Page 22 of Bad for You

I almost tripped over my feet.

Jesse. He was here.

Still sitting on his bike, his gaze moved to us…to me, and he smiled wide. It was breathtaking.

He climbed off his bike and walked over to Dane.

Stop looking at him. Look the hell away, Lila.

Dane handed him a beer and they stayed by the door, watching us, both grinning. Goddammit, why did Jesse have to be so sexy? Why couldn’t he have come back with a paunch and a wart on the end of his nose? It wasn’t fair.

Then I remembered all the things he’d said to me earlier that day, the not so nice things. The way he’d thrown me away like I was nothing. And let’s not forget his gorgeous new girlfriend.

I scowled, looking him right in the eyes and letting him see what I thought of the way he’d treated me, and turned my back on him.

Why would the universe be so cruel and put such a pretty face on such a man-pig?

Well, as far as I was concerned he wasn’t here. He didn’t exist.

I grabbed my drink and swallowed it down. I would not let him ruin my night with my friends. Trixie grabbed my hand and spun me, laughing as we circled the fire. God, there was nothing like dancing. I wasn’t even good at it, but it was my favorite release.

We drank more, swaying and spinning and surrendering to the rhythm surrounding us.

But my gaze kept sliding to Jesse without my say-so. I could feel his stare on me as if it were caressing my curves, heating my skin with every touch. I was acutely aware of his presence as he and Dane watched us from a distance. Good—distance was good. We had nothing to say to each other.

Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw him head my way, looking determined. Nope. No way. Before I could run, Addie appeared at my side.

She stood in front of me, bronze skin glowing in the firelight, dark brown eyes narrowed and aimed at Jesse, her hand up, warding him off. “Hey! Don’t you look at her!” she yelled at him. “You don’t get to talk to her again, not after the way you treated her this morning.”

Jesse flinched, but he tried to get around her just the same. “Lila, can we… I just want to talk to you.”

Eves joined us and Addie proceeded to repeat loudly how Jesse had been a dick to me in her café.

Murder flared in Eves’s eyes. “Where the hell do you get off?” she growled, poking him in the chest repeatedly. “Haven’t you hurt her enough? You don’t get to come back and do it again, Riff.”

His gaze sliced to me, and I wanted to dissolve. Eves meant well, but I was trying to be all hard and tough and cool, and she was throwing me under the bus, revealing way too much in her attempt to defend me.

Trix and Quinn closed in as well, then Dane.

I wanted to hide.

My flight instincts kicked in and I bolted across the yard, somehow not falling on my face as I headed for the house.

“Lila, shit. Wait,” Jesse called.

The thump of his boots pounded after me. Eves yelled at him to leave me alone. Trix and Addie adding their two cents. I picked up the pace, running through the back door and straight to the bathroom. I shoved the door closed—

His big hand caught it before it could close completely, and he stepped inside with me, then shut us in together and threw the lock.

Crap.

Chapter Six

Jesse

The lock clicking into place was loud in the small room.

I turned, looking down at a scowling Lila. “Now, Bambi…”