Page 70 of The Friend Zone

He had an accent. Not exactly Spanish, something else. More exotic, foreign. He wasn’t a client. No way this guy owned a purse dog.

“I’m Tyler,” he said, shaking my hand. “Is Kristen around?”

Hot, thick jealousy seared through me.

This was Tyler? This guy looked like an A-list actor in a goddamn action movie.

How the fuck had Brandon not said something about this? It was all I could do to keep my expression flat.

“She’s in the house. Is she expecting you?” I crossed my arms over my chest, not making any move to take him inside.

He looked toward the door that led into the laundry room. “No,” he said, his voice lowering. “She is not.”

He seemed to notice my rigid posture, and he sized me up. “You were in the Marines.” He eyed the Marine Corps tattoo on my bare chest.

“Infantry,” I said.

“Gunny sergeant.”

He outranked me. But then I wasn’t a career military man like he was.

But he outranked me with Kristen too.

He seemed to be aware of this. Something in his eyes made me feel like I was the help. The lowly security guard giving him shit about his badge at a building he had full security clearance in.

His green-eyed stare was cool. “I want to thank you for staying with my girlfriend while the police worked out who was coming into the yard. It made her feel safe to have you there.”

Possessiveness gripped me. “Ex-girlfriend. She’s your ex-girlfriend.”

His jaw flexed.

I didn’t like this fucker. I didn’t like that he was the reason why Kristen wasn’t open to dating me. I didn’t like that she obviously cared for him more than she cared for me. I didn’t like that he was better than me, and I didn’t like that he’d hurt her. I glared at him.

He glared back.

“Nice to meet you,” he said stiffly, and he started for the door.

I put a hand to his chest. “I’ll take you in.”

He looked down at my hand, and I watched him bristle.

Make a move, asshole. I fucking dare you. Give me a reason.

His eyes came back up slowly, and I saw my own hatred reflected in his stare.

He knew. He knew I’d had her.

And he was the one who’d probably get her.

But in that moment we had an understanding. This was my house. At least right now it was. And if he wanted to go in, it would be me who took him.

I made him stand there for a tense couple of seconds before I turned for the door.

TWENTY-TWO

Kristen

The garage door opened, and I called out before Josh came around the corner. “Hey, do you want to try that Thai place in a minute? We could walk. They’ve got that tea you like.”