Page 49 of Tethered

“I need to wash my hands,” I manage to croak out.

He shakes his head. “Every time you take a bite of your melt, you’ll smell me on your hands. When you lick the sauce from your fingers, you’ll taste me. Like fuck are you washing your hands.”

“And squirming in my seat because my underwear is soaked isn’t enough?”

“No. When it comes to you, it’s never going to be enough.”

Itake another bite of my food and remind myself not to fidget. I don’t make eye contact, convinced everyone here knows whatwe just did. I focus on my food and wait until I can make my escape.

“You look so pretty with that blush across your cheeks.”

“Shut up,” I mutter, making him laugh. “I can’t believe we just did that. What the hell is wrong with me?”

“Not a damn thing, and I’ll shoot any motherfucker who says differently.”

I grumble in response but continue to eat, ignoring the thought of his cum all over my fingers, or I really will start squirming. Once I’m done, I wipe my hands and push my plate away. I glance around the room. Most people keep their eyes to themselves. I know they know I’m here, though. I lean back and wait for Austin to finish.

The door opens, and a familiar face walks in. I bite my lip to hide my grin, but I can’t help the excitement that tingles along my skin. My earlier embarrassment is replaced with anticipation. He glances around, clearly looking for someone. When his eyes land on me, he’s found exactly who he’s looking for. I idly wonder who called him and told him I was here, or if he could sense it thanks to my creamer additive. In the end, it doesn’t matter. This is precisely what I hoped would happen.

“You fucking whore.”

The room goes so silent you could hear a pin drop. Austin lifts his head, his eyes blazing. I reach under the table and give his leg a squeeze. He’s tense, but he leans back, giving me space to handle it. That will change the second Porter tries to put his hands on me.

“I’m sorry, are you talking to me?” I ask, my voice the picture of innocence, even if my eyes flash with fire.

“You stole my kid, and you’re keeping my wife from me,” he roars.

I get to my feet and walk around the table, leaving plenty of space between us so I don’t trigger Austin’s protective instincts.Shame. If Austin weren’t here, I’d have let Porter hit me, just so I could have him hauled in by Shepard.

“You talking about Dawn, who came to me with a split lip, black eye, and busted ribs, among other things? Or Hannah, who arrived with a handprint on her face?” I sense the mood in the room change, but I don’t back down.

Unfortunately for Porter, neither does he. “You don’t get a say in my fucking marriage. You stupid fucking bitch, I should have ended you when I had the chance.”

I press my hand to my chest in fake shock. “I barely even know you. I think you might need professional help. Probably some anger management classes, too. You keep turning up at the ranch and?—”

“Why you little—” He stalks toward me but stops short when Austin stands up and moves to stand beside me.

Porter looks from him to me before he starts laughing—a nasty, vicious sound that for once bounces right off my Teflon skin. Once upon a time, I’d have done anything for his approval. But now I don’t give a damn.

“Now it makes perfect sense. Whoring yourself out to anyone that will have you. Your daddy would be so disappointed,” he throws out, making me grin.

“Lord, I hope so. Though if I’m really lucky, he’s burning in hell and the last thing he’s worried about is little old me.”

“He’s only with you for the ranch. He’ll throw you away like yesterday’s trash when he gets what he wants.”

“Now we both know that’s not true. Aside from the fact that Austin doesn’t need my money or my ranch, he knows, as well as you do, that nobody but a Hart can own Corvis Wing. And it has to be a female descendant at that.”

His eyes narrow as my words spark a warning in his brain. Oh, he knows I know what I am. He’s questioning whether Iknow who he is. I see the second he brushes it off, writing me off as dumb like always.

“You’ll give me back my property, or you’ll regret it.”

“That ranch is mine, old man,” I hiss at him.

“I’m talking about my wife and kid.” A couple of people look at him in disgust.

“Men like you are the reason there is a male loneliness epidemic. Hell, I think most women would vote for extinction if you were the alternative.” I ignore the snigger from behind me and cross my arms over my chest. “Stay away from me. Stay away from my ranch and stay away from Dawn and Hannah. Go be your sad, pathetic self somewhere far away from here.”

He prepares to launch himself at me, but Austin steps in front of me. Not that it’s needed. What Porter failed to notice with his back to the door was that Shepard moved up behind him. The second he lunges for me, Shepard has him on the ground with his hands behind his back.