Page 31 of Sin for You

“Robert, this is Bull,” I said without looking back. “He’s like a brother to me,” I added, and yeah, there was probably some bitterness thrown in. An emotion I thought I was over where Bull was concerned. Obviously not.

Bull stiffened, and when I glanced back, I saw his brown eyes were locked on Robert and did not waver.

Robert held out his hand to shake. “Nice to meet you—”

“You can go now,” Bull said.

“Bull,” I snapped, spinning to face him.

Robert held up his hands. “Sorry, man. Didn’t know she was taken.”

“I’m not.”

“Well, now you know,” Bull said, a rough growl to his voice, ignoring me completely.

I stared at him in shock as Robert strode away. “What the hell was that?” I hissed.

“What the fuck are you doing talking to an asshole like that?” he bit out, ignoring my question and throwing out one of his own.

My anger shot straight to boiling point. “Who the hell I talk to is none of your business.”

His expression turned thunderous. “Like hell it isn’t. That asshole wants to fuck you, Quinn, that’s all.”

“Well, yes, he implied as much. And your point is?” I fired back.

Bull went rock solid. “What?” he said, quiet fury in his voice.

“You heard me. Did you ever stop to think that’s all I want?” I pointed at his chest, on a roll now. “Christ, you’re just a giant cockblock, Logan, and I’m so goddamn over it. What? You don’t want me but no one else can have me either?”

The veins and tendons in his forearms bulged, an expression on his face one I’d never seen before. “Mase would’ve—”

“I don’t give a rat’s ass what Mase would’ve done or thought in this situation. I stay out of his love life and unless I go to him for help or ask for his opinion, he does the same for me.”

“Quinn—”

“No, Bull. Jesus. Enough already. Yes, Mase asked you to look out for me, but that doesn’t mean you get an opinion on who I choose to date…or sleep with. For God’s sake, he meant making sure I wasn’t alone all the time or dwelling on what happened with Bevan. Being a friend if I needed one, not…this, whatever the hell it is you think you’re doing. I’m a grown woman, and I sure as hell don’t need another big brother.”

He made a rough sound, looking pissed off, eyes bright, chest rising and falling rapidly.

“You’ve been amazing, and I appreciate everything you’ve done for me since I came home—I do—but what I really need from you now”—My stomach tightened. I knew what I had to say, but I didn’t want to. What I really wanted was the opposite, but that wasn’t going to happen—“is for you to back off. You need to give me some space.”

He stood looking down at me, his body so still he looked carved from stone. The muscle in his cheek jumped and something flashed through his eyes that hit me in the center of the chest.

Finally, he dipped his chin.

“Bull…”

He turned and strode away. Right out of the gallery.

Shit.

I instantly wanted to snatch my words back, despite knowing it had been the right thing for me to do and how unhealthy it was for me to let him carry on playing the role he’d appointed himself in my life.

Because the truth was I wanted it—too much.

Chapter Eight

Quinn