Moth(28)

She shakes her head and puts on a smile for a guy as he enters the room. “There you are, Windy. I thought I heard your voice.”

She turns to me. “John, this is Monty, my boyfriend.” I like the sound of it, even if she’s not really Windy, and I’m only with her to figure out her involvement in my brother’s murder.

The guy extends his hand for me to shake. I grip it firmly to show off my strength. It’s a man thing. I know it’s a dick move, but when he pulls away and shakes the pain away I know I’ve hit a nerve. He’s now aware Windy is off limits. It’s exactly what she’s brought me here to do. Little favors like this are what will make her trust me. Once that happens I’ll be able to figure her out.

When John leaves the room Windy turns to me. “You didn’t have to hurt him.”

“Just laying claim to what’s mine, for the night of course.”

She’s shaking her head while walking away from me. I know it’s what I said. She’s annoyed, so I inadvertently feel accomplished. I want to taunt her until she gives in. I like seeing her angry. It’s delightful to watch her questioning her own judgment. Right now she regrets bringing me along. I need to tread lightly in order to continue to inch my way into her life. If I push too hard I’ll lose my opportunity.

A bit later I find her sitting on a couch with another one of her male co-workers. He’s got his arm behind her on the back of the sofa while he leans in to speak. Her eyes find mine and a smile forms across her face like she’s doing this to see if there’s a reaction. I feel like I’m back in high school, looking for all the reasons why I have to nail this chick, then rethinking the decision because of the repercussions that will come.

At first I assume the conversation is cordial. I’m paying such close attention to her that I don’t notice a female stepping in my line of view. “I didn’t know John hired entertainment for the party.” She runs her hand over one of my biceps, and I can tell she’d like me to give her a show of what I might be hiding under the hood. She’s a middle aged lady with super curly red hair. She has a small gap in between her teeth that is storing a big black speck of what I assume is pepper. I hate correcting her, because I enjoy this kind of attention. “Yeah, I wasn’t hired for the party. I’m with Windy. We came together.”

It’s obvious this isn’t what she expected to hear. “Windy Lewis? Wow. I didn’t know anyone would find her interesting.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? Do you know something I don’t?” What better way to get inside of her head than to ask the people she surrounds herself with on a daily basis.

“Windy isn’t sociable. I find it hard to believe she’s got a boyfriend.”

This makes me laugh to myself. She’s been nothing but standoffish since we met. I want to think it’s because she’s so smart she’s awkward, but I’m aware this isn’t the real Windy. Maybe her actions reflect something entirely different, like being attracted to me. Maybe I’m full of myself and see things that aren’t really there. I have lived in the jungle for too long, and also been surrounded by a bunch of horny men.

I look in her direction and see the guy next to her staring at the cleavage her large breasts are revealing in the tube top. Right away I feel overwhelmed with the urge to lay claim to her. We arrived together. She asked me to protect her from these men, and I plan on making my presence very known. She notices what he’s doing and backs away, pulling up the top so he’s unable to continue.

I see it as a sign to step in and assist. “Excuse me. I think I need to check on my girlfriend.”

Knowing she’s the hottest female in the home only makes this harder. I’d like it if I could flirt and mingle, but I find myself wanting to be close to her, not just to get to know her, but because being in her presence does something to me. I’m unintentionally losing my grip on right and wrong as I reach the sofa she’s sitting on. Our eyes meet and I think she already knows why I’ve come from across the room. Her eyebrows lift as she gives me the go-ahead without saying it.

“Do you mind if I take my girlfriend away from the conversation for a bit?” I ask. It’s simple, but gets the point across. I extend my hand for her to take. She’s quick to take it and allow me to assist her to stand next to me. Her palms rest against my chest as she turns to address the pervert.

“Seth, this is my boyfriend, Monty.”

“Boyfriend? Since when?”

“Does it matter?” I chime in.

She pats me and smiles. “It’s okay.” Then spins around to reply. “We’ve been dating for a while now. I didn’t think it was professional to talk about my personal affairs in the office. That’s why I brought Monty along today. It’s time I stopped hiding him.”

I don’t know why this feels right to me. It’s not at all, but I accept what she’s trying to do. I need to make sure they know she’s off limits, and that I’ll take extreme measures if they continue to press her about hooking up. I need this woman to trust me, and this is a good way to make damn certain it happens.

I offer my hand to this guy, making sure when he takes it to give him a hint of my power. It’s like a silent threat. If he touches her he’ll have to get through me first. He jerks his hand away before I give him half of what I’m capable of doing. If I wanted to I could break his hand with one squeeze. It’s not hard. Mostly it involves a firm grip and a twist. “Good to meet you.”