Smug Bastard - Stacey Marie Brown Page 0,25

him consumed me; my gaze drifted to his mouth, my tongue automatically sliding over my bottom lip.

It was as if I punched him in the face. He jolted back, inhaling sharply, his expression turning murderous, his frame expanding with rage.

“Do whatever the fuck you want,” he growled and stomped out of the bathroom, leaving me pinned to the counter in utter bewilderment.

It didn’t take long before his words sank in, filling me with fire, determination, and fury.

“Fuck you, asshole… I will.”

Music from someone’s RV filled the night, the crackling of the fire and voices wrapped around me like a blanket. The little gathering grew as more people joined the festivities.

I was on a mission now. When Smith left the restroom, I added a little lip gloss and mascara. I pulled my hair out of the ponytail it was in, fluffing it before I strolled over in my tight jeans, formfitting tank, with my lightweight jacket.

Smith didn’t speak as I passed him, but true to his word, he followed me, beer in his hand, Goat at his side.

“Hey!” Marcus shot around the bonfire the moment he spotted me. “Glad you made it. You want a drink?” His gaze roamed down me, taking in the subtle changes from earlier. “A beer? Think we have tequila too… and vodka…”

“Beer’s fine.” I smiled up at his open face. It was nice to see someone so happy. The thought had me glancing over my shoulder at Smith. As I figured, he scowled, his massive chest spread like he was showing every male in proximity he was the head lion.

Rolling my eyes, I followed Marcus to a cooler, his hands already digging through the ice, twisting labels my way to choose. “You’ll probably like this one. It’s light.”

“Actually, I want that one.” I pointed at a dark stout.

“Really?” Marcus palmed it, his eyebrows lifting as he handed it over to me.

“Really.” I twisted off the cap, ignoring the tiny prickle of irritation at his assumption girls liked the lighter beers, which probably the mass majority did. Dark coffee and beer had always been my preference.

“I like it.” He smiled down at me, clanking his bottle into mine. “So, Kinsley, tell me what has brought you to this corner of Colorado?”

“On a road trip, heading to Rhode Island for my brother’s wedding.”

“And you’re from?”

“San Diego.”

“That’s where I’m heading,” he exclaimed, his eyes widening. “What are the odds? Like two ships passing in the night. I think this was fate, Kinsley.”

A choking snort came from my right, my gaze sliding to the figure standing nearby. Smith held his beer to his mouth, looking out at the river, but I could see the smug, condescending smile twitching his mouth.

“Hey, man.” Marcus greeted him. “You came too… goodie,” he muttered quickly, making me laugh. Marcus’s face lit up at my response, liking that I might also feel the same. “Oh, who’s this little guy? Aren’t you cute?” Marcus went straight for Goat, bending over to pet him. My mouth opened to warn him, but another part of me wondered if Goat was better with men since he instantly liked the huge dick next to him. Maybe it had just been Nathan and Ethan.

I was wrong.

The second Marcus reached out, I saw the shift in Goat. It happened so fast. A deep growl rolled up Goat’s chest, his mouth opening to give a warning nip at the air, jolting Marcus’s hand back. “Oh shit.”

Smith moved in a blink, stepping before Goat, his hand going into Goat’s fur. Goat ducked behind Smith, cowering away from the new guy.

“What the fuck, man? You don’t shove your hand into a dog’s face you don’t know,” Smith snapped.

“Oh god, sorry.” I moved in front of Marcus, trying to defuse the situation. “Goat’s scared of men. We think he was abused before we took him in. But he’s really sweet. He wouldn’t actually bite you.”

Marcus brows lowered in confusion, glancing at the dog who supposedly hated men hiding behind the biggest and most alpha one here.

“Except him it seems.” I flipped my hand over my shoulder. “Have no idea why.”

“They are a good judge of character,” Smith muttered just loud enough for me to hear as he rubbed Goat’s head, comforting him with words I didn’t catch and giving him a little treat.

“Yeah, cool. Okay.” Marcus stepped back, forcing a smile on his face, placing his attention on me. “Let me introduce you to my friends.” He took my hand pulling me toward his group on