Chapter 6

I 'm furious. Scratch that. I've been furious all night. It's been two weeks since I was stuck with Steel following me around like a lost puppy. Okay, I know it's for my protection, but I still don't like it. He's done his best to keep his distance, but I hate him always being around. It doesn't help that he's easy on the eyes in every sort of way and would be my type if I were looking for someone.

That could be why when he asked if I was going out this weekend, I said no. I was content just sitting on my couch for the second weekend in a row until Morgan came home and declared we were going out. I tried to argue, but it fell on deaf ears. She handed me a shot of whiskey and forced me into the shower to get ready. By the time I was out and drying my hair, she had clothes sitting on my bed and another shot in hand waiting on me. I knew then this would be a long night. I tried to remind her about Steel, but she didn't want to hear it, saying he could come along. Two shots after the second, I was bravely agreeing to go, saying we needed to sneak out without Steel. And now I'm in a situation where we are officially stuck with him all night.

We've been at the club for two hours now. Steel has done his best to give me space, but I know he's there. I've caught him staring at me, and it just pisses me off more. Now my head is fuzzy from the alcohol and I'm drenched in sweat from dancing with Morgan. The only plus to having Steel here is that he hasn't let any guys come near us so we can enjoy ourselves. Or at least he hasn't until now.

There's a guy all over my best friend, but she seems to be enjoying herself. His friend is with us as well and has been trying to talk and dance with me, but I honestly have no idea what he has been saying. I've been too busy glaring at Steel across the room and trying to figure out how I feel about him.

Steel’s crossed arms in front of his chest pull his black t-shirt tighter around his biceps. Even in the darkened room, I can see his green eyes staring at the man in question behind me as he grinds against my ass. I should pull away, I'm not interested. If anything leaks out in the press about this, my father will have my head. But seeing the glint in Steel's eyes makes me push back against my partner and pretend like I'm enjoying myself. Tomorrow I'll blame my actions on the alcohol, but tonight I think I'm going to enjoy pissing Steel off. When I reach my arm up to wrap my hand around my partner's neck I'm almost positive Steel sees red. His posture tenses more and I'm pretty sure his jaw locks with how hard he's biting his teeth.

"You want to get out of here?" The male behind me asks, his lips directly against my ear.

I pause, thinking about what to do. The careless side of me is telling me to say yes, live a little and piss Steel off. The responsible side of me reminds me of what is at stake. In the end, the responsible side of me wins. "No thanks. I think I'm going to grab a drink." Extracting myself from his arms, I head to the bar.

I can feel the guy following behind me, and I mentally roll my eyes. Of course, he couldn't take a hint. I only used him to piss off Steel, but of course, he mistook it for me being interested — just my luck. Pushing my way to the bar counter, I wait my turn while keeping a close eye on the guy who followed. I keep my back to the guy, choosing to focus on the bartender. It doesn't take long before he comes my way.

"What can I get you, sweetheart?" he asks, making sure to keep his eyes on my face. I appreciate the move and not checking me out, not that I'll tell him that though. The bartender looks yummy. His black hair keeps falling in front of his brown eyes. He is wearing a black wifebeater that puts his many tattoos on display. I'll never admit this out loud to anyone, not even Morgan knows, but I find tattoos extremely sexy.

"Water, please!" I shout so he can hear me over the music. He nods and begins to get my water for me, but his eyes never leave the guy beside me. It's like he is trying to assess him and the situation to decide if he needs to step in. That is why I like coming here. It's a rule that if you cause any sort of trouble, you are out and banned for life. They take everyone being safe and having fun seriously. When he finishes filling my glass, he must decide the guy next to me isn't a threat when he places it on the counter with a nod and walks away.

"Water isn't a drink, pretty girl," the guy I can't seem to shake calls out as he places his palm on the center of my bare back. The move causes goosebumps to form on my arms. His touch feels horrible compared to Steel's earlier in the night. Damn alcohol, putting me in this situation. Of course, he thinks I am interested in him.

"Not sure where your logic comes from but water is a drink. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go back to my table and wait for my friend." My tone leaves no room for him to debate. Turning on my heel, I move to walk away from him, only getting two steps before his hand wraps around my wrist pulling me to a stop.

Damnit.

Taking a deep breath, I yank my wrist from his hold and turn to stare at him. "Do not ever touch a woman without permission," I snarl.

"Woah," he lifts his hands to act like he's innocent. "Didn't mean anything by it. I just thought we were having a fun time on the dance floor and we should see what else we could have fun with." Winking.

"Sorry, but I'm not interested. You were there to dance with, and that is all." Spinning around, I walk away from him and high-tail it back to the table. Directly next to where Steel stands, staring at me. Shit . Maybe I should have continued to flirt with the guy. Would be easier than dealing with Steel.

"Have a fun time?" Steel inquires when I sit at the table. His back is to me as he continues to watch the crowd, but I know for a fact his attention is on me even if he isn't looking. I don't detect any hint of jealousy or malice with the question, which I suppose is good, considering he is only supposed to be protecting me. A small part of me wishes that he would be jealous, but then again, I’m not supposed to be interested. It's making me question if the look he gave me while dancing was really for me or not. It's probably just all in my head. Damn it, why does he have to be so hot?

"Yup," I answer, popping the 'p' as I take a sip of water. I have a feeling my head is going to be killing me tomorrow. It's already starting to bother me now that I've finally sat down. Great.

"Good. Drink up, Princess. You don't want a hangover tomorrow," he pauses to look at me out of the corner of his eye to make sure I'm listening to his instructions. When I don't, he lifts one eyebrow in question and waits, daring me not to listen. Shrugging my shoulders, I figure listening isn't going to hurt me right now, so I place my lips around the straw and take a big sip. "Good girl. When your friend is done basically having sex on the dance floor, we can head home. I'll even stop in the McDonald's drive-thru to get you some greasy food to soak up the alcohol in your system."

God, why does he need to be so nice? It's easier if he's a dick. That I know how to handle. This nice side looking out for me, I can't do.

"Most people would say that I'm nice. You just make it difficult because you constantly want to fight with me," he answers.

"Fuck, I said that out loud, didn't I?" I groan, dropping my head into my hands. Could this night get any worse?

"You did, and it could. Now instead of complaining. Just drink your water and try not to think about me. It shouldn't be that hard for you to do," he smirks, never once taking his eyes off the dance floor.

I take back ever thinking I was interested in him. No, I'm not at all. I just want to punch him and wipe that smug ass look off his face. Mr. High and Mighty thinks that he knows everything and is completely unbothered by the world. Next time I think I’m starting to like him, I need to remember this night. That will help keep things in perspective between us.

Trying my best to ignore him, I turn to look out at the dance floor to find Morgan in the crowd. This is her scene way more than it is mine. I don't mind coming out to dance and have fun every once in a while, but she is here every weekend and always finds a new boy to go home with. I probably should have told Steel we don't need to take Morgan home with us. She'll find her own ride, but for now I'm going to keep my mouth shut and just enjoy this cold glass of water that feels better than I want to admit.

I'm not sure how much time has passed when I feel someone shaking my shoulder. Shit, I must have fallen asleep at the table. That's not good.

"Princess, you got to wake up. It's time to go," Steel's rough voice calls out softly as he shakes my shoulder once more.

"I'm awake," I grumble, lifting my head and looking up at him. Or I thought I was going to need to look up at him, but he's squatting down beside me, making him eye level with me as I lift my head. "Hi."

"Hi," he smiles, rising to his feet and holding out a hand to help me out of the booth. "You ready for food and sleep? Your roommate said she'd find her own ride home, so it's just us two."

I'm not sure if it's my sleep-addled brain, but I place my hand in his and let him help me up. "Just sleep, please?" I answer, letting my legs find their balance before I take a step toward the exit.

Steel is careful to keep his palm in the center of my back as he escorts me forward. I should tell him to stop touching me and pull away, but for right now, I don't feel like fighting with him. I'm too tired. I can't believe I fell asleep while waiting. It's not the first time, but it is embarrassing to do.

When we reach the front door, Steel hands our jacket ticket over to the woman working the coat check, and we wait patiently for her to return. Neither of us says a word, and the silence isn't weird. When we get our jackets, Steel helps me into mine before he puts his on and guides us out the front door.

The parking lot is emptier than when we arrived four hours ago, making it easy to spot Steel's full-size SUV amongst the few cars left. With his hand once again on my back, he guides me to the passenger door and, like a true gentleman, helps me inside, not shutting the door until my seatbelt is fastened. I watch as he walks around the other side, gets in, turns the engine over, and pulls out of the lot.

"Sleep, Illeana," he whispers. "I'll wake you when we get back to the dorms."