Page 74 of To Have and To Hold
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Atticus watched Slade across the room.
Not for the first time, he considered going over there and dragging him back with him so he could join the conversation. At the very least, he could listen to Carson’s cousins talk about all the trouble they’d gotten into when they were kids. Atticus certainly wouldn’t mind hearing Slade’s stories, too.
Only now, Slade wasn’t alone. He was with a woman, and from where Atticus sat, they were having an intimate conversation. The kind that clearly required her to check the pulse in his neck. With her fucking mouth.
And fine. Atticus was well aware that Slade was bisexual, and truth be told, she was a beautiful woman. The kind that drew attention in a bar mostly full of men. It damn sure didn’t hurt that she was wearing a sheer black blouse over a black bra, and she’d paired it with a black leather mini skirt and heels that had her topping out around six feet or so. Her legs went on for miles and miles and—
Whatever.
If Atticus had been straight, he probably would’ve looked at her, too. But he wasn’t straight, and there was nothing about her leech-like aggression that made this public display anything but disturbing.
“You okay?” Carson asked, leaning toward him.
“No, I’m not,” he admitted, nodding his chin in Slade’s direction.
Carson glanced across the crowded bar. “Fuck,” he said softly. “That’s not good.”
“Who is she?” Atticus asked, not looking away from Slade and the woman who was all but dry-humping Slade’s thigh at the bar.
“Jennifer.”
Why did the name sound so familiar? And not because it was probably the most common girl’s name in the history of names. He meant in context to Slade.
Wait.Thatwas Jennifer? Atticus glanced at Carson. “Hisex-wife?”
Carson’s stare remained pinned on Slade. “Yeah. And this won’t end well.”
“Why’s she here?”
“If I had to guess, she heard someone was gettin’ married and figured she would insert herself into Slade’s life in case it was him.”
“She would do that?” What a bitch.
Carson looked at him. “That viper would drug him, fuck him, then take photos to share with his significant other to ensure he didn’t.”
“I thought she was married.”
“She is.” He looked back at Jennifer and Slade. “Or was. Hell, I don’t know anymore.”
Atticus watched as Jennifer tucked her face into Slade’s neck. She was smiling as she raked her talons through Slade’s hair. It was then that Atticus couldn’t ignore the gnawing in his gut that had started when she had approached Slade nearly half an hour ago.
Carson leaned in. “I know the night’s still young, but we really should get him outta here.”
Atticus was inclined to agree, but his reasons were selfish. The idea of Slade being with anyone else pissed him off. He didn’t have a right to feel that way, but that didn’t change anything. He was jealous as fuck, which didn’t make a lick of sense, considering he’d spent the majority of the night with Carson.
Not on purpose. He’d come here with the intention of hanging out with his team, celebrating Brantley and Reese’s last days of bachelorhood. Then Carson had shown up, and they’d started talking. Atticus genuinely enjoyed Carson’s company, so he’d settled in for the long haul. And to be honest, he hadn’t realized Slade was even there. If he had—
Slade got to his feet, stumbling as he did. Jennifer was laughing as she tried to hold him up. Atticus couldn’t be sure, but it looked like Slade was attempting to push her away. Only he didn’t, so Jennifer took the opportunity to kiss him.
Atticus shot to his feet. Enough was enough.
He didn’t make it two steps before Carson was excusing them from the conversation and following him as he made a beeline for Slade. As he approached, Slade looked his way, and their eyes met. He saw surprise, but Jennifer’s head cut their contact a second later as she went up on her toes and planted her mouth on Slade’s.
Jesus.Was she gonna eat his face off?
Atticus’s gut churned.
