“Get away from her.” Joseph’s voice was a low, fierce rumble. He had several inches of height on Stu, even though the preppy boy was a little over six feet tall. Joseph’s impressive muscles rippled with barely restrained violence.
Stu was either drunk enough or stupid enough that he didn’t back down.
“Fuck off,” he sneered.
Joseph moved with lightning speed, and his fists curled in the front of Stu’s shirt. He jerked the boy away from me and slammed him back against the wall, forcing several feet of distance between us.
“Leave,” he ordered coldly. “You’re banned. If I ever see you in here again—and if I ever see you anywhere near Ashlyn—you’ll answer to me.”
He held Stu in his burning stare a few seconds longer, impressing his will on the smaller man. When he finally released him, Stu shoved at his rock-solid chest in a show of petulance. Joseph barely swayed back an inch, standing his ground. His eyes narrowed on Stu, and the creep shot one last glare in my direction before sulking off toward the exit.
“You okay?”
I jolted when Joseph addressed me. His low, soothing tone was in sharp contrast to the menace that had imbued his voice when he’d threatened Stu.
“Um, yeah.” I realized I was trembling. I tried to still my shaking fingers. I wasn’t hurt, but the encounter had been unnerving.
“I’m going to take you home.” It wasn’t a question, but I found myself nodding in response. I didn’t want to leave without an escort in case Stu decided to wait for me outside.
The bar had gone quiet around us as all the focus shifted toward the altercation between Stu and Joseph. Dozens of eyes pricked at my skin like needles, and I was suddenly desperate to return to the safe solitude of my apartment.
“Come on. I’ve got you.” Joseph reached out his hand, giving me the option to initiate physical contact. After Stu had inserted himself in my personal space, I appreciated that Joseph allowed me to choose whether or not I wanted him to touch me.
I wasn’t at all afraid of him. How could I be, when he’d just swooped in and saved me like my own personal knight in shining armor? Although his assertion that he’d take me home had been firm, he was waiting for my consent.
I placed my hand in his, and a sense of safety rolled over me, easing the knots in my stomach. His long fingers closed around mine in a gentle grip. I breathed out a relieved sigh and gratefully followed him toward the exit. The crowd parted to avoid Joseph’s hulking form. He walked ahead of me, his big body shielding mine. I squeezed his hand tighter, and his thumb rubbed across my palm in a reassuring caress.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jayme just before we stepped outside. She barely paused her carefree dancing to give me a thumbs-up. She’d been so deep in the crowd that I doubted she’d seen what’d happened with Stu. My bestie would’ve come to my rescue alongside Joseph. And she’d have a lot more questions about my decision to leave with the gorgeous bartender so early in the evening if she’d seen the scuffle.
As it was, Jayme had no inkling that Stu had freaked me out, and she was simply happy to see me holding hands with Joseph. I suspected she wouldn’t be coming back to our apartment for a while, granting me plenty of alone-time with my crush.
Now that he was actually going to take me home after weeks of sexual tension building between us, it seemed surreal. I’d second-guessed his interest in me so many times, but there was no longer any doubt in my mind. Joseph wanted me.
Chapter Three
Joseph
There was no going back now. When that entitled asshole put his hands on her, I hadn’t been able to restrain my more violent urges. And by the time she placed her hand in mine, trusting me to protect her and take her home, her fate was sealed.
“Do you want to get an Uber?” she asked when we stepped out into the crisp autumn air.
I finally turned to look at her, and any lingering doubt left my mind. I didn’t give a fuck about the complications that might keep her from me. For tonight, she was mine. I’d be a gentleman and take her home, but I’d steal a goodnight kiss, at the very least. If she invited me in after that, I wouldn’t hold anything back. I wouldn’t be able to, not after weeks of fantasizing about her soft body pinned beneath mine.
“I’ll drive,” I said, realizing I’d waited a second too long to answer. Her flushed cheeks and sparkling sapphire eyes were very distracting. I’d only ever seen her in the dim lighting of the bar, but now her ivory skin was illuminated by the streetlights. She practically shined, every bit the angel I’d envisioned.