“I won’t,” I snapped.
He turned around and opened the door, but he was blocked from leaving by someone standing in the hall, just outside the room. Suddenly, Dirk’s whole demeanor shifted into the cocky movie star with ridiculous swagger. “Muffin,” he crooned as he leaned his shoulder against the door. “It’s great to see you. I’ve missed you.”
His position revealed the identity of the person he was trying to schmooze. I spotted the emerald blouse I’d purchased earlier that day first. Then I looked up to see my Anna standing there, the blood drained from her face and her eyes wide with shock. My gaze bounced back and forth between them for a second. Was this…?
“Dirk,” she rasped. “What are you doing here?” The tremble in her voice confirmed my suspicion, and rage like I’d never felt washed over me.
“I came to offer Julian here a job, but if I can convince you to come home with me, it’ll be a two-for-one special. Come on, muffin. Stop running from our attraction. You know you want me.”
Anna’s face screwed up in disgust, and I practically flew across the room to pull her inside and push her behind me. “Back off, Carlson,” I snarled as I stepped into his space. I was at least six inches taller than him—despite the lifts in his shoes—and had a good fifty pounds on him. He squared his shoulders and tried to make himself as big as possible. His attempt at being intimidating would have been laughable. If I’d been remotely amused about the situation.
His practiced expression fell away, and he glared at me with malice. “Don’t tell me to back off my girl, asshole.”
Shit. That was just the wrong thing to say to me. The possession roaring in my chest sent a shot straight to my fist, and on instinct, it smashed into his jaw with a right hook. Dirk’s head flew back and smacked into the door behind him. He cried out like a pussy and cupped his face. “You asshole! You’ll be—”
He broke off when I grabbed his shirt and twisted it, holding him still while I growled a low warning. “Anna is mine, motherfucker. If I ever see you near her again, you’ll be visiting your Hollywood plastic surgeon for facial reconstruction. Understood?”
Dirk looked as though he was going to argue but must have recognized the dead seriousness in my eyes and tone because he nodded instead. I released the fabric and took a step back. “Get out,” I barked.
He quickly scurried out but threw one last jab over his shoulder. “I’m gonna sue you for everything you’ve got, Storm. Then we’ll see who muffin goes running to.”
I took a step in his direction, intent on kicking his ass, but a tug on my arm stopped me. I spun around and pulled Anna into my arms, holding her tight as though she might disappear. After a minute, my heart rate began to slow, and I lifted her dimpled chin with a finger. “Are you alright?” My eyes scanned her face, looking for any sign of distress, but she was gazing up at me with a soft smile.
“I’m perfect.”
I raised a brow in wordless curiosity.
She chuckled, and her arms around my torso gave me a brief squeeze. “I hated seeing that pig, Dirk, again. But”—her eyes dropped to my chest, and her cheeks flamed though her smile was coy—”watching you get all territorial over me was incredibly sexy.”
“Is that so?” I purred as my hands dropped to palm her ass. With a minute amount of pressure, I pressed her body against mine. My erection was pressed into her stomach, and she shifted restlessly. I wanted to shove her up against the wall and bury myself deep inside her, but I had a show in ten minutes. If she’d still been upset or scared, I wouldn’t have considered leaving her. But she appeared to be just fine, and I didn’t want to disappoint the audience. And although I probably had enough time for a quick fuck, I knew it would never be enough.
I groaned and brushed my lips over hers for a hasty kiss. “I have to go.” I grabbed the bag she’d dropped on the floor and took her hand, heading out of the room. “I have the perfect spot for you to watch—” Another tug had me stopping once again and turning to look at her with concern. Instead of finding her in distress, she was beaming at me with a beautiful smile.
“Your sexy caveman tactics aside, there’s another reason I’m happy.”
I closed the distance between us and gazed down into her twinkling emerald eyes. The audience could wait. “Tell me,” I encouraged with a matching smile.
“I heard what you said to Dirk. Turning him down for that job, not just because he’s a horrible person, but because you want to stay here and settle down. You told him this is where you belong.”