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"How’s that? He was trying to protect"Get a fking clue, E near our table the whole time you were on the dance floor"

I pulledhis buddies and anyone standing nearby all the dirty things he was going to do to you"

I blinked and sed, pushing downtrash about me before he even approached uy he was the minute he opened his " ? I could handleit forever

"Oh, aren’t you the noble knight," I mocked "News flash I didn’t need your help back there"

"Sure as hell looked like it to uy take me home and act out all his perverse fantasies on ht that way of rier Contrary to what all of Dartford thought, I wasn’t a slut

But isn’t that what you want people to think? That you’re tougher, stronger, more experienced? I can’t be offended that they all believe the i Shaw

I took a deep breath and reached for ed "So he was talking shit Like guys don’t do that"

"Not to you," he growled "You ht not think you deserve more respect than that, but I do You deserve better"

Stunned, I couldn’t think of anything to say

Reclai lot, weaving us through the cars My ht I deserved better? Like what? I wasn’t Pepper or Georgia or Suzanne I wasn’t a nice girl looking for a fairy-tale ending That wasn’t in the cards fordesperately to cool the heat firing my cheeks as he led ot out, staring at his back, "I don’t need rescuing"

He laughed harshly then We were alh the cars Without breaking stride, he tossed over his shoulder, "You, sweetheart, need rescuing in the worst way"

I stared at his back, wanting to hit soer side and yanked open the door Jerking his head, he snapped at me, "Get in"

Neanderthal I crossed"What’s that supposed to mean? I’ve survived just fine for alaze flicked over lint of scorn was back in his eyes "That’s debatable"

I flinched It was as if he saw right intoon by a thread How did he know that about ed to fool everyone else?

Again, I felt judged Like he so--which I kneas in direct opposition to what he had just said, that I deserved better But that summed up how he h the next I didn’t knohere I was going with hi at the same time, but mostly scary