“What’s taking so long? I want to see. Show us the dress,” Cam calls out. Birdie nudges me out from behind the divider. As soon as I step out, I spot who I’m guessing is Denver. He’s standing next to Sterling but staring my way. “Oh my. I want to see the back. Turn for me.” Cam claps her hands together.
I reluctantly turn, feeling awkward with everyone staring at me. “Damn,” a deep voice rumbles.
“The fuck are you looking at?” Sterling booms. I spin back around when a crashing sound follows.
Sterling has Denver in a headlock and is yanking him out of the room.
“What the hell? Tucker!” Cam yells as Denver starts to swing to get out of Sterling’s hold. I watch in horror as they come to blows.
Tucker and Calder come rushing into the room to see what’s going on. “The fuck they fighting over?” Tucker asks as they both go to try and pull them apart. Cam points her thumb toward me.
“What?” I hold my hands up.
“Maybe let’s take this dress off.” Birdie pulls me back behind the divider. She quickly helps me out of it. All I can hear is more crap banging around and a bunch of male shouting.
“Can I?” I point toward the bathroom door that I know has another door that leads out into the hallway.
“Yeah.” Birdie nods. “You’re going to need a head start.” She laughs as I once again make my escape.
CHAPTER 15
STERLING
“What the hell were you thinking, Denver?” I shout.
My former classmate holds up a hand and bends over at the waist, panting. “I was just standing there.”
“The hell you were. Your tongue came out. You licked your lips.” The memory of that makes me angry again, and I take a menacing step toward the other guy.
Denver swipes a hand across his mouth. “I don’t remember that.”
I grit my teeth. I can feel the weight of Tucker’s stare over my shoulder. He’s going to try to intervene if I take this any further. “You did.” I pick up Denver’s hat that had fallen off and toss it to him. “You better get gone before my fists make you unrecognizable to your mother.”
Denver dusts off his hat and slams it onto his head. “I don’t know what’s gotten into you, Sterling. I was only looking, and besides, girls these days don’t like possessive behavior. It’s a red flag, and you’re not going to get one to stick around unless you re-arrange your attitude.”
“Why don’t you go take your preaching somewhere else? I’m not interested in your opinions.” Red flags? Like I can change who I am. I turn back and brush by Tucker, who doesn’t say a word, likely seeing the black cloud over my head and knowing that if he does try to talk to me, we’re going to fight, which will make Birdie cry. Birdie’s workroom is empty, so I run down the long corridor to the Widow’s Chambers. The door is locked. I pound my fist on it.
“Maria, dammit, let me in.”
“Why?” comes a muffled response.
“Because I can’t talk to you through this door.”
“Maybe I don’t want to hear what you have to say.”
“I’m going to kick this door down,” I warn. I back up and take aim. The door flies open before I do any damage.
“Come in then.” She stands to the side, but I just pick her up and throw her over my shoulder. “Wait! Where are you taking me?”
I don’t say a word as I take the stairs three at a time. I close the door with the heel of my boot and throw her on the bed. She bounces lightly before righting herself with a scowl. “Why are you tossing me around like a sack of rice?”
“Why are you parading your fine body in front of other men? If you want a little attention, I’m right here.”
She rolls her eyes. “What are you mad about? I just tried on the dress.”
“That is not a dress. That is pure temptation in fabric form.”
“Other people have worn dresses like that.”
“No, they haven’t, and you’re not other people. You’re Maria. And I can’t have you wearing stuff like this out in public. You’ll cause a riot! I’ll end up fighting every man in a fifty mile radius, and the hospitals are already full.”
Her lips twitch for a half second and then she straightens, lifting her chin, as if she is having some internal battle about giving in to me or fighting her feelings. “I don’t know why you’re so bothered. I’m just a mistake you’re making.”
“When did I ever call you a mistake?”
Her mouth falls open. “In bed last night you said we could make these mistakes together.”
I toss my hat across the room where it lands on the dresser. “I said that because you said you wanted to stay in your pristine form for the marriage that you’re gonna have with some other man in the future.” That part makes me even more heated. She’s saving herself for someone other than me? That can’t be right.