Bright red hair that sure as hell didn’t belong to Dallas!
Chapter 7
Harper
I didn’t know whether to laugh or help Dallas out as she ripped the drunk girl off Shane’s back. Of course I was surprised that none of the other girls with the bachelorette party didn’t step in to help the drunk girl. Instead, they just stood back and watched the show, as if in shock that it was actually happening.
It was seriously hilarious, especially as Shane was helpless to do more than stand there and watch. Then I noticed the wound on his neck. “You’re bleeding!” I exclaimed, reaching up to touch the spot on his neck that the girl had bitten.
He winced and then paled when he saw the little smear of blood on my fingers. “Tell me that’s my blood, Harper. Tell me it’s mine.”
“It’s yours.” I rushed to assure him, worried when he turned green right before my eyes. “I swear.”
“Okay, Dallas!” Linc was attempting to pull her off the other girl, who was screaming for help. “Let the poor girl go.”
“Kick her ass!” I yelled down at my friend. “He’s bleeding!”
“You skank!” Dallas shouted in the drunk girl’s face. “You hurt my friend!” With her fingers tangled in the girl’s hair, she shook her head like a rag doll’s while she screamed obscenities at her. Her lip was bleeding from one of the punches Dallas had landed on her face, not to mention the hand prints on either side of her face from the bitch slaps that my friend had dished out.
Dallas had a hell of a bitch slap. Her hand print would be on that girl’s face for up to a day before it started to fade.
“Dallas, that’s enough.” Linc lifted her with little effort, her fists clenched around handfuls of bright red dyed hair. “The bouncers are going to throw us out. Let her go. Dallas!”
Dallas struggled to get free so she could finish what she had started. Spitting curses that I wasn’t sure I even knew the meaning to, she was a sight to behold. I loved how fierce she was. Finally, Linc tossed her over his shoulder and headed for the bar.
Shane grasped my hand and we followed after them. When I turned my head to look back at the girl, she gave me a pissed off look, and I grinned and shot her the finger. “That’s what you get, bitch!” I called back to her.
“Gods, you two make me homesick!” Shane laughed as he pulled me through the crowd.
“Why’s that?” I asked, turning back to face him.
“Dallas reminds me of Em.”
I frowned, trying to remember who that was. “Oh, yeah. The chick that called and chewed Lana out back in May for not going back to LA.”
Shane grimaced. “Yeah, that’s her.”
“She doesn’t like Lana much, does she?”
“She loves Lana. She just loves Drake more.” He pulled his wallet out and handed the bartender a bunch of bills, covering all of our tab. “She’s spent most of her life taking care of him, of us all really.”
I could understand that, I guess. “So, she’s like your sister or something?”
“Yeah, that’s exactly what she is. My sister.” He gave my fingers a squeeze and then pulled me toward the closest exit.
Linc already had a taxi waiting for us when we reached the street. Dallas sat in the back sulking. “I wasn’t finished with that bitch.”
“Ah, poor baby.” Shane patted her knee as he scooted in and pulled me close as Linc shut the door and hopped in the front. “Thanks for defending my honor, sweetheart.”
Dallas bit her lip to keep from laughing. “Sure.”
I couldn’t hide my snicker as the taxi pulled into traffic. “Dallas, you just defended the biggest male slut in the rock world. That’s brave.”
“God, Harper. You are so lit!” Linc called from the front seat.
“Hey!” Shane pinched my side, making me squeal and giggle. “I’m a reformed male slut, thank you.”
“Oh, sorry. Reformed male slut. How long has it been since your last fuck?”
Linc was right. It had to be the alcohol making me run off at the mouth the way I was. Normally words like fuck just didn’t cross my lips.
“A little over two weeks.”
“Holy shit!” I cried. “That’s got to be a record for you. Are you sick or something?”
Blue-gray eyes narrowed at me in the dim light of the taxi. “Or something.”
Yeah, the alcohol had hit me hard, and now I was seeing things. Shane Stevenson was not looking at me as if he wanted to devour me. It just wasn’t possible after his kiss-and-run just a few weeks before. The arm that he had around my waist pulled me closer, and I felt a little dizzy as he lowered his head and nuzzled my ear. “Definitely something, beautiful,” I thought I heard him whisper.
“Well, that was one bachelorette party those girls won’t forget,” Linc commented, breaking the spell Shane had suddenly put me under. “Hope the wedding isn’t tomorrow, or the bride will have a half bald bridesmaid.”
It didn’t take long before the driver pulled in front of our apartment building. Shane’s hand lingered at the small of my back as we followed Linc inside. The night doorman was leaning back in his chair behind his desk when we walked in. I waved at him.
“Hey, Curtis!”
“Evening, Miss Jones.”
The elevator opened as soon as Dallas pressed the button. We rode up to the twelfth floor in near silence. Dallas was starting to feel the effects of her fight and the alcohol and was leaning against Linc as she closed her eyes. “Bed,” she grumbled as soon as we entered the apartment moments later.
“Night, Dallas,” Shane called after her retreating back.
“I’m going to turn in too,” Linc said as he headed toward the hall that led to our bedrooms. “I have to be at work early.”
“Dude, it was fun tonight. We’ll have to do this again.”
Linc laughed. “Yeah, I had a good time.”
I flopped down on the couch, the remote already in my hand. When Linc’s door slammed behind him, Shane sat down beside me and snatched the remote from me. “How many channels does this thing have?”
I shrugged. “Linc ordered the whole package, so there is plenty to choose from.” When it landed on some sports network, I grunted. “No, no, and no. If you’re staying I’m not watching stupid sports.”
He sighed and switched it to a chick flick on one of the movie channels. “How is this?”
“Nope. Do you want to make me gag?” I took the remote back and looked through the menu for a few moments before settling on a late night horror movie. It was something that Lana and I had in common, our love for scary movies. “I love this part.”
“I knew I loved you.” He draped his arm along the back of the couch.
“Shh, this is the best part.”
“Of course it is,” Shane muttered and reached for my leg to pull my feet up into his lap. I shot him a curious look, but he just pulled off my flats and started rubbing my aching feet.
My eyes rolled back in my head, and I couldn’t help the small moan that escaped as his thumb put pressure right in the arch of my left foot. “Oh… Oh that feels wonderful.”
“You like?” His tone was throaty, but I didn’t open my eyes as I nodded. “Should I stop?”
“Stop and I will hurt you.” His chuckle followed my threat, and I peeked through my lashes to find him leaning just a little closer. My heart started racing. Memories of our kiss flashed through my mind, and my lips started to ache for a repeat.
Then the sweet memories faded and the hurt poured back in when I remembered him running out when it had just started to get good. Pulling my feet away, I sat up straighter. “Th-thanks,” I mumbled, forcing my gaze back to the television.