Page 19 of Shattered Trust (Colorado Trust 4)

Just about the time he wondered why he’d stayed, he looked back over at her. Her gaze bounced away, and he realized she’d been watching him. His pulse kicked. She downed the remainder of what he thought to be beer three. Or was it four?

Despite his best efforts and an adamant reminder of her meeting with his father at the coffee shop that morning, Justin’s gaze drifted south again.

He blinked when he saw she’d untied the knot at her waist and her shirttails now covered not only her stomach, but the top of her thighs as well. Her hand hovered near her throat, and when she lowered it, he saw the button closest to the vee of her slight cleavage had been recaptured in its hole. He tilted his head a bit as he watched her from the corner of his eye. A few minutes later, her hand rose and another button met its fate. One corner of his mouth twitched.

Marley Wade was uncomfortable.

Her unease took care of any lingering doubts he might have had about her and his father being physically involved. She was definitely not the type to have a casual fling with a married man. Sympathy swelled for her discomfort, but he squelched the response during a trip to the bathroom. He needed to ignore the way she made him feel. Ignore her. On the way back to the table, he looked around but didn’t see her tall form or chestnut curls anywhere.

“Where’s Marley?” he asked.

; Chuck lifted his beer. “She called it a night. Said she’d see everyone on Monday.”

Justin looked toward the door with slight alarm. “Did anyone call her a cab?”

Judging from the blank looks he received, he was the only one who’d noticed how much she’d had to drink in the hour they’d been there. With a muttered curse, he hurried out to the parking lot. Relief washed over him at the sight of her truck.

He’d only taken half a dozen steps when he heard her raised voice behind him. Justin spun around and took in the scene. Marley pressed against the side of the building, trapped by some son-of-a-bitch who was about to wish he’d stayed inside.

“Come on sweet thing, let me have a little taste.”

“What part of NO don’t you understand?” she snapped.

Justin’s fists clenched in preparation as he moved forward. “Is there a problem here?”

The guy stepped back and turned his head toward Justin. Before he could utter a single word, Marley sucker-punched him from the right. Impressed that she’d put her shoulder into it, Justin moved aside. The guy stumbled backward and his foot caught on a crack in the sidewalk, dumping him on his ass.

“No problem,” Marley said calmly. She shook her hand. Grimaced down at it, and then turned her gaze to the dark-haired man on the ground.

Holding his jaw, the guy started to sit up. Justin stepped forward. “I wouldn’t get up just yet if I were you.”

“No one asked you,” the man growled.

Justin placed his boot against his chest and forced him back down. Marley grabbed Justin’s arm. “Let him up.”

Justin frowned. “Why?”

“Let him up.” She sounded like she wanted to punch him and glared at him until he removed his foot. When the guy finally rose to his feet, Marley took a step forward. His reflexive flinch made Justin smile in spite of his annoyance.

“No means no, understand, Jerk-off?”

“Yeah,” the guy mumbled with a glance at Justin.

Marley’s eyes narrowed. “And?”

“Sorry.”

Her chin lifted. “I thought so.” She shoved past both of them, headed for her truck with a long, confident stride.

“Where you going?” Justin asked when he caught up.

“Home.”

“You sure that’s wise? You’ve had a few.”

She cast him an irritated glance. “I’m not drunk. I’m not even buzzed.”