Page 3 of Allegiance
“I didn’t know shit. Anyway, I’m gonna take off after I get some food.”
She side-eyed the attractive caterer while telling him, “They’re not serving it yet, and you know how I love to dance.”
Anger crackled along his nerves. Quinn wasn’t his date, and for the past six months, Tank had been keeping her at arm’s length. He was bored with her—plain and simple. Besides, she was engaged to Mason, a hotshot investment man in L.A., but at the moment, Quinn was acting like they were dating again. And the way she was sending the keep-your-hands-off-my-man vibes to the pretty caterer was pissing him off big-time.
“One dance and that’s it,” he muttered as he pulled away from her.
“Daddy isn’t here tonight, so relax.”
“That doesn’t change anything.”
Back in high school, Quinn’s father had ended their five-month relationship real fast once he’d gotten wind of what was going down between them. There was no way in hell he was going to let his precious daughter continue to see a kid from the other side of the tracks who rode a motorcycle.
Being the rebel, Quinn kept in contact, but he’d made it clear he wanted nothing to do with her in that way. He’d been dating Trish, and a couple of years later, the two of them got hitched. Quinn never stopped trying to contact him, but he always ignored her. Tank had his fair share of flaws, but being a cheating womanizer wasn’t one of them. He’d always been loyal to Trish, but he couldn’t say the same about her.
“Are you still with me?”
Quinn’s shrill voice dragged him out of his thoughts.
“Yeah. I was just thinking about something.”
She ran a pink-tipped nail down the side of his face. “About how good we are between the sheets?”
“Not exactly.”
“But you do think of me, right?” She brushed her lips across his jaw and stepped back. “Because I think about you a lot, baby.”
“Cut that shit out.” He looked over his shoulder at the sassy woman who pretended not to be looking, but he knew she was. “We’re just friends. You know that.”
“Yeah, friends with benefits. Although, the benefits have been dry for far too long.”
He sighed. “I want to keep it at just friends. I’ve told you that before.”
He’d been crystal clear over the past six months that sex was off the table, yet here she was, plastered up against him, as if they were the ones engaged.
“We’ll always be friends.”
“You still like tripping over the wrong side of the tracks, don’t you?”
Quinn’s fingers tightened on his arm, all but yanking him toward the dance floor.
“Baby, don’t tease me. You know the night’s not complete without a dance.” She smiled up at him, her eyes shooting daggers. “Come on.”
“Dance with her already,” the caterer huffed. “One thing’s for sure—it’ll get your mind off the food.” A wry smile lifted the corners of her sexy little mouth.
Tank gazed at her.
“Shouldn’t you be focusing on your job?” Quinn snapped back at her, digging her nails into his button-down shirt. To Tank, she purred, “Come on, baby. Let’s get all hot and sweaty.” She tried to jerk him toward the dance floor, hissing, “Come on,” when he stood still.
Tank shot the caterer one last look, taking in her long, wavy hair and perfectly arched brows, drawn together over defiant eyes. Turning, she walked toward the kitchen door, her shapely hips swaying with each step, and Tank groaned inwardly.
Quinn blew out a long, exaggerated sigh. “You’re being very rude.”
“No,” he growled, diverting his attention away from the closed door to the whining princess. “You are. What’s your problem?”
“I don’t like competing with thehelp.”
“You don’t like competing with anyone.”
