CHAPTER THREE
Sophie Valentine took one look at the run-down, dirty bar and wondered what she’d have done without Ryan. What had she been thinking, charging out here on her own?
Dozens of people lined up on the sidewalk waiting to get in. “Should we go in the back way?”
He couldn’t hear her over the noise. Cars barely moved down the crowded street; bass thumped out of them, each blasting a different tune. The people looked rough, happy, and completely wasted.
She got up on her toes, holding onto his shoulder. “Go around back?”
He leaned down, mouth right near her ear. “Not walking down an alley in this neighborhood. Let’s just go in.”
She gazed up at the tall, muscled guy who’d given up his plans to help her. Touching his arm, she pulled him closer, making sure she had his attention. “Thank you. For coming with me.” She gestured to the rough crowd. “You were right. I shouldn’t have tried to come alone.”
This man, with his devastating smile and movie star good looks, stood apart from everyone else. His hard body, sculpted muscles, and broad shoulders made him look pure badass. But when he looked at her, something changed, his expression softened. A hint of vulnerability that made it seem like she somehow affected him.
He didn’t answer her, just nodded, looking a little flustered.
Letting him go, she drew in a breath and faced the entrance. “Let’s do this.”
“Wait. Give me your cell phone.” She handed it over, and he punched in his number. Finished, he shoved the phone into the pocket of his worn jeans.
He reached for her elbows, drawing her to him. Standing close enough to feel the heat of his body and smell the soap on his skin made her breath catch in her throat.
“Stay with me. At all times, I want your hand in mine, got it?”
With his intimidating height, not to mention powerful muscles, she wasn’t about to argue. He was her best line of defense. Hell, he was her offense. “Got it.”
As she gazed up at this incredibly good-looking man—a man hot enough and cocky enough to be a model—she knew Kat would go crazy for him. And, since Sophie wasn’t into hookups, she might have to hear all about Kat’s funky adventures with the hot baseball player over the next few days.
“Um, before we go in there and…” You meet my gorgeous, sexy friend. “I just want to say that I hope everything works out for you.”
His features pulled in tight. “Aren’t we going to see each other again?”
“I’ve got plans, like, every day. And you’re…we’ll be doing different things.”
He clearly didn’t like what she was saying, but his hand slid down her arm to grasp hers, and then he used his bulk to push through the crowd. Body odor, booze, and cologne assaulted her as she released his hand to push her arm through his, locking her body against him.
Once inside, the music and roar of conversation hit her. Together, they made their way through the crowd to the bathrooms. Letting him go, she pushed the dirty, sticky door open and called, “Kat?”
“Oh, my God.” Her friend knocked the door of the stall open so hard it jerked on its hinges and slammed back shut. Kat raced toward her, throwing herself into Sophie’s arms. “Get me out of here.”
“Are you all right?” Sophie pulled back to look at her, noticing the way her silk blouse hung oddly off her shoulder. “What happened?”
“They were drunk and pawing at me. When I ran off, one of the guys grabbed my shirt. I got away, but they scared the crap out of me. God, Sophie. It was horrible. I’m so glad you’re here.”
Her friend looked pale, in spite of the perfect make-up she always wore. “Okay, let’s go.”
“What if they’re still there?”
“It’s so crowded they’ll never even notice you.”
Her friend looked hesitant. “I kind of kicked one of them in the junk.”
“Of course you did.” She smiled. “But don’t worry. I’ve got some muscle with me.”
She stepped out of the bathroom to find her big, hulk of a friend waiting right there. God, he looked hot, standing there in his snug black Polo with his arms folded over his formidable chest.
“That’s him?” Kat unabashedly checked him out. “Holy shit.”
“I know.”
But Ryan didn’t look amused. “Ready?”
“Can I have a minute to take in all the hotness that’s you?” With a shake of her long, blonde hair, Kat gave him a teasing look.
“Are you kidding me right now?” Sophie nudged her. “You’ve been hiding out in a bathroom stall for an hour, and you’re hitting on my new friend? He gave up his night to help us out.”
She saw the way Ryan’s features changed, softened with appreciation, as he looked at her.
“Fine, let’s get out of here.” Kat pushed forward. “But I don’t know what you expected me to do when you brought me a guy like that.”
“He’s not your blind date. Let’s go, so he can get back to what he was doing.”
Her friend grabbed her arm, leaning close to her ear for a private conversation. “Okay, but once we’re out of here, I’m naming you godmother of our firstborn.”
Ryan reached a hand around Sophie’s waist, pulling her hard up against him. “Everything all right?”
“She’s shaken up, but yeah.” She stepped back a little. “Kat, this is Ryan O’Donnell.”
Kat held out a hand. “Thanks so much for coming.”
“Oh, my God, this isn’t a cocktail party.” She’d known Kat would be all over Ryan, so it really shouldn’t bother her. She wouldn’t let it. She headed down the hallway.
But Ryan grabbed her hand. “What’d I tell you?”
She looked up at him, a little surprised to see him so serious, but then she saw Kat on his other side, equally close, and she just nodded. Whatever. It wasn’t like she wanted to hook up with him anyway. Kat had come here to meet guys. Not me.
Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, Ryan held her close to his body and maneuvered the three of them toward the door.
A guy stepped forward, blocking their way. “There she is.” Within seconds, they found themselves surrounded by a bunch of scary looking dudes.
“You’re not leaving, are you?” One of them reached for Kat.
Ryan shifted her slightly behind him. He didn’t say a word, just stared at the guy. If anyone looked at her like that, she’d probably pee in her pants. But Ryan didn’t betray an ounce of fear. He looked alert, assessing.
“Hey, man.” With his long hair, leather vest, and heavy boots, the guy looked like a biker. “Looks like you got a bitch of your own. You’re not gonna get greedy and keep two of ‘em, are ya?”
Another of the guys stepped forward, a hard gleam in his eye. “She’s not leaving until I get my dance.”
Kat stepped closer. “He’s the one I kicked in the junk.”
The muscles in Ryan’s arm tensed, so he must’ve heard. She didn’t know how to call the police in Santa Granada, and things were about to get out of hand. Sophie scanned the area for help. Were there bouncers? A bar this crowded must have security of some kind.
Ryan squeezed her hand, and she looked up at him.
Quietly, he said, “On the count of three, take her and run out the back. Go to the same place the cab dropped us and wait for me.”
“I’m not leaving you alone here—”
He flashed her a look that brooked no resistance, and she understood. If he had to worry about them, he stood no chance of escaping himself.
“One, two…” He released both of them, pulled a chair out from under a guy, and held it in front of him, blocking the attack of five angry drunks.
“Oh, my God.” Kat stood there frozen, horrified.
Just as quickly, Ryan grabbed a second chair, wielding one in each hand, as the guys moved in.
“Let’s go.” But Kat wouldn’t budge. Sophie grabbed her arm and towed her as she fought her way through the crowd. They slammed through the emergency exit at the back of a long hallway and found themselves in a filthy alley that smelled of rotten garbage.
Shaking, Sophie forced herself to think which way she needed to go.
“Is he going to be okay?” Kat had her eye on the door, and Sophie worried she’d go back in.
“He’s better off by himself than burdened by us.”
“But he’s all frat boy, you know? He doesn’t stand a chance with those guys. They’re, like, bikers or something.”
“He told us to go, so we’re going. That’s the only thing we can do. Even if I could call the police, by the time they got here, the fight would be over. Now, let’s go.” She took off down the alley, Kat stumbling along in her wedges beside her. Fear squeezed her lungs, making it hard to catch her breath.
Just as she hit the boulevard at the end of the alley, she glanced behind her.
Ryan. All that hard-packed muscle bunched as he hauled ass toward her. God, he even ran like a movie star in a chase scene.
She started back for him, but he waved her on. Trusting him, she grabbed Kat’s hand and turned onto the main boulevard.
As soon as she got to the spot where the cab had dropped them, she stepped into the street to flag a taxi. Kat leaned against the side of the building, bent over, chest heaving. “Are you all right?” Sophie called.
Her friend waved her off.
Ryan caught up with them seconds later. It looked like he was coming straight for her, but at the last minute, he veered and went to Kat instead.
A rush of humiliation stung her nerves. This isn’t a competition, you idiot. Sophie was obviously fine, while Kat crouched on the sidewalk, head between her knees.
And then she saw a car door open just down the street. The lighted box on top flipped on. “Got one.” She took off to claim the cab before someone else did.
As soon as the couple got out, Sophie slid right in. “Can you please take us to Isla de los Amantes?”
The eyes peering at her in the rear-view mirror met hers in acknowledgment.
Kat, looking flushed and slightly disheveled, slid into the middle seat. And again Sophie felt that pang of jealousy that Kat would get to sit next to Ryan. Which, of course, was completely stupid. He’d come to the resort to get laid. So Sophie could get with him if she wanted. He’s obviously interested.
You. I want you.
Funny how when he’d said those words to her, she’d thought he was a complete dick. And now…now those words slid into her system all hot and spicy.
But then the car door slammed.
“Where’s he going?” Kat swiveled around to watch him jog around the back of the cab and open the door on Sophie’s side.
He nudged her over. With a confused expression, Kat shifted over. And then Sophie was sandwiched between them. His big body pressed against hers, a wall of heat.
“Well, hello, Awesome.” Sophie looked him over to make sure he was all right. He sat close enough that she could feel his heavy breaths. “Are you hurt?”
“Nah.”
Thrilled beyond reason that he’d chosen to sit beside her, she couldn’t keep the grin off her face. “Now aren’t you glad you train so hard?”
“Hey, thank you so much.” Kat leaned across her, letting her shiny, straight hair spill forward. “I can’t believe you did that for me.”
“No problem.” He barely even looked at Kat.
Noticing a smudge at the side of his head, Sophie scraped his disheveled hair back to see it more clearly. “You got clocked.”
“It was nothing.”
“Are you sure?” God, what if those men had had knives? She glanced at the hand resting on his thigh. Were his knuckles bleeding? She leaned across him, and he drew a sharp breath. “Your ribs?”
He shook his head. Lifting his hand, she checked the knuckles. They looked swollen and red. “Did they hurt you?”
“Don’t worry about it.” He said it evenly, but she wasn’t convinced he wasn’t hurt.
She let go of him. “Okay, but that was a big thing you did for us.”
“I’m fine.” He tilted his head back and closed his eyes.
She took in his incredibly fit body, the thick biceps, broad shoulders, and tapering waist. And…holy cow. It was impossible not to notice the very large bulge in his jeans.
She jerked back, flashing a look at Kat, who just smiled at her. She gave Kat a What the hell look. Did fighting get a guy hard? Or was it her?
He opened one eye. “You tell the driver where we’re going?”
“Of course.”
He reached for her hand and put it on his thigh. The simple gesture sent a wash of warmth through her. She didn’t understand this…thing between them.
Kat leaned forward again, touching his arm. “I can’t believe you took on five guys.”
“I didn’t. I held them off with a chair.” He opened one eye. “And then I ran like a girl.”
Both she and Kat burst out laughing. Not what they expected to hear from a wall of muscle like him. And then he sat up. A big warm arm wrapped around her shoulders. She breathed in the clean cotton of his shirt and something masculine that was uniquely him.
“And what if I’d lost the fight?”
She gazed up at him, at that delectable mouth and those warm brown eyes, and a shock of connection struck the center of her chest. “Not possible.”
“Yeah? What makes you so sure?”
“Oh, come on. You’ve got winner written all over you.”
That sensual mouth curved into a smile, and he started to speak, when Kat said, “Oh, my God, what is going on here? This is unbelievable. We’re never going to get back to the hotel.”
Sophie looked out the window. They hadn’t even reached the end of the street. “I told you about the festival.”
“I know, but I didn’t think it would cover the entire town. I thought it’d be at some stadium or something. God, what a mistake. I don’t even know what I was thinking going off with some guy. I’m at this amazing resort, where I can have anything I want, and I wind up ditched at a disgusting bar. I’m seriously going to find a chaise and plant myself in it for the rest of the week.”
“You’re not coming with me tomorrow night?”
Kat turned toward her. “You are not going to the festival. You see the type of people here.”
“I want to check it out.”
Ryan’s body tensed beside her. “Soph.”
God, did he hear himself? Soph. He talked to her like they were old friends. “What?” She caught his expression of disapproval and said, “I’m sure lots of people will be going to it. I’ll check with the concierge.”
“You should just stay at the resort,” Kat said. “That’s the whole point of coming to a place like this.”
She leaned into her friend. “I don’t think we’re here for the same reasons.”
With his eyes closed, Ryan said, “What’re you here for?”
Since she’d already told him about her plans, she assumed he was talking to Kat. She glanced out the window. Fortunately, the driver had turned onto a less crowded street. They seemed to be out of the worst of the traffic now.
“We’ve never really done a legit spring break before, and this is our last chance before we graduate.” Kat shrugged. “I looked into a ton of resorts, but this place seemed perfect. It’s a more upscale way to hang out with the right kind of guys.”
“I’m not sure they want to hang out for the same reason you do, Kat.”
“What does that mean?”
“I’m just saying people are here to party. Let loose. They’re not looking for anything serious.”
Ryan leaned forward. “They wanna fuck.”
Kat’s eyes flared. “Why do you say it like that?”
“A guy basically told me he wanted to have sex with me. Like, instantly. No, Hey, how ya doin’? Or, Can I buy you a drink? Just, Hey, let’s do it.”
“Are you serious?” She seemed flustered. “That’s not…I mean, come on, that was one guy. Not everyone’s like that. You meet losers in bars all the time. He’s probably just a jerk.”
“I had the same experience.” Ryan didn’t seem the least bit affected by her commentary.
Sophie laughed at her friend’s horrified expression. “Whatever. We’re still going to have fun.”
“I can’t believe it.” When they both just looked at Kat, color rose in her cheeks. “That’s so not what I wanted.”
“It’s not big a deal.” But she knew for Kat it was. They graduated in two months, and Kat didn’t want to go out into the world alone. She wanted to find love…at a singles resort. “We’ll hang out, relax. Come on, it’s a gorgeous island. We’ll make the best of it.”
“I’m not here to relax.”
“I know that.” She gave her friend’s hand a squeeze. “You still might meet someone. You never know.”
“Not if they just want to hook up with me and move onto the next girl. God, what a waste of time.”
“What am I missing here?” Ryan asked.
Sophie wondered how Kat would answer.
“I’m twenty-one and I’m still single.” She shot Ryan a look. “And don’t give me any feminist crap. The ladies fought for our right to choose, and I want to be in a relationship.” She stared at the palms of her hands. “I’m graduating college, and I don’t even have a job lined up. I’m just…I don’t even know what I’m doing with my life. And I just thought if I put myself in a target-rich environment—”
“A what?” Ryan looked totally confused.
“You know. A place where you’ll meet people who’re similar to you. An exclusive singles resort seems like the perfect place for me to meet a guy.” Kat rested her head against the window. “I’m going to become one of those pushy Beverly Hills real estate agents, aren’t I?”
“What’s your major?” Ryan asked.
Kat rolled her eyes. “Psychology. But I don’t want to be a therapist anymore.”
“Go to graduate school,” Ryan said. “Be a lawyer or get an MBA. That’ll put you in a very specific pool of men.”
“That’s a good point. I just…in a million years I never would have imagined graduating college with nothing to show for it.” She tilted her head back and shielded her eyes with a hand. “Seriously, you guys. What am I going to do? I am not moving back in with my mom.”
“You can work for us,” Sophie said. “Meanwhile, apply to graduate programs for next year.”
“Work in a factory? In Long Beach?”
Sophie burst out laughing. “We have administrative offices, too, you know. But, yes, they’re in Long Beach.” When she leaned back, she kind of melted into the space Ryan made under his arm. A strand of hair fell onto her cheek, and he gently stroked it off her face.
Kat noticed, and she waved a finger between them. “What’s going on with you two? Do you know each other?”
Sophie pulled away from him. “Of course not.”
“I’m the one who wanted to fuck her.”
His deep voice made the statement sound even harsher than he might have intended. Heat flamed up her neck, and Kat looked comical in her shock.
“But she put me in my place.” The arm already wrapped around her shoulders squeezed.
She gave Kat a reassuring smile. “And now we’re just friends.”
He hitched an eyebrow, but she pressed her lips together and gave him a look that said, Don’t be getting any ideas, buddy.
“Okay.” Kat didn’t sound like she believed her.
Oh, please. She’d never had a one-night stand in her life.
And she certainly wouldn’t start now.