repeat. “And I know that beyond the next week or so, I don’t have a claim on you. But for today, you’re mine. And I guess I just needed to remind us both.”
“Well,” she echoes from earlier then rubs her hands down her thighs. She’s trying to look stern, but a smile flirts at the corners of her mouth. “I might need reminding again later.”
And with that, she sashays out ahead of me and heads for the bathroom.
Chapter 11
~Lexi~
Why did I ever stop doing this?
“Because I’m an idiot,” I mutter to myself as I run along the beach, the wet sand firm under my feet. It’s a chilly, misty morning, with fog hanging low over the water. One thing I’ve learned while being in Washington is that the weather is a fickle thing. Sometimes, it’s clear and gorgeous. Warm, even. And other days, it rains as