He grabbed my drink and raised it to his lips before I could flinch away. As he drank without asking, I stared at him in shock. He held on to my hand, squeezing my fingers around the rim of the cup.

A grimace formed on his face, and he lowered the sugary drink before I could respond angrily. The moment his fingers slid away from mine and he was able to place my cup on the high table beside me, I let out a sigh of relief.

"There's a good reason you're not even drinking that cheap shite: it tastes terrible. " The wrinkles appeared on his nose. "Look, I get that this joint is a dive, but they need to stock more booze. "

He raised his glass and extended his hand to me, urging me to imitate the flavor of his drink.

Before we could make physical contact, I quickly yanked my hand away. Not again did I want to feel his cold fingers pressing against mine. "Thanks, but no thanks."

"Come on, Emily. Don't be that way."

I bit my lower lip together and shook my head, showing that I didn't give a hoot about what other people thought.

My attempts to stifle my unease were met with the reassurance that he was, after all, just flirting. My stomach was in knots because of his proprietary touches, but I knew that was silly.

Even as recently as last weekend, I had practically encircled him in passionate kisses. Not some creepy random guy, that one. I had no reason to take his proximity as anything other than assured flirtation.

I'd previously let him get me drunk, but this time I was much soberer. I had no desire to repeat either the experience or the subsequent terrible hangover.

"All right then." The man placed his beer can on the table. His grin persisted, and I mustered a grin of my own.

I didn't want fear to dictate my choices, and I knew I'd be kicking myself if I let my anxiety prevent me from accepting Stun's invitation to the club's farewell party. If I were to tell Ella, she'd be overjoyed. In order to dispel the strange feelings that were making me uneasy, I concentrated on my friend's joy.

Stun barged into my personal space and the stale beer smell washed over my face. my body reflexively retreated, causing me to collide with the barstool behind me. My legs gave out from under me and I staggered, but he caught my upper arms.

"Thanks," I managed to mumble out. I shifted again to get away, but he held on.

He leaned in close enough for his hot breath to fan over my lips and said, "I think you owe me a kiss." He had a smoky, alcoholic aroma.

I retorted, "I don't think so," going for a tone of firm assertiveness. As a result, the denial came out a little haltingly. Despite the fact that we'd shared a kiss before, I felt extremely uneasy with him so close and so insistently holding my arms.

"Don't act so arrogant! If you want it, you'll get it. "

My gut twisted in knots as my worry turned to outright terror. It wasn't just cocky attempts at flirtation. His hands were rough and grabbing as we kissed in a drunken haze, but I wasn't exactly at my best, either. His pawing had been written off by me as drunken clumsiness.

Whether was inebriated at the time, there was no justification for him to refer to me as a cocktease. The places on my upper arms where he kept his grasp made me squirm.

"you're incorrect. Don't give it to me. Please release me. "I twisted in an attempt to free myself from his grip, but he kept holding on. On the contrary, he leaned in closer.

"Put your hands down. "The deep, manly growl sounded threatening, and it made me flinch.

With keen eyes, I peered beyond Stun in quest of my rescuer. Nicola's eyes were a fiery blue, and they seared into the lad who had cornered me. My throat tightened, but his rage wasn't meant at me.

I was released by Stun so that he could confront Nicola. In a matter of seconds, I had placed some space between us, my back eventually colliding with the wall. Stun made a blatant territorial display by positioning his body in front of mine and preventing me from passing.

"Let her go! "A deep, threatening rumble characterized Nicola's tone of speech. Even though the preppy youngster was just over six feet tall, he towered over Stun by several inches. Nicola's rippling, amazing muscles trembled with barely contained anger.

Stun didn't back down because he was either too drunk to realize what he was doing or too stupid to care.

"fuck off"

Nicola was lightning fast, and his hands were wrapped in the front of Stun's shirt. He shoved the youngster against the wall and yanked him away from me, creating an awkward gap of several feet.

"Go!" he said with icy tone.

"You're kicked out. You'll have to answer to me if I see you in here again, or if you come anywhere near Emily. "

For a few more seconds, he looked directly at Stun with his blazing eyes, hoping to exert his influence on the smaller guy. The moment he let go, Stun pushed angrily against his thick chest. Nicola didn't budge more than a fingertip, maintaining his composure. His gaze sharpened as he fixed it on Stun, and the guy gave me one more stare before stomping out in a huff.

Nicola's voice startled me, and I immediately looked up. When he threatened Stun, his voice had had an air of dread, but now it was calm.

I became aware of my own trembling. My fingers were trembling and I did my best to control them. While I escaped unscathed, the experience was rather unsettling.

I'm going to drive you back to your place. There was no inquiry implied, yet I found myself nodding in agreement. I didn't want to risk Stun waiting for me outside if I left without an escort.

The whole pub was silent as everyone watched the fight between Stun and Nicola. Needles pricking at my skin from dozens of eyes, I was immediately aching to go back to the privacy of my apartment.

"Come on. I've got you." Nicola extended his hand, signaling to me that I could start the physical contact. Nicola gave me the option of accepting or rejecting Stun's physical contact when he invaded my space.

I had zero fear of him. Because he had just ridden in like a white stallion and rescued me. His promise to take me home was unwavering, but he still needed to get my approval.

Putting my hand in his made me feel more secure and helped calm the anxiety in my tummy. His long fingers wrapped gently around my. After a little moment of relief, I thanked him and followed him out. People scattered to avoid coming into contact with Nicola.

He went ahead of me, his bulk protecting me from harm. I tightened my grip on his hand, and his thumb ran soothingly over my palm.

Just before we left, I caught a glimpse of Ella out of the corner of my eye. She scarcely broke stride to give me the thumbs up as we danced carefreely together.

There was no way she could have witnessed what happened to Stun from where she was in the throng. Had my closest friend been around, she would have helped Nicola come to my aid. If she saw the fight, she'd be even more perplexed by the fact that I left with the stunning bartender so early in the evening.

Ella had no idea that Stun had frightened me; she was just glad to see me and Nicola walking hand in hand. I figured I'd have some quality one-on-one time with the object of my affection because she probably wouldn't be returning to our apartment for a bit.

After weeks of mounting sexual tension, the reality that he was going to take me home felt unbelievable. There had been occasions when I doubted whether or not he was interested in me, but now I knew for sure. The man named Nicola was keen on having me.

Nicola

After this, there was no turning back. And when that spoiled jerk touched her, I couldn't control my aggressive impulses. When she put her hand in mine, believing that I would keep her safe and bring her home, she sealed her own doom.

As we went out into the cool fall air, she said, "Do you want to order an Uber?"

When I finally looked at her, all uncertainty vanished. What obstacles stood between her and me, I couldn't care less.

Until tomorrow, she was mine, only for tonight. Just to be a gentlemen, I'd escort her home, but I'd definitely sneak a goodnight kiss.

After that, I would tell her everything if she welcomed me in. After thinking about her supple body being trapped under mine for weeks, there's no way I could resist.

I hesitated for a split second before responding, "I'll drive."

Her bright red cheeks and blue eyes were a major visual distraction. Before, I'd just seen her in the low light of the pub, but the bright streetlights really brought off her fair complexion. She was so beautiful she seemed to glow, just like the angel I'd always imagined.

She said, "Okay," showing no apprehension about riding shotgun with a virtual stranger. But I didn't want to scare her, so I didn't warn her that her actions may put her in danger with another guy. So I held my tongue and resisted the impulse to set her straight.

Other, more sinister method came to mind. I had fantasized about the feel of her shapely ass bouncing under my palm more times than I like to admit.

She was far too innocent and exquisite to be exposed to such grotesqueries. I was able to rein in my more barbaric tendencies for her sake. I wouldn't give in to my baser animal impulses around her.

But it didn't stop me from touching her in other ways.

After waiting for her to close the gap, I reached out and touched the small of her back. It seems she didn't put up much of a fight. Instead, she felt a little chill go through her.

"Do you feel chilly? "

She stammered, "Y-yes," and I knew she wasn't just a little chilly from the night air. "Um, I haven't gotten acclimated to the weather here yet. It's true; I was born and raised in the Peach State.

"What year are you?"

Try not to refer to them as freshmen. I couldn't fuck her if she was under the age of 18. Not if her age difference from mine was more than five years.

A sophomore, she said. "I'm in my second year at Nevada, and I still can't stand the winter weather."

She invited me to put my arm over her, which I did to keep her warm. She pressed herself up against me, nestled in as if she had always been there.

The delighted grin that curled my lips would not go away.

"You should wear a jacket," I admonished, although I was grateful for the excuse to hold her.

"Five or more layers are typical for me in the classroom, but I prefer to leave the coat at home when I go out for drinks. I really don't want to misplace it. It's not a big deal for me because I usually just hop in and out of an Uber. "

Without actually saying it, I often found myself wishing she wore dresses that fit a little more snugly. That she didn't put on any extra layers was fine with me.

We made it to my car, a black Telas that I had purchased in cash from a less reputable dealer and was now badly damaged. I didn't want my identity to be linked to that purchase. Since I'd moved to Havard, every action on my part had been deliberate and meant to conceal my true identity.

As cautious as I could have been, I had been. No one was likely to come across me. Emily was in no real danger. And if the extremely unlikely event of danger occurring, I could still defend her.

When she snuggled up to me even more, her unwavering confidence in me made my heart swell. It felt damn good to unleash my violent instincts to protect rather than punish when I defended her from that creep in the bar. In particular, when Emily looked at me with her big blue eyes, as if I were some sort of fuckhero.

The longer I was in her presence, the more convinced I became that I was entitled to her. In order for me to claim her as mine.

Despite my threats, the jerk who touched her might not back off now. If I were there to protect her, it would be best.

As I opened the passenger door and helped her slide into the seat, my resolve hardened. To avoid abruptly ending our physical contact, I leaned in to fasten her seatbelt, keeping my hands on hers for a few extra seconds beyond what was strictly necessary.

She insisted, "I can get it," but her chest tightened.

With a smug grin on my face, I said, "You could." She hadn't pushed away my advances, and her objections had been breathy with ardor.

In all likelihood, I would receive a goodnight kiss.

"Are you sure you're all right?" When I first got behind the wheel, I questioned. I cast a quick glance in her direction to gauge her. Her beautiful eyes glistened like gems in the reflected streetlight.

"What? Um, yeah. Yes,. No, I'm good.

Stun. For weeks, I'd been aware of the scumbag's crush on Emily. I had noticed that he leaned in close to her and kept a watchful eye on her. I didn't like it, but she wasn't mine to begin with. Since I had no right to her, I could do nothing to prevent other men from flirting with her.

Things changed, however, the moment his hands touched her. The rage I'd been suppressing, the primal urges I'd fought so hard to overcome, had erupted in a blaze of fury. It had taken every ounce of self-control I could muster to keep from smashing my fist into his pretty-boy face.

She simply said "thanks" in response. When she covered mine with her delicate hand, I felt a sense of security. There was no need to come to my defense like that.

"I did that, yes." There was no way I could have stood by and allowed him to touch her. Their relationship couldn't work because she was too innocent to be tainted by him.

My palm brushed against hers, and I interlaced my fingers. Her hand was much smaller than mine, but it still fit snugly in my protective clasp.

"What's your home adress? "

"Those are the Every Apartments. Thanks."

"You shouldn't feel obligated to thank me every time something goes right. Yes, I'm more than happy to help out. "

"Oh. Sorry."

My mouth twitched slightly at the corner. Really, she just oozed cuteness. " And you shouldn't feel obligated to apologize, either. "

Her grip tightened in mine, and I could tell she was uncomfortable. I had seen her many times from across the bar, and every time a boy approached her, she would stiffen and start playing nervously with her fingernails.

I didn't want to make her uncomfortable because I wasn't a boy.

At least not in that sense.