Page 11 of Pretend I’m Yours
If there was one thing my father taught me before he passed, it was how to treat women. He treated my mother like a queen, and I’d done the same for my wife as long as I could. Seeing a man treat a woman like this man in front of me made my blood boil.
The scene didn’t last long, however, as the woman suddenly turned and walked off of the dance floor altogether. There was a part of me that felt sorry for her. She was clearly trying to have a good time but couldn’t with that asshole in her face.
She’d given up on the situation, and I had a feeling I’d never see her again.
That is, until the man’s expression changed. Though he still had as straight of a face as he could manage, there was no hiding the fury that filled his eyes and twitched at the corners of his mouth.
Standing in front of me was a man who clearly didn’t like to be told what to do – including a woman telling him she didn’t want his attention. I didn’t know the situation between the two of them – whether they were complete strangers or man and wife, but it no longer mattered.
As the man stalked after her, my military instincts kicked in and I went on high alert. There was a tension to his body language that told me he was going to do something to her. What? I wasn’t sure, but I wasn’t going to stand by and let it happen.
It didn’t help that she was on her way to the bathrooms. I knew that hall. It was where many women had issued complaints of being assaulted and mistreated, sheltered from the cameras.
I told Trey I’d be back and walked off, leaving him to his attempts at wooing.
The woman continued to look around the room as she headed toward the toilets. Clearly, she was looking for someone, and the desperation in her own body language was growing. I could read her like a book even from several feet away and in the dim light, and I had a feeling her assailant could, too.
She rounded the corner first, and as soon as she was out of sight, he quickened his pace. In turn, I quickened my own.
I rounded the corner just in time to see him grab her by the back of the neck, and I’d had enough. With a swift, smooth motion I punched him right in the side of the head, hitting him hard. I would have preferred to have struck him in the face, but with his back to me I had to make the most of what I had to work with.
He fell to the ground, clearly shocked and even more furious than before, but with my arms poised for another attack, he rose and quickly backed off.
“This isn’t over, Hannah,” he growled at her before giving me another leery look. I didn’t say a word as he stalked off, then I turned to the woman, quickly checking to ensure she was okay.
“I’m fine, thank you, I’m fine,” she insisted. She had one hand on the back of her neck, the other on her stomach. She was incredibly pale, and I worried she was about to faint.
“Care to have some fresh air on the patio?” I asked. “Hannah?”
She gulped and gathered herself for another moment, then she nodded. “Thanks.” she looked at me questioningly.
“Drake,” I said. “Come on, let’s get you some air.”
Together, we walked outside into the cool, night air. She sat a reasonable distance from me and looked over the town.
“Friend of yours?” I asked.
“Ex-boyfriend,” she replied dryly. “Can’t accept that it’s over, been stalking me relentlessly. You know how it goes.”
“Can’t say I do,” I replied. “Go to the cops maybe?”
“He’s an ex-cop, and one who knew how to work the force. Sorry, my situation is a little messier than I care to explain, just trust me, I’ve tried,” she turned away from me slightly, continuing to look out in the distance. I wracked my brain for the right thing to say, but nothing came to mind.
I felt a growing attachment to the woman already. There was something about her that was so captivating, I wanted nothing more than to protect her. It wasn’t just her beauty I found so awe-inspiring, but the way she carried herself was like no one else I’d ever met.
“I could pretend to be your boyfriend to get him off your back,” I joked. I didn’t expect her to even entertain the idea but was shocked at a nonchalant reply.
“Hell, if you’re going to do that you may as well pretend to be my husband. That’s probably the only way he’d really get the message.”
I couldn’t see her face in the dark, so it was hard for me to tell just how serious she was. But, at the same time, a hundred different emotions ran through me. I couldn’t explain why I wanted to help her so much, but I knew it was going to eat at me until I knew she was safe.
