He put a hand on the door behind me and leaned into the last bit of my space. “You need a goddamn keeper.”
“I’m not some helpless damsel in distress, Knox.”
“Really? Where would you be if it wasn’t me who found you in the cafe? Staying in Tina’s shithole trailer with Way? No job. No car. No phone.”
I was getting very close to whacking him over the head with my tray. “You caught me on a bad day.”
“Bad day? Fuck me, Naomi. If I didn’t drive your ass to the goddamn mall, you still wouldn’t have a cell phone. Like it or not, you need someone watching out for you because you’re too damn stubborn to do it yourself. You’re too busy trying to take care of everyone else to bother with yourself.”
His chest was pressing against mine, and I was having trouble focusing on the fury that rose in my throat. Hot, hard muscle against soft flesh. His proximity made me feel drunk.
“You’re not kissing me,” I insisted. In hindsight, the warning was a tad presumptuous since he’d never kissed me before. But to be fair, he really looked like he wanted to kiss me.
“I’d rather wring your pretty little neck right now,” he said, eyes narrowing on my mouth.
I licked my lips, preparing to definitely not kiss him.
The low rumble in his chest vibrated through my body as he dipped his head toward mine.
A new vibration interrupted us.
“Fuck,” he hissed, yanking his phone out of his pocket. “What?” He listened, then let out a string of colorful curses. “Don’t let him past the bar. I’ll be out in a second.”
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“See? That right there is your problem,” he said, pointing a finger in my face as he yanked the door open.
“What?”
“You’re suddenly too worried about me to watch your own ass while you’re serving a table of criminals.”
“Has anyone ever told you you’re ridiculously dramatic?” I asked as he hauled me out. He was texting with his free hand.
“No one who didn’t have a death wish. Let’s go, Daze. This time I’ll let you make my problem yours.”
TWENTY
A WINNING HAND
Knox
My problem—besides the length of Naomi’s skirt—was leaning against the bar in full uniform, making small talk with a handful of regulars.
I dragged Naomi with me into the alcove of the kitchen doors. “My brother doesn’t get near that room. Got it?”
Her eyes widened. “Why are you telling me?”
“Because you’re going to distract him and get him the hell out of here.”
She dug in her heels and crossed her arms. “I don’t recall the section on my job application that required me to lie to law enforcement.”
“I’m not telling you to lie. I’m telling you to get those good girl eyes and that cleavage over there and flirt with him until he forgets all about busting that game.”
“That doesn’t sound any better than lying. It sounds like prostitution, and I’m pretty sure any family court judge would frown upon that during a custody hearing!”
I blew out a breath through my nostrils, then dug out my wallet. “Fine. I’ll give you a hundred bucks.”
“Deal.”