Chapter 3

“Back off,” I said, shoving the guy just enough to get him off of Ryan. “He’s with me.”

The guy looked me over and sneered. “Oh, sorry. I was just offering to buy him a drink.”

“And you needed to put your hands on him to do that, right?”

He muttered something that sounded like “asshole” as he walked away. I turned to Ryan and asked if he was okay.

“Yeah,” he said. “I’m fine. Thanks for that.”

“Are you here with anyone?” I asked, looking around. I was concerned about his well-being, although I wasn’t sure why. He was a stranger, but I couldn’t help worrying about him being alone at the bar.

“Yes,” he said with a smile. “I’m here with you, remember?”

“I was just trying to help when I said that. You shouldn’t feel obligated to stick around.”

“I don’t feel obligated,” he said before resting a hand on my thigh. “I’m here because I wantto be.”