Oh, my darling, we very much need to have a talk about things.

“Brynne,” I said tightly, pulling her into me at the waist and getting a good, long look at her friend, who needed to be on his merry way like ten minutes ago. The guy was a little too bold for my tastes, standing there like he was entitled to be talking to her, like he’d done it before and had history with her. Shit! He knew her. This man knew Brynne.

“Ethan, this is Paul Langley, umm…a friend from the art department. He teaches… I was just leaving and there was Paul coming in.”

She was nervous. Brynne looked uncomfortable and if I was good at anything, it was reading people. I could smell the unease coming off her. Now the bloke was a different story. He looked far too smug and a bit too entitled, which was how I figured it out.

Brynne seemed to catch herself and said, “Paul, this is Ethan…Blackstone, my boyfriend.” She handed me one of the coffees. “I got you a misto.” She looked at me and took a sip from her cup. Yep. She was uncomfortable.

The plonker stuck his hand out and offered first.

I hate you.

I had one arm around Brynne and the other hand occupied with the coffee she’d just palmed off on me. I had to let her go in order to shake. I hated him in his slick suit, professional, clean cut and from all appearances plenty of brass. I unwound my hand from around Brynne’s waist and accepted his grip. I squeezed firm and tried not to think about how bloody awful I looked which was exactly like I’d just fallen out of bed.

“A pleasure,” Langley said, not meaning it.

I returned the briefest nod. It was the best I could do and I didn’t really give a shit whether I was being rude or not. He was a bloke in the wrong place at the wrong time to ever be a friend of mine. I loathed him on sight.

His eyes flicked over me. I decided I would be the one to end this handshake first. Or pissing contest as it were.

I withdrew my hand and pressed my lips to Brynne’s hair, but kept my eyes on him as I spoke. “I woke up and you were gone.” I drew my arm back around her.

She laughed nervously. “I just felt like a white chocolate mocha this morning.”

“You still need your morning coffee, I see. Some things never change, eh, Brynne darling?” Langley grinned conspiratorially at Brynne and in that instant I knew. He’d f**ked her. Or tried his best to. They had some sort of history and I could only see the red rag of jealousy being dangled in front of my eyes. Holy f**king hell, the violent emotions that washed through me in those seconds. I wanted to show Langley the way down to the sidewalk face first with my fist, but I needed to get her away from him even more.

“Time to go, baby,” I announced, pressing my hand at her back.

Brynne stiffened for an instant but then gave in. “It was so nice to see you again, Paul. You take care.”

“Same to you, darling. I’ve got your new number and you have mine, so you know where to find me, all right?” The bastard looked at me and there was no mistaking the challenge in his gaze. He thought I was some sort of meathead and was throwing out a dare to me that if Brynne needed rescuing she had only to call and Prince Charming would come for her.

Sod. Off. You. Pathetic. Prick.

Brynne nodded and smiled at him. “Goodbye, Paul.”

Yeah, bugger-off…Paul.

It was so apparent that Lover Paul did not want to leave her. He wanted to kiss her or hug her in some show of an affectionate farewell but had brains enough not to try it. I didn’t say he was stupid, just my enemy.

“I’ll call you. I want to hear all about the Mallerton.” He did a hand to the ear gesture. “Bye, darling.” He gave me a look and I gave him one right back. I truly hoped he could read minds because I had so much worth saying that he really needed to hear.

You cock-swinging, worthless shit bag! You will absolutely NOT call her to talk about the Mallerton. You won’t look at her and you won’t think about her either! Got it?! My girl is NOT your darling now, nor will she ever be in future. Get out of my sight before I’m forced to do something that will land me into a f**kload of trouble with MY girl.

We started across the street, my heart pounding, the anger just pouring out of me, when she opened her mouth.

“What in the hell was all that back there, Ethan? You were incredibly rude.”

“Keep walking. We’ll discuss this at home,” I managed to grit out as we crossed.

She glared at me like I’d grown a second head and stopped on the sidewalk. “I asked you a question. Don’t talk to me like I’m a child who’s in trouble!”

“Get in the car,” I snapped, trying to keep from picking her up and setting her in the seat, which was dangerously close to happening even if she didn’t know it yet.

“Excuse me, but this is bullshit. I’m walking back!” She flounced away from me.

I wanted to explode I was so pissed. I grabbed her hand to keep her from leaving. “No, you are not walking back, Brynne. Get in the car now. I’m taking you home.” I spoke low and right into her face where I could see her angry eyes flashing up at me. She was so stunning when she was riled. She made me want to drag her into my bed and do very naughty things to her body for about a day and a half.

“I’m not being ordered by you. Why are you acting like this?”

I closed my eyes and called for patience. “I’m not acting at all.” People were looking at us. Could probably hear our conversation too. Bloody hell! “Would you please get yourself in the car, Brynne?” I forced a fake smile.

“You are being such a prick, Ethan. I still have a life. I am going running in the mornings and can stop at the coffee shop if I want to.”

“Not without me or Neil you aren’t. Now get your sweet Yank ass in the motherfucking car!”

She stared at me for a moment and shook her head, eyes blazing daggers at me. Her chin lifted imperiously before she stomped over to the Rover and got in. I ignored her behavior, thinking I was being pretty damn magnanimous in the circumstances. I texted Neil to let him know I had her and made her wait on me while I did it. She was locked inside the car and couldn’t go anywhere for the moment at least.

I looked at her. She looked at me. She was angry with me. I was beyond enraged with her.

“Don’t, you ever do that again,” I told her in no uncertain terms.

“What, walk? Buy a coffee?” She pouted and looked out the window. Her mobile lit up and buzzed. She looked over at me as she accepted the call. “Yes, I’m fine, Paul. I apologize for whatever that was, but no worries. Just a little lovers spat.” She actually smirked at me as she told that puffed up cocksucker I was having a bad day.