“What’s going on here?” a deep, booming voice asks.
I know that voice.
I push up and Tony takes his sweet time, removing his body from where he was suspended over the top of me. I start to climb to my feet only to slip again, on the wet floor. Tony is there to catch me this time, and his strong arms lift me to my feet and make sure I’m steady before he lets go.
“Emma?” Landon asks.
“Hey, we were just cleaning and the buckets spilled and well… you see the outcome.” I laugh nervously. Why am I nervous? Oh, yeah, because Landon and his baby blues are assessing me, and I know this looks bad. Even though I’ve done nothing wrong and he has no claim to me, I still feel a little bit guilty.
Landon’s eyes go to Tony’s hand that’s still holding onto my arm. “You can let go,” he tells him.
“Holy shit. You’re… you’re Landon Barker,” Tony says, his hand still holding my arm.
Landon nods. “I am.” His voice is not his friendly banter that I’m used to.
“Dude, I was hoping to meet Chance, I never dreamed I’d get to meet a Trojan, let alone Landon Barker. Can I have your autograph?” he asks, sounding like an excited little boy that I think lives inside all men.
“Sure, as soon as you get your hand off my girl.” Landon’s eyes are laser-focused as he stares Tony down.
“Landon,” I start, but he ignores me.
“Shit,” Tony mumbles. “I didn’t know she was yours.” He turns his accusing eyes to mine. “You didn’t tell me when I mentioned a date that you were with Landon freaking Barker.” He drops his hand as if he’s been burned.
“I’m not with him.”
Landon nods now that Tony’s no longer touching me. “Let’s go find something I can write on.” He turns on his heel and disappears out of the room.
He’s pissed, but now so am I. How dare he come in here telling the volunteers I’m his girl. I’m not his girl. I’m not his anything. We’re acquaintances at best. Okay, maybe a little more than that, but I’m not his. I’m mine, and he has no right to come in here demanding things of anyone. I’m fuming mad. I want to march out there and tell him to leave, but I don’t. Instead, I put my anger into cleaning up the mess Tony and I made, wet clothes and all. I’m on a mission and it takes me no time to get the cages cleaned, and the room sparkling. I put away the cleaning supplies and head to my office to grab a change of clothes. Aubrey and I both keep spare clothes here because things like this happen when you work at an animal shelter. It’s not the first time. Although usually it’s a rambunctious animal, not two grown men acting like toddlers.
Closing the office door, I strip out of my wet clothes. I slide into my clean, dry shorts, and am just getting ready to pull my new shirt over my head when the door opens. I glance up expecting to see Aubrey, but it’s not her. It’s Landon.
“Shit.” I rush to hold the shirt to my chest.
His eyes are heated as they rake over my body. “Em.”
“Turn around, Landon!” I screech. He does as I ask and I pull my shirt over my head as fast as I can.
Chapter 10
Landon
I’m turned around facing the door, and my heart feels as though it’s about to beat out of my chest. Emma and all the creamy skin. My cock throbs in my shorts, and I suck in a deep breath. She’s fucking gorgeous. This I already knew, but now… how will I ever get that image out of my head?
“You can turn around.”
Slowly, I turn to face her. “Em,” I whisper, and reach a hand out to her.
“Don’t.” Her words are final.
My hand drops to my side. “Are you okay? Your ankle?” I ask.
“I’m fine, Landon.”
I’m suddenly in new territory. I’ve never cared enough to step in or get… jealous. It’s not an emotion I’m used to feeling, but I’m a smart man. I know that’s what it was. When I saw him hovering over top of her, the way they were laughing and she was peering up at him. I hated it. Every single second of their connection. It took everything in me to not rip him off her. Lucky for him, he seemed more interested in me than he did her. That is until he mentioned the date.
She can’t date that guy.
“I’m not your girl, Landon. We’re barely even what I would call friends, more like two strangers who have shared a couple of meals. You can’t just go around spouting off that kind of shit.” She’s seething and her green eyes are lit with fire, my cock doesn’t understand that she’s mad at us as he begs for her attention.