THREE – GREGORY
What the hell just happened? I thought she would be grateful for my help, though that is not why I leaped into action. When I saw his intention to grab her, my vision turned red. The urge to protect her was so sudden, I was on my feet and heading to the table in seconds. I did not get there soon enough to stop him but he wasn’t able to hold her for long. All I could think about was hurting him. I threw him out of his chair and had him against the wall in a flash. He is lucky I let him walk away without pounding him senseless. I would have if I didn’t see Ash out of the corner of my eye. Seeing her calmed me enough to not hurt him, but it didn’t stop me from scaring him. Watching him hurry out of the tavern, I was sure he was too scared to attempt anything else. My job should have been done there.
After he left, I turned to look at Ash and I was stunned for two reasons.
The first, she was standing so close to me – too close to be proper. I could see every tiny freckle splattered across her nose and I could smell her heavenly aroma. I was right, she smelled like summer: like sunshine, wildflowers and the forest. Her nearness shocked me into sudden stillness, lest I ruin the moment and scare her away.
The second was the fire in her eyes and the anger they carried. Her smell and that look would have left me stupefied if she didn’t start yelling at me. I am a fighter to the core and as soon as someone directs their anger towards me, I snap to attention.
I had her all chalked up as insane and I was ready to chase her out of town – despite my attraction. I was already drafting my fight back when she shocked me, yet again with her last whispered sentence, “I can protect myself.” That short sentence undid all my fight, more than seeing unbeatable foe would have. The quiver of her voice and the flash of vulnerability gave her away. She destroyed any notion of a mad woman in that one quick crack in her façade.
I became entranced with the urge to protect her. My draw to her is so strong, I can’t stop thinking about anything except her.
Watching her strut away up the stairs, it took all my self-control not to chase after her. Her hips swayed side to side and I was instantly reminded how her whole backside looked when she was naked; curvy and plump. It deserved to be worshipped. I find myself wondering if the blush would extend over her entire body when she is mad? My cock perked up, imagining that blush covering her perfect breasts.
Walking back to the table, I grab my fresh pint and chug it down in one smooth motion. Those thoughts about her are trouble and I find myself wanted to drink into abandon. Drink enough that I stop obsessing over every little part of her.
I want her to open to me - and for me.
No, trying to scold some sense into myself, she needs to leave. A shifter is dangerous to be around for many reasons, but most of all, she could attract Ridders.
Grant senses my troubled mood but he thinks it is solely because she turned me down. He does not know the war raging inside me. Trying to do what brothers do best, he is attempting to lighten my mood and raise my spirits.
“I told you, Gregory, she hasn’t shown the slightest interest in any of us. You weren’t going to change that by being a knight in shining armor.”
“I know, she made that loud and clear, she doesn’t need one.” But she does, I think to myself.
“Nope, and I don’t think Nash is going to let you live that down for quite some time. He looked like he was going to die from laughing after she went upstairs.”
Grant was right, Nash broke into a jolly laugh, then reminded all of us to leave her be. He has always acted as an honorary father to the girls who work here. Something the whole community is grateful for. It’s a relief knowing the young woman are looked after, especially since the ones who work in taverns typically don’t have any family of their own to protect them.
“I am sure I will never hear the end of it from any of you. It’s a wonder why she got so mad though?” Determined, I will find out, next time I see her.
“She is probably just fed up with everyone bothering her. Nash said she is a pretty private person, but everyone has treated her as a new toy since she arrived. Poor girl must have only wanted to be left alone, not rescued by some stranger. A stranger who probably expected something in gratitude.”
Shaking my head, “No, I don’t think that is it. After being around Nash for so long, she must have known that one of us in here would protect her from wandering hands. I think it must have been something else, I just don’t know what.” And it’s driving me mad.
“Could it have been her disappointment at seeing it was you?” His face lit up with a grin, “Maybe she was hoping for the other brother.”
Despite myself, I started smiling, Grant really does have a way of lightening up the situation. “Ha Ha. I doubt it. As we discussed earlier, you are only pretty after a few pints. No one except mother would love you sober.”
“Hopefully they are planning on having plenty of drinks at dinner tonight then, I would loathe being hated.”
“Oh god, the dinner.” I had forgotten. Remembering only made me want to have another drink. Tonight was not going to end well. I chugged the rest of my beer, “One more? I need to talk to you about something?”