It was stupid, but I was ridiculously pleased at Ryan’s protectiveness of me and his reference to me as his wife.
The other man held his hands in surrender. “I just asked to dance.”
“Yeah, well, she said no. So back off buddy.”
The man rolled his shoulders. “Such cowboys you American men are.”
Ryan took my arm and led me back to the table. “Are you alright?”
“I’m fine. He’s not the first guy to hit on me. It’s sort of par for the course, if you know what I mean.”
He sat across from me and slid my drink toward me. “No, I don’t know.”
I shrugged. “Sometimes men hit on women. I’m sure you get hit on too.”
His jaw tightened as he turned to look on the dance floor like he wanted to make sure the man was staying away. “He needs to learn that no means no.”
I snorted. “He’s not the only one. Men like him are everywhere. Even in San Diego.”
He frowned. “You have to deal with that a lot?”
“No, but that’s only because I don’t go out much. I’m enjoying this time with you, but at home, it’s not really my scene. I don’t know why, though. I like to dance.”
His eyes flashed with heat. “You’re good at it. It’s a wonder only one man hit on you.”
I smiled. “Really?”
He rolled his eyes. “Yes, really. You’re a beautiful sexy woman.”
I looked down in my drink, trying to not to look like a goofball at how pleased his words made me feel. “You’re a sexy dancer too.”
He sipped his drink. “Do tell me more.”
I laughed. “What I’m curious about is where you learned to move like that?”
He shrugged. “I wasn’t always an automaton.”
I frowned, not liking that he referred to himself like that.
“I did high school dances and some clubbing in college. The usual. I haven’t danced since I started in my position at Strong though.”
“Is that when you last got laid too?” I was joking, but once the words left my mouth, I felt weird at asking.
His brow arched. “No. The last time I got laid…” He looked at his watch. “It’s been a long time.”
My cheeks heated.
“Before you, I wasn’t a monk, but neither was I out on the prowl like your Monsieur Douchebag over there.”
I didn’t want to talk about our pasts. I definitely didn’t want to talk about our future because there wasn’t one. At least not one that included our spending time like this. I just wanted to be here and now, but not in a club.
“I want you to touch me,” I blurted across the table.
He cocked his head as if he wasn’t sure what I was saying.
“I want to leave here and have you fuck my brains out.”
He shot up and held out his hand to me. “Let’s go then.”