“I’m serious,” he challenged, forcing me to face him. His eyes were full of controlled rage.
I stepped closer, nearly touching the tip of my nose to his. “So am I.”
“What is the point of this?” Cassidy asked, voice growing louder and shriller as she gestured between the two of us. A soft crease sat just above her nose. “What do you hope to gain by acting like assholes to each other for my sake. This isn’t a turn on for me.”
Malachi said, “I should be given the chance to go. You have given brand new meaning to my life, and this is one of the ways I could thank you. Besides, no one should have laid a hand on a woman. Especially one such as you. I could handle him and make sure it’s the last time he ever lays a hand on anyone ever again.”
And we were back to pretending Cassidy hadn’t spoken.
“Get in line,” I snapped.
“For fuck’s sake!” Cassidy yelled. “There is enough testosterone in this room to supply an army for a solid year. Chill the fuck out, for crying out loud! And do that at the very least since none of you care to listen to anything else I’ve asked for.”
Malachi chuckled. Dallas beamed at her and said, “Well look at that, she does have colorful language.”
I rolled my eyes and huffed. “I believe I should go. First, it was my idea. Second, in following suit with the other two numbskulls…”
I took her hand into mine. Our eyes focused on each other, and I nearly lost my breath and thought. I could spend forever in her eyes if she would let me.
I sucked in a breath and smiled softly. “I want to go because you deserve to be cherished and adored. Worshiped… not hurt. And I had never met a woman with such similar intellect as mine.”
She sucked in a deep breath. Her cheeks reddened even more, and she let out a breathy, “Uh-huh…”
Then she shook her head, let out a heavy sigh, and pulled her hand from mine. “All three of you have lost your damn minds.”
She sidestepped away and headed toward the patio door. She opened the door and I quickly said, “It’s up to you who you chose, but the ex has got to go.”
She sighed and shook her head. Her focus was on the darkened world outside her hotel room. “I have been trying to get rid of him for months. So, you are telling me what I already knew.”
“Cassidy,” I said, urging her. “Pick me.”
She lowered her head and then sighed. “Uh-uh. Nope.”
She closed the sliding glass door, turned around, and headed into the bathroom, closed the door, and locked it. A shuffling sound against the door signified she had slid along it to the floor.
“We’re off to a great start,” Dallas said.
“I’ll say,” Malachi added.
“Cool it,” I said. “None of this isn’t helping matters.”
Malachi snorted. “Well, you’re one to talk.”
I glared at him. “Really?”
And the argument started all over again. Because if it was one thing my two friends and I knew how to do well, it was arguing over a woman.
15
CASSIDY
The men were arguing for the third or fourth time since Dallas and Malachi showed up together. I groaned and leaned against the bathroom door. How did they think they could help me if they couldn’t even get through five minutes without falling into another argument? I couldn’t figure it out. I doubted they would be able to.
My vacation had turned into a nightmare, and I had no idea how it got this way so quickly. Then again, maybe it was just bad luck. I had that in spades. So much so, I wasn’t sure what good luck even looked like. It could bite me on the nose, and I still wouldn’t know.
As I listened to the men bickering with each other, I tried to figure out a way out of this crazy evening. But the harder I tried to focus, the more their argument bled into my mind, stealing all my focus.
I squeezed my eyes closed and sighed.