Bad for You (Sea Breeze #7)(50)

Her eyes lit up when she saw me, and then her gaze fell to my chest. I wasn’t in the mood for this. I wanted to go find Blythe.

I didn’t say anything as I headed for Green’s room and banged on the door. Then I opened it. A blonde was still wrapped up in the sheets and curled around his back. “Get up. Get ’em out. There’s one drinking my juice,” I barked.

Green lifted his head with one eye open and scowled. “What time is it?”

“After ten. Get them out before she eats my shit,” I said, then flipped on his light.

A string of curses came from Green and the girl in there with him as I headed back to my bathroom.

“Turn off my light, you f**ker!” he called out.

“Don’t push me. I still plan on beating your ass,” I replied back before slamming the door behind me.

* * *

The girls were gone by the time I’d showered and dressed. Green glared at me as he sat on the sofa with a cup of coffee in his hand. His hair was sticking up all over the place, and he had only managed to pull on a pair of sweatpants.

“You came home in a bad mood,” Green grumbled.

“No. I came home to get ready and go see my girl. I didn’t like seeing some strange chick drinking my damn juice.”

“Your girl? Something happen last night?” he asked.

“Not what you’re thinking, and that’s not your f**king business,” I snapped. I didn’t like him thinking about Blythe and sex in the same sentence. It was some insane caveman shit that had taken over me, but I couldn’t control it or tap it down.

“What am I thinking?” Green asked, a confused expression on his face.

I headed for the door. He was being a dick on purpose, and I didn’t have time to beat his ass. I didn’t want to miss Blythe before she left school and went to work.

“Krit,” Green called out. The way he’d said my name made me pause.

“Yeah?” I asked, glancing back at him.

His eyes were big, and he had sat up straight. The disbelief on his face had left his jaw hanging slightly open. “You,” he said, and shook his head as his eyes studied me like I was some strange creature from outer space. “You haven’t . . . Y’all haven’t . . . had sex?”

I dropped my hand from the doorknob and took one step toward him and stopped myself. Controlling my possessiveness was going to be a challenge. “Don’t,” I warned. “Don’t even think about Blythe and sex in the same sentence.” The barely controlled fury in my voice wasn’t something he missed, but his stupid-ass expression didn’t change.

“You . . . holy f**king hell. I’ve heard it all. Never in my life.” He started laughing.

The motherf*cker had started laughing.

“You’re already acting like an insane obsessed man protecting some precious jewel! At least warn the rest of us once you do the deed because I might move out. You get any more possessive of that girl, and people are going to be scared to breathe the same air as her.”

“Shut up!” I snarled. I didn’t need to hear this. He was making me sound f**ked up.

His expression sobered, and concern flashed in his eyes. “Just remember your issues. Don’t do something stupid. You’ve always dealt with being off a little with your addictions, but I’ve never seen you like this.”

“I’m fine!” I growled.

“Just don’t kill anyone. Right now you look ready to take out any man who gets too close to her. You can’t be that way. She wants you. Hell, man, I’m pretty sure she loves you. I ain’t ever seen a girl jump in front of guy trying to protect him like she did. Remind yourself that she wants you. Not someone else. Don’t f**king end up doing life because someone touched her and you broke his neck.”

Chapter Seventeen

BLYTHE

Although I had been late for my first class, I hadn’t missed much. The professor had been late too. In my second class, Principles of Macroeconomics, we had had to listen to a lecture on fiscal policy. I had almost fallen asleep.

Grabbing my backpack, I swung it over my shoulder and started for the door as soon the professor dismissed us.

“Blythe. Right?”

I paused. Someone had said my name. I hadn’t spoken to anyone in any of my classes. I turned around to see that the owner of the feminine Southern drawl was a striking redhead with breathtaking green eyes. Her hair was long, but she had it pulled over her shoulder in a low ponytail. The Bon Jovi T-shirt she was wearing looked like it was vintage.

“Uh, yeah,” I replied.

Her smile was one of those that shouldn’t be attractive because it was so big, but somehow it fit her and made her even more of a head-turner. Two guys had actually just walked by and looked her way. She seemed oblivious, though.

She held out her hand for me to shake. “I’m Low Hardy. Trisha and Rock are really good friends of mine. And Amanda is my sister-in-law. I saw you at Daisy May’s party, but I had just walked inside when you were defending Krit and then leaving.”

I shook her hand and felt a small little bubble of excitement that someone knew me. Had I made enough connections in town that people were starting to actually know who I was? The idea that I was fitting in for the first time in my life was thrilling.

“It’s nice to meet you, Low. Sorry, I didn’t get to meet you at the party. I wasn’t, uh, well, I was learning. Friendship with Krit is a learn-as-you-go thing,” I explained.