Frowning, I glance around to make sure no one can hear.
“I read the letter.”
He brushes his hand across my cheek, and those silver eyes stare softly into mine with more compassion than Kode ever shows anyone else.
“He mentioned that?” I nod to his question, and he continues as his hand slides down to my waist, unable to stop touching me. “He wanted your mom to drop stuff off, but she didn’t want to. Melanie asked Rain, but it upset her. Then Corbin asked me to ask you, and it pissed me off. I didn’t want you having to deal with that, so I went and took Dale with me so I didn’t do something stupid. Did I screw up?”
His question is so sincere, that I almost launch myself into his arms. But instead, I just lean into his touch a little more, which of course has his roaming hands taking full advantage.
“No. You didn’t screw up. Why did you tell him about us?” My voice is soft, barely maintaining an audible tone over the music.
“I got defensive when he said something that I took out of context. It took him five seconds to realize I was there to protect you and not Rain. He actually seemed pleased with that.”
Oh damn. He’s drunk and talking in a way that is almost hard to understand, but there’s no doubt that he’s telling the truth right now. It’s almost enough. Almost.
His mouth returns to trailing kisses down my neck as he says, “I’d do anything to protect you.”
In that moment, I completely believe him. His brazen lips make it back down to my shirt, and his tongue darts out to find the line of my cleavage. I’m so glad the music is drowning out the embarrassing sounds I’m making. Kode is the only one hearing them, and it’s only fueling him.
I can’t breathe, especially when his bold hand grabs my shirt, inching it down to uncover more flesh on my breast for him to attack.
“I have to go to the bar. I’ll be back,” I hoarsely tell Kode, trying to escape before I end up screwing him in the booth.
He stands when I do, and he grabs my hips, pulling my back to his front, as he moves us toward the bar. “Not without me,” he mumbles, stumbling a little. “Too many people.”
Again, my heart clenches, swelling with a touch of pride. His eyes are on me. No one else. His hands act as though they’ll never let me go.
After ordering my drink, I look over as Rain joins me at my side, ordering her one as well. Kode continues nibbling on my neck until Corbin hauls him off me. I almost beg Corbin to let him go, because it feels so good, but I know I shouldn’t.
“Give her just a little room,” Corbin says, laughing. “You told me not to let you scare her.”
Kode frowns, but he glances over at me for a fleeting second before sighing in defeat. Maverick walks around
to hand him another drink, and they talk to each other while Ash squeezes in at the bar with us.
When I turn my attention back to Rain, she’s grumbling and knocking some guy’s hands away.
“Get the hell away.” Her disdain bleeds into her tone, but the creep doesn’t take a hint.
“Dude, back the hell up,” Maverick growls, glaring at the guy.
The guy just laughs while holding his hands up, staggering to the left a little in a drunken stupor. “Sorry. Didn’t know she was yours.”
He stumbles in behind me, but the second his hands touch my waist, he’s falling and yelping. When he lands on the ground, he starts clutching his nose as it spews blood. Kode’s fist drops back to his side as he looks down at the guy he just punched out, and my eyes go wide when I see the murderous glare in his eyes.
He didn’t hit the guy while he was all over Rain. This guy barely touched me.
“Kode, don’t!” I say, grabbing his arm when he moves toward the guy like he might do more.
“He shouldn’t have put his fucking hands on you,” he growls, too drunk to know when to stop.
That’s my breaking point. All the pieces fall together, and I lose the last ounce of my resolve.
No one is helping me hold Kode back. What the hell?
To keep him from pummeling the guy and going to jail, my hands go to his shoulders as I step in front of him, and I use them as leverage to haul myself up and wrap my legs around his waist. His hands immediately go to my ass, and his eyes lose their angry haze as lust and excitement fills them. His angry scowl turns into a slow, sexy grin that has me tightening my legs around him for an entirely different reason.
“What’re you doin’, baby?” he asks in a sexy drawl that has me reminding myself to breathe.