5. Protector

Katherine

On the screen, Gaston is singing about how Belle is the one he is going to marry but I’m not paying attention to any of it. I keep looking at my phone out of the corner of my eye and wondering how he got my number. Then I remember that I’m his assistant so of course he would have my cell number.

David: Go to dinner with me tomorrow night.

I didn’t need to ask who it was. Only one person had asked me to go to dinner with them tomorrow night. Couldn’t the guy take a hint? Was me twisting his arm not answer enough for him?

I hated myself for lying to Jay too when he glanced at the screen as I was saving David’s number in my contacts. But there’s no way that I could tell him about David. He would go ape shit. As much as he jokes about it, I know that secretly he wishes we were more than friends. That one night meant more to him than it did to me. I was drunk, off tequila of all things. I’m not responsible for my actions when Jose is involved.

c I like Jay. A lot. More than friends a lot. But it would never work between us. And David? David creeps me out, despite his good looks.

When he shifts on the couch I get a hint of his cologne and God, he smells so good, like spice and pure man. I inwardly cringe when my thoughts start going their normal route when it comes to him.

Friends Kat! Strictly friends!

“Another beer?” he asks, getting up and moving towards the kitchen. I raise my empty bottle in silent approval and settle my eyes back on the screen, determined in my resolve to be his friend.

Ten minutes later, the door to my apartment flies open and Alice waltzes through. She drops her purse on the hallway table and her keys in the glass bowl in the center of it, then plops herself down next to me and grabs a slice of pizza before leaning back.

“Thought you were closing,” I comment.

“Closed early. It was dead and I was bored so Jer said to just close it down.”

I shoot my gaze over to Jay before settling back into the couch and returning my attention to the Disney movie playing out on my TV. That doesn’t last long, though, because I hear an exasperated sigh coming from next to me and I automatically start preparing for what I know is coming next.

“Let’s go out tonight!” Alice exclaims.

Yup, called it.

“I need a night out with my best friends. I just wrote the hardest exam of my life today and had one of the most boring shifts at the café. I could do with a fun Friday night out,” she says, looking from me to Jay and back again.

“I don’t know.”

“Come on Kat. Please!”

“I’m in.” He smiles

Shit! Really?

If they’re all going, then I’ll have to go. Alice won’t let me stay home by myself on a Friday night.

Damnit!

“Don’t be a party pooper, Kat,” Alice says, her eyes pleading with me to do this for her.

I sigh knowing that I’m going to give into her eventually. Nobody has ever said no to Alice and how could they when she looks at them with those honey-brown puppy dog eyes.

“Where’s Mike?” she asks, noticing for the first time that he isn’t here.

“Apparently, he had a date tonight” I state.

Alice’s eyes go wide and I see a pang of hurt flash across them before she covers as if it never happened.

What the fuck was that? Mike and Alice? And why would she not tell me.

I’ll have to ask Jay about Alice and Mike later when we’re by ourselves.

“He’s not with the blonde Barbie, is he?” she asks, turning to Jay. Jay, Parker, and Mike were childhood friends then joined the RCMP together.

I shoot Jay a questioning look while Alice has her head turned. He just shrugs it off. Her gaze swings over to me again and I see that same pleading look in her eyes for me to go out with them tonight.

“Fine,” I concede.

She bounces up and down with a huge smile across her face. “We can check out that new club that just opened up. I’ve heard that it’s supposed to be the hot new thing. We’ll cab it!” she says, jumping up and heading in the direction of my shower. I swear the girl just makes herself at home anywhere.

I slump back into the back of the couch. This should be an interesting night. I hate going to the club. All those sweaty bodies in a cramped space, drunk people bumping into you, and pervs trying to rub up onto you. It wouldn’t be bad if it was just dancing.

It’s also how he and I ended up naked in bed together.

I shiver just thinking about it but Alice needs me so I’ll go for her and plus I could use a drink…or two. I glance at my phone and notice that it’s already ten.

“Go get ready. I’m going to run home and shower and be back here in an hour to pick you girls up.” He stands, moving towards the door and with a final wave he’s gone.

 

Jason

After I let my eyes adjust to the low light of the club, I feel like I just walked into a circus. In the four corners of the club there are long white sheets hanging from the ceiling to the floor with a blue light cast on each, turning the sheet from white to purple. Rolling down from the top are women dressed in very colorful leotards with no safety lines.

In the center is a makeshift stage with more women in skin tight leotards acting out a scene with some of those ribbon-on-a-stick-thingies. Closer to the ceiling are gymnastic swings.

The bartender is wearing black slacks, no shirt, and a black blazer with black eye makeup. The servers are all women decked out in black short shorts, white tank tops, and sleeveless coat tail jackets. All of them have glittery eye makeup and little top hats resting on their heads with the string going under their chins. I smirk to myself.             

Well, okay then, drinks and a show it is.

“So, this place is…different,” Kat says as we’re lead to our corner booth where Mike is already waiting.

“I told you they change the theme every couple months. I guess this time it’s a twist on the usual circus” Alice shrugs.

“I’m not complaining,” Mike says as his gaze rakes over a couple of the female servers walking by our booth.

“Me neither,” I chime in, sliding into the booth opposite Mike.

“As long as no clowns jump out at me,” Kat adds.

When one of the servers comes to take down our drink order, she doesn’t hesitate to order her favorite drink, a Blue Hawaiian.

Well, it’s not tequila.

After a couple drinks, Alice jumps up and drags Kat out of her seat with a high pitched, “let’s dance!”

Kat groans as Alice leads her to the outer edge of the dance floor and turns around so that her back is facing our table. The alcohol must have hit her system between the time Alice dragged her out of our booth and the time they hit the dance floor because when Alice starts dancing Kat joins her and by the second song she looks like she’s having fun.

I take another long pull of my beer and try to ignore the fact that Kat looks damn good on that dance floor in that skin-tight red dress and ignore the fact the I want to kick the ass of every guy in this club with their eyes glued to her.

It takes everything I have to unclench my fist and will myself to not go over there and wrap my arms around her and claim her as mine. I look over at Mike and it looks like he’s thinking along the same lines.

We’ve both been protective over those girls, but somewhere along the line it became about more than that for me with Kat.

“How’d the date with Erin go?” I ask him trying to focus my mind on something other than Kat in that dress and the guy that just danced up to them.

“Shit,” Mike stammers under his breath shaking his head and slamming back the rest of his beer.

“That good, huh?” I grin

“She wants me to meet her parents this week,” he says shaking his head. “I don’t do parents.”

I laugh. “Dude, you don’t do relationships, period.”

He holds up a new glass of beer. “Cheers to that” he grunts, and slams it back.

I shake my head; in all the years I’ve known Mike, he has never once had a serious relationship. He doesn’t do relationships; he only does one-nighters. He’s part of the “love ‘em and leave ‘em” club and he doesn’t seem to be eager to change that anytime soon.

He slams his glass down on the table and tilts his head towards the dance floor where two more guys have come up to Alice and Kat and have pulled the girls in too close for my comfort.

“Enough of this,” Mike barks and slides out of the booth heading in their direction, and I’m hot on his heels.

 

Katherine

I feel two beefy arms grip my hips and the heavy stench of tobacco and alcohol coming off the guy in front of me makes me want to hurl.

“Hey darlin’,” he rasps.

I open my eyes and look up into his round face. His eyes are cold and a devilish smile tugs the corners of his lips. I struggle to get out of his grip but he holds me tight bringing me closer to him.

“Aw, c’mon. Dance with me” he drawls.

“Let me go.” I start struggling harder as he starts moving us further to the opposite side of the dance floor. He doesn’t get far before I hear a deep male voice behind me.

“Lady said to let her go”

I tilt my head to the side and see Jay stalking towards us like a man on a mission, anger clear in his emerald eyes. I turn back to the man who still has his hands firmly on me but he’s gone statue-like, eyes wide and fear evident across his face. His arm instantly drops from mine.

“Sorry, dude. Should keep your lady in line better,” he mutters before walking away into the crowd.

What the…He did not just say that!

Before my mouth has time to catch up with my brain, the guy is laid out on the floor and Jay’s anger is palpable as he stands over him, chest heaving.

Oh fuck!

I look around. Everyone has stopped dancing and there’s a crowd gathering to watch us. Putting my hand on his arm I try to reassure him that I’m okay but he doesn’t feel it.

“Say that again, you piece of shit!” Jay taunts. My gaze quickly scans the crowd for backup but Alice and Mike have disappeared.

Where the hell are they?

I really hope that this idiot isn’t dumb enough to answer him. I let out the breath I didn’t know I was holding when the guy wisely gets up and retreats without saying another word.

“Jay, I’m really okay. Can we just go b— “

Before I can finish my sentence, he spins me around and wraps his large hand around my arm dragging me further on to the dance floor with him. When we reach the center, he spins towards me and plants both hands on my hips bringing me closer so our bodies are pressed together. I can feel his warm breath on my ear and the scent of his cologne, Dior Homme, wraps around me.

“Are you okay?” he whispers in my ear.

I nod but bury my head into his neck, not wanting to see the disappointed look in his eyes. How could I be so stupid to think that I could go out wearing this dress and just have fun?

I’m such an idiot.

As if sensing my warring thoughts, his finger lifts my chin so that I’m forced to look up at him. “You didn’t do anything so stop thinking whatever it is you’re thinking.”

I look him hard in the eyes and the disappointed look I thought I would see there is nowhere to be found. In fact, the only thing I see is concern staring back at me.

Leaning my head back down, I snake my arms around his neck and breathe him in. He smells so good. He moves his hands from around my hips and curls his arms around my waist bringing me closer. I can feel him hard against my stomach.

I gasp and look up at him, heat and longing clear in his eyes. Before I can say anything his mouth crashes down on mine, hot and seeking, I melt into him, opening for him and his tongue clashes with mine. His teeth nip at my bottom lip and I whimper. Before I can explore the kiss any more, he pulls back.

“Christ…Kat” he says, running his hand through his blond hair causing some to spill out over his forehead. “I’m sorry, I don’t know why that happened.” He refuses to look at me, instead shaking his head and avoiding eye contact. “I’ll get Mike to take you girls home,” he says before stalking off leaving me standing there in shock, head spinning from that kiss.

What the hell just happened?

I make my way back to the table, where I find Mike and Alice. Before I even sit down across from Alice, I drain the remain liquid from my glass.

“What the hell happened? Jay practically ran out of here,” she asks

“Some jerk started getting cocky. Jay got pissed, told the guy to leave me alone,” I shrug, surprised that I managed to keep my voice sounding normal before starting in on the new cocktail the server just set down in front of me.

When I look up again, I can see on her face that Alice knows that isn’t the whole story but she chooses not to pursue it here in front of Mike.Instead, she reaches over to grab his beer and takes a long sip before putting it back down in front of him, giving me a shy smile. He just narrows his eyes at her not saying anything.

“I’m going to get going. I have an early flight out tomorrow.”

“Still need me to drive you to the airport in the morning?” Alice asks, stealing his beer again.

“Seriously, woman, get your own damn beer,” he huffs, but Alice just sticks her tongue out at him then smiles.

He tries to hide the smile that’s threatening to pull at his mouth but he’s not doing a very good job.

“Sure, if you still can that would be great.”

“I’ll be there with coffee.”

“And that’s why we’re best friends,” I say, grabbing my clutch.

When I’m heading out to the waiting cab my phone pings.

David: Heard you requested a few days off.

Me: I did. Family emergency back home.

David: What time’s your flight?

Me: 7 am

David: Let me take you to the airport

Me: I already have a ride

David: Cancel it

Resting my head against the back seat of the cab, I turn the ringer off on my phone, not replying to his text. This has all just gotten too confusing and the rum isn’t helping. I didn’t report David to HR, even though I know I should have. I figured that I could deal with it. I would handle it on my own and it would go away. But the man is persistent, and keeps texting me.

 

***

 

As soon as I throw my clutch down on the couch and kick off my heels there’s a knock on my door.

Who the hell would be coming over at almost two in the morning.

Standing on my tippy toes I look out of the peep hole. David is standing on the other side of my door, one hand leaning on the door frame the other hand in his dark jeans.

“What are you doing here?” I ask pulling open the door.

“Cancel your ride,” he says pushing past me and walking into the apartment.

“Please, come in,” I sigh, closing the door behind him. “I’m not cancelling my ride and you can’t be here.”

“Nice apartment.” He ignores what I said, slowly walking around the open living room, randomly picking up picture frames to get a closer look then putting them back.

“What are you doing here, David?”

“I already told you.” He puts down the final picture frame he was examining then turns to face me.

It’s a little unnerving having all six-feet-two inches of him focused on me. Despite the jeans and polo shirt he’s wearing he still looks perfectly put together. His jet-black hair is perfectly styled, even at two in the morning.

Does this man ever sleep?

His cerulean-blue eyes darken as they rake over my body before finding my face again. “You went out in that?”

My arms unwillingly cross over my body. I feel too exposed in this dress, especially in front of David. I shift my weight from foot to foot uncomfortably when he stalks closer to me.

I don’t want his eyes on me, nor his hands either so I take a step back when he moves closer.

“Don’t,” he commands as he reaches out and slowly untangles my arms from my body. “Don’t hide your body from me.”

“Why are you here, David?”

The hairs on the back of my neck stand up when he tightens his grip on my wrists.

“You look beautiful.” His tongue comes out to lick his lips as his eyes slowly roam over my breasts.

“You’re hurting me.” I try to twist my wrists and pull them back towards my body but his grip tightens.

He has us backed against the wall separating my living room from my bedroom. His one hand travels up my arm and cups my neck while his thumb slides across my bottom lip.

“Cancel your ride,” he says again.

“No.” Even I can hear how scared my voice sounds.

He leans in and licks a spot behind my ear. “Cancel your ride, Katherine.”

My breathing picks up when my back is forced against the wall and he presses himself more into me, his grip still solid around my wrist. David grips my chin with his other hand and forces his mouth down on mine, demanding entry. Tears roll down my face while I try to rip my face out of his hands with no avail. 

His hand finally leaves my chin to make its way down my stomach and around my back to cup my ass. I finally break away from his kiss and use my one hand to pound on his chest.

“David, stop. Please,” I beg, but his hand continues its assault on my ass and his mouth trails down my neck. My fist is still pounding on his chest when my front door flies open.

“What the fuck!”

In the next second, David is being yanked off me and Jay stands in between us, his shoulders heaving. If he were a cartoon character, I’m pretty sure there’d be steaming coming out of his ears. My fingers tremble when I try to hold the broken strap of my dress together to keep from falling down and exposing one of my breasts.

“Who are you?” David sneers, wiping the blood from his nose with the back of his hand.

“The guy who’s about to kick your ass,” Jay snarls.

“Yeah? I’d like to see you try.”

“Sure, if you have a death wish,” Mike’s voice carries from my front door, a dark look crossing his face.

“Get him out of here,” Jay demands and Mike nods.

David tries to fight Mike but another hit to the face has him knocked out and Mike throws his limp body over his shoulder. I’m too busy watching Mike heft David out of my apartment that I don’t realize Jay is studying me until his fingers graze my skin and I jump.

“Whoa, it’s just me.” He immediately removes his hand at my reaction. “Are you okay?”

I nod but don’t chance speaking because I know that if I were to open my mouth right now I may just break down. Instead I slip my arms around Jay’s waist and bury my face in his chest. I spend the next few minutes just allowing his scent to envelope me. I allow it to comfort me.

“What are you doing here? I mean, not that I’m not grateful that you happened to show up at the right time but after the way you left the club. . . .” I ask with my face still partially buried in his chest.

“Mike called and said he had noticed an odd car following your cab out of the parking lot. He thought it might’ve been me since mine’s in the shop and I had to rent one. I was already on my way over here when he called.” Jay places his hand on my arms and leans away slightly to get a better look at my face. “I didn’t like the way I left.”

“I’m glad you showed up when you did.” I smile tentatively up at him.

I love Jason. He’s my best friend. I know that if I ever needed anything, regardless of the time of day, he would do everything in his power to help me. He would protect me with his life. He takes care of me, and I him. But I can’t be in love with him. It would just never work out between us.

“Who was that anyway?”

“Nobody important,” I try to brush it off.

“Kat, the guy had you pinned against the wall for Christ’s sake.”

“I know, and you stopped it before it could go further. Thank you for that.”

We stand there staring at each other; me trying to will him to drop it, and him trying to will me to explain further. Finally, Jay backs down and glances at the black watch on his wrist. “It’s three in the morning. If you’re sure you’re okay, then I’m going to go.”

“Oh. It is?” Where the hell did the last hour go? “Um, well can you…I mean will you...” I sigh and try again, “do you mind sleeping on my couch tonight. Please?”

He looks pointedly at me. “Okay, but I’m not sleeping on your couch.”

“What? Why? Please don’t leave me alone tonight.”

The corner of his mouth lifts in a half smile as his eyes dart to my bedroom door and back to me.

“Jay –“ I sigh.

He holds up his hands in a gesture of surrender. “We’ll just sleep.”

I cross my arms, lean on my left foot, and raise an eyebrow at him.

He laughs. “Katherine, I’m not fitting my six-foot-six ass on that tiny couch of yours.” He drops his arms and takes a couple steps back. “I promise I’ll try my best not to maul you in my sleep,” he teases.

“Fine,” I huff, spinning on my heels and leading the way into my bedroom.

I change into my short sleep shorts and tank top before climbing into bed but he climbs in fully clothed. A part of me is relieved because if he had stripped down to his boxer-briefs, I wouldn’t have been able to control myself anymore.

As soon as I lay down and pull the duvet over myself he wraps his arm around me and I snuggle my back into his front. Sleep claims me instantly and five o’clock comes way too fast.

I’m not ready to give up the warmth of being wrapped up in his arms yet, but if I’m going to get to the airport in time for the six a.m. check-in time then I only have half an hour before I have to leave.

“Good morning,” he says, his lips close to my ear.

“I don’t wanna get up,” I groan.

He chuckles, “You have to or you’re going to miss your flight.”

“That sounds like a great idea. If I miss my flight, then I’ll have an excuse not to go home.”

He laughs, throwing the covers off us and I almost smack him when the cold air hits my bare skin. “Come on. If you get up now, I’ll grab us coffee.”

“Fine, I’m up. You said the magic word: coffee.”

Before I forget, I send Alice a quick message telling her not to worry about driving me to the airport.

Alice: Girl, I love you even more now for not dragging my lazy ass out of bed at the ass crack of dawn.

Alice: Be strong! Don’t let them get to you. I’ll have a shot of Jose waiting for you when you land in a few days. Luv u!

Me: LYH