I looked down at my arm and then glared up at Jared. He removed his gentle hold on me so as not to offend me further. “Just…wait a minute. It’s not what you think.”
“I don’t think anything,” I snapped.
Jared sighed. “Yes, you do. If you would just give me a moment to explain….”
In the next moment Ryan was standing beside me, eyeing Jared. “She’s leaving. You need to step back,” Ryan said in a low, hostile voice.
Jared turned his head away from us, laughing off the threat. He turned to look directly at Ryan, and I recoiled as his eyes turned from warm pools to steely blue.
After a few tense moments, Jared looked down at me. His eyes softened again. “Nina, I don’t want you to leave upset. Just hear me out.”
“I don’t think I wil ,” I said, turning away from him. His hand shot out to catch my arm once more. Ryan grabbed Jared’s arm and I could see that in seconds the situation was going to escalate.
A petite hand shot out and gripped Ryan’s wrist, bending it back just enough to incapacitate him. Ryan cried out in pain.
A feminine but firm voice came from behind Jared. “I’m just going to tel you this once. Don’t put your hands on my brother.”
“Okay! Okay!” Ryan begged.
“Al right, Claire, that’s enough,” Jared murmured, watching me. He sighed at the horror that emanated from my eyes as I watched her draw her hand back from Ryan’s.
“This is my little sister, Claire,” Jared explained with chagrin.
My eyes shot a confused look at Claire, searching for some sort of offense taken by her, but there was none. He was tel ing the truth.
“Your sister?” I asked. From my peripheral vision, I could see Ryan rubbing his wrist.
Claire watched Ryan, seeming both irritated and concerned, almost as if she had regretted hurting him. Jared noticed the way she looked at Ryan as wel , and they traded a strange glance.
“I didn’t want you to think…,” Jared trailed off, looking at me, “I’m sorry. About the other day, it’s difficult….”
Claire rol ed her eyes and made her way to the bar. Jared whispered in her ear as she passed.
“Behave yourself.”
“Whatever,” she snapped.
Claire made herself comfortable on the bar stool and ordered a water, keeping to herself. After a few moments, her eyes flashed to Ryan and then back down to her drink.
Jared turned to me again, obviously wanting to pick up where we left off. His eyes wandered beside me to where Ryan was stil standing.
“It’s okay, Ryan,” I whispered, touching his arm. I noticed Jared stare at my hand as if it would burst into flames.
“Okay?” Ryan repeated, stil rubbing his wrist. I didn’t miss the edge of uneasiness in his voice.
“Yeah,” I smiled.
Ryan walked with Kim and Beth to the wal beside the door to join the rest of the group we came with. They al made a poor attempt to pretend they were watching for the cab.
“What are you doing here, Jared?” I snapped my head back to meet his eyes. He muttered something under his breath, briefly surveying the room ful of people that were staring at us. I cocked my head and leaned so that I was somewhat in his line of sight. “Jared?”
“I didn’t want you to think I was with Claire. She insisted on coming in,” he said, looking back to me.
“I’m not sure why you’re here at al ,” I crossed my arms and glared at him.
Jared noted the stubborn set of my chin and sighed. “I’m here because of what happened the other day. The look on your face when you walked away…I couldn’t just let you think that I didn’t….that I wasn’t….,” he was struggling with the truth, and it was aggravating me.
“Just say it!”
He winced at my tone. “I have these…feelings for you. And when I saw you over here, with that same look on your face, I was afraid you’d never speak to me again if I didn’t explain.”
“You have feelings for me?”
His face fel . “I can’t get you out of my head.”
That simple sentence had my heart pounding through my chest. He lightly cupped my jaw and brushed his thumb against my cheek. His touch sent a jolt of electricity throughout my body from my head to my toes.
A sultry guitar solo played from the jukebox. I knew the song vaguely, but wasn’t paying enough attention to it to figure it out. Jared’s mouth turned up into a half-smile, and he pul ed on both of my hands.
“Come here,” he said.
He walked backwards and led me to the smal wooden dance floor. Pul ing me close to his chest, his eyes never left mine. Everyone in the room must have been staring at us through the smoky haze, but I couldn’t disengage my gaze from his, even for a moment. He wrapped his arms around my middle, and I slid my hands up his arms, stopping at his shoulders.
I wasn’t sure if we were even dancing, with al of my focus on the fact that our bodies were so close. He broke his stare and leaned down to press his lips to my hair. I pressed my cheek against his chest and closed my eyes.
He tightened his grip, and every inch of me that was in contact with him burned in a wonderful way. I looked up and my eyes stal ed on his lips, the bottom a bit ful er than the top. I bit my lip in anticipation, the alcohol dissolving al of my inhibitions.
His body stiffened and I turned to fol ow his glare to the bar. One of the older men stil loitering in the pub had approached Claire.