Page 81 of The Innocent

Her smile grew, and she seemed to relax into his chest. As much as he liked the feel of her against him, it was testing his control. He dropped his hand from her ass and grabbed her hand.

“We’ll check out the band.” He needed a distraction.

When she nodded, he started through the room. Jekyll couldn’t remember if he’d ever been on any type of date, but he was going to wing it. They hung out by the makeshift stage for a while. A few people had come over to talk to him. It was mostly bullshit and she didn’t pay any attention to it. Imogene was too engrossed with the music, swaying her hips. It took a lot of effort not to stare at her ass. This woman was clueless. She had no idea the effect she was having on him. She stayed close, but a few times she moved toward the stage. Jekyll only allowed her to get a foot away. He hooked his finger through her belt loop, pulling her back.

Territorial? Yeah. Regrets? No!

When she finished off her drink, he grabbed her waist, pulling her back against his chest. “You want another?”

“Oh yeah.” She turned in his arms, completely relaxed.

Oak was passing by, and he snorted. “Good luck if you’re looking for a prospect. Those fucks are getting laid and forgetting their duties. Assholes are gonna regret that tomorrow morning.”

Yeah, they will.

“I can just get my own drink.” She pointed to the bar about ten feet away.

“I’ll get it,” Jekyll said.

“No, let me, and I’ll get you a refill too.” She looked over at Oak, cupping her mouth and shouting over the music. “Would you like something?”

Oak grinned and looked over at Jekyll. “I mean, if you’re going” —he held up his bottle— “I’ll take another.”

Imogene pulled away, and he watched her walk to the bar, weaving through the group of people. Most of them in the immediate area had seen her with him, and they acted accordingly, getting out of her way. She stopped behind Cue, seemingly waiting her turn.

“Alright, don’t fucking kill me for this but” —Jekyll glanced over at Oak, who was smiling in Imogene’s direction— “I like her. Can’t remember the last time a woman got me anything that I wasn’t paying her for.”

Jekyll looked over at Imogene. She was grabbing the two bottles in one hand and the glass in the other. And struggling a bit. When she turned, the woman who’d interrupted them earlier smirked and poured her drink down Imogene’s back. You fucking bitch!

That wasn’t an accident and caught Imogene completely off guard. She jumped and in turn, dropped the bottles and glass on the floor.

Jekyll pushed off the wall, stalking toward her, but Cue got to Imogene first. He pulled her away from the shards of glass littering the floor and tucked her behind his back.

Cue’s pointed to the woman. “You don’t fucking pull that shit with her. All that gets you is your ass out the fucking door.”

His shouting had caught the attention of the room even beyond the music in the background.

The woman held up her hands, arching her brow. “It was an accident.”

Bullshit!

“The fuck it was!” Cue stalked toward the woman, and Jekyll looped his arm around Imogene’s waist.

“I’m so sorry. I’ll clean it up.” Her voice shook slightly.

He scoffed. “No, you won’t. Come on.” He pressed his hand on her lower back, guiding her through the back room toward the hallway. The woman was rushing toward the front of the house with Cue on her heels.

“Is she okay?”

He glanced over his shoulder and saw Addison looking at Imogene. He gave a curt nod and walked her down to the end of the hallway to his room. He ushered her inside and closed the door behind them.

There wasn’t much to his room other than a bed and nightstand. But he’d kept a few shirts in the drawer. They’d be huge on her small frame, but at least she wouldn’t be soaking wet.

“Was that your ex?”

He jerked around with the T-shirt in his fist.

“What?”