Taming Lily (The Fowler Sisters #3)(15)

“My, uh, ex-wife is from Connecticut,” he offers, and I want to roll my eyes but don’t. Of course he was married. Now that I’m studying him a bit closer, I can see he has that I just got divorced and I’m on the hunt look to him.

Probably has kids, too. Most likely he cheated on his wife or he was a total workaholic or a combination of both, and they ended up involved in a nasty divorce that resulted in a horrific custody battle. And now he’s paying her alimony and child support through the nose, bitter every month as he writes out the check.

I’ve met his type before. They’re all the same. Yet here I am getting mad at his generalizations and I’m doing the same exact thing to him. I need to get over myself.

“Hmm, how nice.” I set my glass down on a nearby cocktail table and turn to smile at him. “It’s been great talking to you, but I’m afraid I have to go.”

“What’s your hurry?” Russ grabs hold of my upper arm, his fingers pressing into my skin. It’s a possessive hold that makes me uncomfortable, though I try my best to play it off.

“I’ve had a long day of too much sun. And I hurt myself yesterday, so I’m still dealing with that.” I offer him a view of my bandaged hand but he doesn’t even glance at it. His gaze is entirely focused on mine, his body looming over me, his expression serious. Too serious.

“I got you a drink,” he reminds me.

I try to withdraw from his hold but he tightens his fingers. “And I thanked you for it.”

“It’s not like you have any other plans. You’re here alone, right?” He glances around as if wanting to make sure no one’s paying us any mind, and I’m sure no one is. The place is packed, the music loud. Everyone’s in their own little world and I’m stuck with a creep who looks like he wants to maul me. And not in a good way, either.

“You should come back to my room with me,” he suggests. “We could get to know each other better.”

“I don’t think so.” This time, I get out of his hold and I step away, ready to bolt. But he’s quick and he reaches out, locking his fingers around my arm again and jerking me toward him.

“Women like you are all the same,” he says, his beer-laced breath hitting my face, and I wrinkle my nose. How much has he had to drink? Why did I talk to him anyway? Why do I always get myself into these awful situations? “You flirt, you give me the look, you force me to buy you a drink and then you won’t put out.”

“You think with a few words and a free drink I’ll put out?” I try to jerk my arm out of his grip but it’s no use. The guy is strong. “You’re disgusting.”

He leans in even closer, his mouth practically touching mine, and I lean my head back as far as I can. “What the hell did you think, coming to a club called Vice? Give me a break with the innocent act. It’s a bunch of shit.”

My mouth pops open, I’m about to hurl an insult, when I feel an ominous presence behind me.

“If you’re smart—though I’m wagering you’re not—I’d suggest you let her go before I rip your f*cking fingers off.”

I glance over my shoulder, my knees going weak when I see him standing there, tall and broad, wearing a white linen shirt in a sea of Hawaiian print, a stark contrast against his tanned skin.

It’s my watcher.

Chapter seven

Max

I FOLLOWED HER INTO THE CLUB, though she wasn’t aware i was tracking her. What a sight she was, too, in that hot-pink dress that fell to the tops of her thighs, the skirt swishing and swirling with that captivating walk of hers. The dress, while simple, showed a lot of flesh. Her shoulders, her back, all that sun-kissed skin on display and driving me out of my ever-lovin’ mind. I couldn’t stop staring.

More like, I didn’t want to stop staring. The fact that she rejected me yesterday, leaving me in the dust without a backward glance, kind of pissed me off. It shouldn’t, because the fact that I’m interacting with her, wanting to get closer to her, is risky. I need to get her laptop, but I can go about it in different ways.

Certainly don’t need to flirt with her, that’s for damn sure.

Lily’s not very observant, though. I learned that quick enough. She seems fairly savvy in some ways yet she’s completely oblivious in others. And that makes me worry for her safety.

For example, this dickwad has such a tight hold on her I can see his fingers pressing into her flesh. From the moment he approached her—which was seconds upon her arrival—I could tell he was no good. I stood on the other side of the bar in the shadows, observing their interactions, ready to spring into action if she needed me. Lily appeared distracted most of the time, as if she wanted to be anywhere but with that guy, not that I could blame her.

Has she ever frequented a club like this one before? Hell, I know I haven’t. I didn’t even know this place existed at the resort. Vice is unlike any club I’ve ever been to before and I’m intrigued. The moment I walked in, the vibe was overtly sexual. Women studied me with interest in their eyes as I passed by them. The music that filled the space had an incessant, primal beat. An energy hummed in the air, pumped in my blood, and I knew I could easily find a woman tonight if I wanted one.

And I do want one—Lily.

As f*cked up as that is, it’s the damn truth.

“Who the hell are you?” the guy asks, his nostrils flaring, eyes wide and filled with anger. He doesn’t let her go and that infuriates me. Makes me want to smash his face in, but I need to show some sort of restraint.