"Why would I wear your coat?"
He nods to my dress.
Is he really telling me my dress is too skimpy? He was in the bathroom with a chick in this dress. "Excuse me?"
"There's drugs at this party."
"I know."
"You shouldn't be here."
It hits me like a ton of bricks. "I shouldn't be here? I'm not the one who—"
"Keep your voice down." He leads me through the crowd, towards the door.
I'm not sure where Kit gets off telling me what to do—apparently, he didn't get off in the bathroom, not if the hard on straining against his jeans is any indication.
I don't need another guy who thinks he's in charge of my life.
He grabs his leather jacket from the rack and takes his time helping me into it. "You're a nice girl, Piper. This place isn't your scene."
"It shouldn't be yours either."
"It's not."
"Then why are you here?"
"I live down the hall."
"And?"
His dark eyes fix on mine. "I'm not going to tell Ethan or Mal I found you here."
"And I'm not going to tell Ethan or Mal I walked in on you getting blown by some random chick."
He chuckles.
"Or that you were at a party with drugs."
No more chuckle. His expression gets serious, intense. He leans in close enough to whisper. "Do you actually want to be here?"
No. Not even a little. But- "I don't want to spend New Years Eve alone."
"You're not alone. You're with me."
"That must be fun for you, babysitting your friend's baby sister."
"I don't offer to do shit I don't want to do."
Likely story.
"Either I take you to my apartment or I take you home. Those are your only choices." He looks at me the way Mal and Ethan do—like I'm the innocent young thing he has to protect.
"Have you heard of asking nicely?"
He shakes his head.
"I suppose women do whatever you order them to do?"