Baddest Bad Boys(6)

He looked ferociously offended. “Little thing? You call that little? It’s not. And it’s flat out against my rules. So you can f*cking forget it.”

“Rules?” She goggled at him. “You have rules about this?”

“Yeah. I do. Let me get this straight. You want me to just pop your cherry and then walk away, and pretend I didn’t just f*ck my best friend’s baby sister? No, scratch that—my best friend’s virginal baby sister. What kind of opportunistic * do you think I am?”

“I am not a baby!” She leaped to her feet. “Do I look like a baby?”

“You’re acting like one. If Danny knew I was having this conversation, he’d rip out my intestines and strangle me with them.”

“But he doesn’t know!” she protested. “And he won’t! Get it?”

“Great. Even better. Now you’re asking me to lie to my friend.”

“No, I am not!” she flared. “Keeping your private life private is not lying! It’s none of Danny’s business!”

Jon snorted. “You know, I very much doubt he’d see it that way.”

“Danny and Mac are the reason I have this problem in the first place!” she raged. “All through school! It never failed! Any time a guy ever got near me, he got The Talk. If he did anything more than hold my hand, they’d threaten to break every bone in his body with a hammer.”

He was trying not to smile, the bastard. “So I get to be the chump * who gets the compound fractures? Wow. I’m so honored.”

“It’s not funny.” Robin spat the words out. “I am not laughing.”

“I see that. But there’s a good reason your brothers try to protect you. Men are filthy dogs. They’re men themselves, so they know this. I don’t blame them for doing it, and neither should you.”

“Well, I’m sick of it! It’s going to end, one way or another. I’m out of here. Goodbye, Jon. I’m really sorry I bothered you.”

She tried to flounce past him, but he grabbed her arm and swung her back around. She landed in the chair again with a grunt.

“Where do you think you’re going?” he asked.

“To lose my virginity.” She flung the words at him.

“Oh, yeah?” His eyes narrowed to bright, glittering slits. “To who?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know yet. I had what I thought was a workable plan, but it blew up in my face. Time to move on to Plan B.”

“And what’s Plan B?”

“Oh, the usual techniques. Bars. Clubs. Tight clothes, high heels, too much alcohol. Whatever it takes.”

She launched herself out of the chair, and got thumped right back down again. He held her in a vise grip. “You’re not going to do that.”

“Let go of me.” She flailed and wiggled. “You don’t like virgins? Fine. The next time you see me, I’ll be an ex-virgin. I promise.”

He gripped her upper arms and lifted her out of the chair and up off her feet, so she dangled there like a doll. He bumped her up against the wood paneled wall. “No way. I’ll be damned if I’ll let you go out there and let some random f*ckhead wipe his feet on your body.”

“Tough shit,” she hissed, shoving at his chest. “It’s not up to you!”

“It is now.” His voice was grim.

Tears of humiliation welled into her eyes. “Get your hands off me.”

His grip loosened. She sank down from her tiptoes onto her feet.

He loomed over her, still frowning. “Robin,” he said, his voice gentler. “Listen to me. You want your first time to be with a guy who worships you. Who’s overcome with the honor. Not with some bar scum who just wants to score. I’m sorry, but I just can’t let that happen.”

Their gazes locked, and something happened. The air got thick, hot. Hard to breathe, like it had turned to viscous liquid. Jon looked almost scared. He lifted his hand from her face and took two quick steps back.

“I am not that guy,” he said warily. “I am a selfish bastard. I’ve got an ex-wife and a string of ex-girlfriends who all hate my guts. I’m not nice and I’m not gentle, and I don’t worship anybody or anything.”

“You’ve always been nice to me,” she whispered.

“That was a big mistake. One that I won’t be making again.” He dug his cell phone out of his pocket and started punching it.

She grabbed his arm, alarmed. “Who are you calling?”

“Danny.” He held the phone to his ear.

“No way!” She lunged for the phone. “He and Mac will kill me!”

“Should have thought about that before.” He peered at the display. “Shit. He’s still in his meeting. Phone’s turned off. Lucky you.”

“You *!” Her voice was fogged with angry tears.

“Thank God, she’s starting to face reality.”

Robin wheeled away and dove for the door. His arm clamped under her rib cage from behind and lifted her right off her feet. “Uh-huh. You’re not going anywhere until one of your brothers is here to escort you. I don’t want the responsibility.”

“I have my car here,” she snapped. “I have to drive it down.”