Frank didn’t seem the type to frequent a place like this. When Falon had questioned him about it after Marcy dragged a reluctant looking Sarah from his side, he learned that this place was her idea. Apparently Frank was desperate to get back in Marcy’s good graces and inviting Falon and Sarah had been a part of his plan. He supposed he couldn’t fault the man for it, but it would have been nice to have a little warning.

“Drink?” Frank shouted again.

“No.” Falon shook his head raising his voice to be heard over the bone-shattering bass. “I’m driving.”

“You’re a brave man. I have a three drink minimum to handle a place like this.”

“I can see why.” He joined Frank in a laugh over the rather odd-looking couple making out right in front of them. Dear Lord, was that a leash attached to that girl’s neck? Falon shook his head in amazement.

When the lights flared again, he couldn’t help searching the writhing bodies once more for a sign of Sarah. He scanned the bodies he could see and didn’t see a trace of her red hair and that mouthwatering blue dress. A flash of her walking down the stairs toward him wrapped lovingly in electric blue, all that pale, flawless skin exposed and her toes peeking out of those sexy shoes. He had been a goner.

“Don’t worry, Marcy will take care of her.” He was shocked at the perceptiveness of the man he thought was a little oblivious to those outside his little world. Frank obviously picked up on his shock because he nodded in the direction of the ladies’ room where he spotted a vision in electric blue. “I used to react the same way when Marcy first started dragging me to places like this. After the third or fourth time, I nearly collapsed dancing every dance with that crazy woman. She told me that if I wanted to come along I needed to chill out or go home. I chose to stay and drink myself into a nice state of fuzziness while she had her fun. Easy solution and I quickly saw she just wanted to unwind and go crazy.”

Frank gave him a searching look. “At the end of the night, she always goes home with me.”

“And that pertains to Sarah how?” Falon shifted in his seat. He was not worried about Sarah going home with someone else. He wasn’t. Frank’s knowing smile told him that he hadn’t been too good at hiding his worry. The other man merely shrugged and took a long pull from his bottle of beer.

“You tell me.” He followed the direction of Frank’s beer when he tilted the brown bottle in the direction of the ladies’ room.

He instantly bristled at the sight of yet another random man standing far too close to Sarah. Didn’t the man see how uncomfortable he was making her? Even from this distance he could see her stiff body language. He slid off the bar stool and walked briskly in their direction before he realized what he was doing. Even though he knew it was impossible, he could have sworn he heard Frank laughing in his wake.

He only had the chance to take maybe five steps before Sarah surprised him for the millionth time. He watched as Mystery Man leaned in to whisper something in her ear. His blood boiled when he saw the other man’s hand getting way too familiar with the curves hidden under Sarah’s little blue dress. Cursing himself for not picking something else for her to wear, he felt his jaw drop as she stiffened further. Before he knew what was coming, Mr. Grabby found himself on the floor in a very familiar position. After picking his jaw up from the sticky floor, Falon made his way to Sarah’s side and looked down at the man clutching himself on the floor. He would have pitied the guy if he hadn’t just had his grease ball hands all over Sarah.

***

“I’d say nice shot, but having very recently experienced that kind of pain … I can’t bring myself to do so.”

Falon’s voice so close to her ear snapped Sarah out of the rage that took over the instant Mr. McGrabby Hands laid a finger on her. When he had stopped to chat with her and Marcy, she took an instant dislike to the way he had eyeballed her like she was a piece of meat. He made her skin crawl when he moved in closer to ask her to dance and decided then was the time to feel her up.

Looking down at him moaning on the floor, she fought a smile. Maybe he would think twice next time. On second thought, judging by the steady stream of curses now flowing from the prone man’s lips, she doubted it. She was about to teach the man another lesson at the mercy of her do-me heels when a hand on her arm stopped her.

“Allow me,” Falon growled in her ear. She turned and looked into his eyes and was surprised by the ferocity she found there. His eyes were like chips of amber, cold and angry. She could only nod when faced with such intensity.

Falon bent down and lifted the other man by the collar of his shirt. She didn’t miss the rigid control of his movements. He was furious and doing his best to control his reaction.

“You stupid b—” Grabby didn’t get a chance to finish his statement before Falon landed a quick-as-lightning elbow to his gut. He grabbed the other man’s arm before turning back to her. She stood frozen in awe. Dear Lord, what was happening? Was Falon really playing the role of savior?

“Stay. Right. Here.” He ground out between his teeth. His jaw was tense and she realized that some of his anger was directed at her. Not a knight in shining armor then. She could only stare after him as he roughly led the man in the direction of the front doors.

“That was hot,” Marcy said coming up beside her again now that the drama was over. She could only look at Marcy like she was crazy as the woman practically panted over what she just witnessed. “The way he went all caveman on that fella. So. Hot. I wish Frank would do something like that, sure would spice things up if you get my drift.”

Sarah had to admit it was kind of exciting watching Falon pick that man up off the ground. The rigid set of his shoulders and the way the muscles bunched in his square jaw as he attempted to grind his teeth into dust was flattering. Mildly. It was mildly flattering. She didn’t need a man running to her rescue. She had been taking care of herself for a long time now and she didn’t plan on stopping anytime soon because Falon Wolfe got it in his head that she was helpless. Watching him cut through the crowd she vowed to let him know exactly where he could put his misogynistic attitude.

“We’re done here,” Falon growled when he reached her side. She looked over at Marcy for assistance with Falon only to find the woman practically fanning herself. No help there then.

When Falon began to lead her in the direction of the doors much like he had McGrabby, she dug in her heels. There was no way she was going to let him dictate when her night was over. It didn’t matter that she had spent the last hour wishing she were anywhere but sandwiched between Marcy and the wall of writhing bodies on the dance floor.

The whole point of the night was to get him riled up and every time she had caught sight of him he looked as cool as ever nursing a drink and scanning the crowd. She felt defeated when Marcy dragged her to the ladies’ room. Then the whole ass-grabbing incident happened and now here she was facing the wall of Falon’s ice-cold control yet again. She pulled back on her arm. She wasn’t going give up without a fight.

When he spun around to see what the holdup was the music changed, giving her a wonderful idea. She let a sly, secretive smile pull at the corners of her lips as she stepped closer to his broad chest. Stopping only a fraction of an inch from touching him, she took satisfaction when his nostrils flared and his body stiffened further. Not as in control as he would like to think it would seem. Tilting her head back to meet his eyes, she leaned in a little further.

“Dance with me,” she whispered as close to his ear as their height difference and his stiff posture would allow. She wasn’t sure he heard her and was about to issue her request a little louder when he suddenly started pulling her in the opposite direction, straight to the slowly swaying bodies on the dance floor.