It was the undercurrent beneath the challenge, the one making his heart beat faster, making his stomach feel tight, that was giving him issues.
She leaned in slightly and without even thinking, he took a step back, breaking her hold on his chin. Breaking whatever the hell thread had wound its way around them.
âIâm going to get you that soda,â he said, knowing his tone sounded way harsher than he intended. âGo hang out with your friends. Iâll meet you over there.â
He expected her to argue, but she didnât. She just nodded and moved around him cautiously, her dark eyes glued to his for a moment before she averted them and made her way to her group.
He let out a breath he hadnât realized heâd been holding.
Well, that was fucking weird.
âMonaghan,â Ace, said sidling over to his end of the bar. âCan I get you something?â
âTwo Cokes,â Jack said, resting his forearms on the bar.
Ace laughed and pushed his flannel shirtsleeves up. âSure. You want me to start a tab for that?â
âIâll pay now,â Jack growled.
Ace grabbed two glasses and filled them with the nozzle beneath the bartop. âSo... Kate Garrett?â
âWhat about her?â Jack asked, feeling irreversibly irritated by the other man now. Because he could feel himself being led somewhere, and he didnât like it.
âYou and her are...â
âWhat? No. Fuck no.â
âIt looked like something to me. So I wondered.â
âIt was nothing,â Jack said, ignoring the rush of heat in his blood that made him wonder if it was more than nothing. âJust messing with her.â
âThatâs what Iâm saying,â Ace said, smiling broadly. âAnyway...why not?â
Anger surged through Jackâs veins. âFor one because I like my balls where theyâre at. And if I ever touched Katie, Connor and Eli would remove them. And then Liss would sew them onto the top of a winter hat as a festive decoration. Additionally? Sheâs a kid.â
âSheâs not a kid,â Ace said, his eyes fixed across the room. âAnd Iâm not the only one who realizes that.â
Jack turned and looked and saw Kate nearly backed up against the wall by some asshole cowboy who had his hat tipped back and his jeans so tight his thighs were probably screaming for mercy. He was leaning in, holding her hostage.
Because he was an asshole. And never mind that Jackâd had her cornered only a few minutes ago. It was totally different. No matter what Ace thought, he wasnât trying to get into her pants.
But that guy was.
âExcuse me,â Jack said, grabbing the sodas and moving away from the bar.
He stalked across the room, his eyes on Kate and the cowboy. And then he stopped, the two frosty glasses sweaty in his hands. He had no clue what the hell he was doing. About to bust in on Kate flirting with some guy... Chad something, if Jack remembered right. Your standard frat bro with spurs.
Not the kind of guy he would recommend she talk to. But she could if she wanted to, and he had no say in it.
She was right. He wasnât her older brother.
A fact he was very aware of right then.
So instead he paused at an empty table for two and set the drinks down, flicking an occasional glance over to Kate. But he didnât sit. Not until he got a read on the situation.
She looked over the guyâs shoulder and locked eyes with him, just for a moment, and then her expression turned defiant. She flipped her hair over her shoulder, batting her eyelashes in a near-cartoonish manner.
Then she arched her back, thrusting her breasts outward, and Jack about choked on his Coke. She was... Well, she was being pretty obvious but Jack wasnât sure she knew what the hell game she was playing.
She isnât a kid.
No, she wasnât, but she flirted like a fifteen-year-old whoâd only ever seen it done in bad teen movies.
She leaned in slightly and without even thinking, he took a step back, breaking her hold on his chin. Breaking whatever the hell thread had wound its way around them.
âIâm going to get you that soda,â he said, knowing his tone sounded way harsher than he intended. âGo hang out with your friends. Iâll meet you over there.â
He expected her to argue, but she didnât. She just nodded and moved around him cautiously, her dark eyes glued to his for a moment before she averted them and made her way to her group.
He let out a breath he hadnât realized heâd been holding.
Well, that was fucking weird.
âMonaghan,â Ace, said sidling over to his end of the bar. âCan I get you something?â
âTwo Cokes,â Jack said, resting his forearms on the bar.
Ace laughed and pushed his flannel shirtsleeves up. âSure. You want me to start a tab for that?â
âIâll pay now,â Jack growled.
Ace grabbed two glasses and filled them with the nozzle beneath the bartop. âSo... Kate Garrett?â
âWhat about her?â Jack asked, feeling irreversibly irritated by the other man now. Because he could feel himself being led somewhere, and he didnât like it.
âYou and her are...â
âWhat? No. Fuck no.â
âIt looked like something to me. So I wondered.â
âIt was nothing,â Jack said, ignoring the rush of heat in his blood that made him wonder if it was more than nothing. âJust messing with her.â
âThatâs what Iâm saying,â Ace said, smiling broadly. âAnyway...why not?â
Anger surged through Jackâs veins. âFor one because I like my balls where theyâre at. And if I ever touched Katie, Connor and Eli would remove them. And then Liss would sew them onto the top of a winter hat as a festive decoration. Additionally? Sheâs a kid.â
âSheâs not a kid,â Ace said, his eyes fixed across the room. âAnd Iâm not the only one who realizes that.â
Jack turned and looked and saw Kate nearly backed up against the wall by some asshole cowboy who had his hat tipped back and his jeans so tight his thighs were probably screaming for mercy. He was leaning in, holding her hostage.
Because he was an asshole. And never mind that Jackâd had her cornered only a few minutes ago. It was totally different. No matter what Ace thought, he wasnât trying to get into her pants.
But that guy was.
âExcuse me,â Jack said, grabbing the sodas and moving away from the bar.
He stalked across the room, his eyes on Kate and the cowboy. And then he stopped, the two frosty glasses sweaty in his hands. He had no clue what the hell he was doing. About to bust in on Kate flirting with some guy... Chad something, if Jack remembered right. Your standard frat bro with spurs.
Not the kind of guy he would recommend she talk to. But she could if she wanted to, and he had no say in it.
She was right. He wasnât her older brother.
A fact he was very aware of right then.
So instead he paused at an empty table for two and set the drinks down, flicking an occasional glance over to Kate. But he didnât sit. Not until he got a read on the situation.
She looked over the guyâs shoulder and locked eyes with him, just for a moment, and then her expression turned defiant. She flipped her hair over her shoulder, batting her eyelashes in a near-cartoonish manner.
Then she arched her back, thrusting her breasts outward, and Jack about choked on his Coke. She was... Well, she was being pretty obvious but Jack wasnât sure she knew what the hell game she was playing.
She isnât a kid.
No, she wasnât, but she flirted like a fifteen-year-old whoâd only ever seen it done in bad teen movies.
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