Safe Distance Read online

  Safe Distance

  Copyright © 2015 by Megan Green

  Editing and Cover Design by Murphy Rae of Indie Solutions by Murphy Rae

  Formatting and interior design by JT Formatting

  All rights reserved.

  Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products, bands, and/or restaurants referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

  License Notes

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  For Adam

  You’re my everything.

  Title Page

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Acknowledgements

  About the Author

  “Now, what is a pretty thing like you doing sitting at the bar all by yourself?”

  My head turns at the sound of the deep voice, my eyes landing on an arrogant smile. I quickly scan the rest of his face. Crystal-blue eyes. Nose that’s just slightly too big for his face. Defined cheekbones. Megawatt smile. Dimpled chin. He looks to be in his early thirties. Not old by any means, but at least seven or eight years older than my twenty-three years. He slides onto the stool to my right. Even though he’s sitting, I still have to tilt my head back to meet his gaze. He signals the bartender and leans into me. “What are you drinking tonight, gorgeous?”

  I slant my body to the left, trying to widen the gap between us. This guy clearly doesn’t understand the concept of personal space. I glance down at his attire. Suit, tie, perfectly polished shoes. Everything about this guy screams confidence. Gorgeous, well dressed, and if the watch on his wrist is any indication, loaded. Every girl’s fantasy, right?

  Wrong.

  I look past him, scanning the crowd for Amanda. Her boyfriend, Justin, tends bar here on weekends. He’s the reason we’re here tonight. He’s also the reason I’m sitting here alone. His break started a few minutes ago, and he and Amanda immediately took off toward the dance floor.

  Mr. Perfect reaches out and brushes my hair over my shoulder, his fingers lingering on my collarbone. Clearly oblivious to my silence and current search of rescue, he trails his fingers along the side of my neck. I shudder.

  Mistaking my revulsion for desire, he leans in closer. When I turn to face him, I see his eyes drift shut as he draws near. His mouth forms a small pucker and he stops just inches from my face. I stare at that mouth. Is this guy for real?

  His eyes flicker open, those baby blues peering up at me through hooded lids. When he sees where my eyes are settled, the corners of his mouth curl up into a wry grin. I pull back just as he tries to close the distance between us.

  He doesn’t take kindly to my rejection. Darkness fills his eyes and a small frown tugs at the corners of his lips. But he quickly regains his composure, laughing at me softly.

  “Hard to get, eh? I like that.” He winks, continuing to laugh like we’re both in on some private joke. I look around again. Where in the hell is Amanda?

  The bartender finally makes his way over to us, giving me a temporary reprieve from the man’s scrutiny.

  “My usual, Jimmy. And another of whatever this pretty lady is having.”

  Jimmy nods curtly and turns to prepare the man’s drink order. As he moves, I see a slight roll of his eyes. I’m guessing this isn’t the first time my new friend here has tried to pick someone up in this place.

  The man interrupts my thoughts. “I’m Bruce. Phillips. Phillips and Lambert Real Estate. You may have seen our signs around town. Best in the biz, if I do say so myself. Buying or selling, we’re in a class by ourselves.” He extends his card to me. I stare at it blankly. That awful slogan is plastered across the top. When I don’t reach to take it, he shrugs and tucks it back inside his jacket pocket.

  “So, cat got your tongue? Do you have a name, sweetheart?”

  I decide I’ve had enough of his attempted sweet talk and those heated glances. I turn and place both elbows on the bar, cradling my drink between my fingers. Without meeting his gaze, I take a sip and finally put him out of his misery.

  “Not interested.”

  “Well, that sure is an interesting name. Can’t say I’ve heard that one before.” He gives me a sideways grin, his attempts at charm failing miserably on me. I resist the urge to roll my eyes, instead letting out an exasperated sigh.

  “Look, I get it. I get the cocky attitude and the confident swagger. I’m sure you’ve got women falling down around you. Begging you to take them home, to give them one night they’ll never forget. And so on and so forth,” I say with a dismissive wave of my hand. This time I’m unable to contain my eye roll. I turn on my seat, looking him square in the eye.

  “I’m sure your next line will be that any girl in this place would kill to be in my position right now. So why don’t you go ahead and save yourself the time and effort and go find one of them? Because this—” I gesture between the two of us “—is not happening.” With that, I turn away from him, placing my elbows back on the bar in front of me. I can see the stunned look on his face out of the corner of my eye. His mouth opens and closes, giving him the appearance of a fish out of water. Hoping he’s taken my not-so-subtle hint, I down the rest of my drink and start to stand.

  As soon as my feet touch the floor, a rough hand closes around my arm, halting my movement. I stumble back to my seat, staring up at the man. What the fuck does he think he’s doing?

  He towers over me. He has at least six inches on my five foot nine. The anger I saw in his eyes has returned. Only this time it’s deepened. He looks furious.

  “Look here, you stupid bitch. I don’t know who you think you are, but nobody talks to me like that,” he growls. His fingers tighten on my arm, nails digging into my skin. I squirm, trying to break free of his hold. It only results in more pressure. I can feel the bruises already starting to form.

  “Now. You’re going to sit here and enjoy that drink I so generously bought for you. And you’re going to tell me your name and laugh at my jokes. And when I say it�
�s time, you’re going to leave here with me. You got that?”

  My sharp words and tough-girl persona disappear in a matter of seconds. I feel the panic rising in my chest, the sweat breaking out along my hairline. I’ve had to deal with unwarranted advances before. But not like this. Usually men just slink off, calling me a bitch and finding someone else to lick their wounds and stroke their ego. But not this man. I’m in over my head here and I know it. My eyes desperately search for Amanda or Justin. Anyone I know who can help me. I come up empty.

  “P-please. Just let me go.” My voice is barely audible over the loud music booming off the walls of the club. I hate the meager sound of my words. I hate that this bastard has reduced me to this. Helpless—something I haven’t felt in years. A few ugly words and a strong arm and I’m back to where I was. Where I’ve tried so hard to never return again.

  My docile tone has him smiling. A devilish grin spreads across his face and he loosens his grip on my arm. He returns his fingers to my neck, tracing the delicate skin there. This time my shudder is interpreted correctly. He sees the fear in my eyes. And it causes an almost predatory glint in his.

  “That’s better. You’re much sweeter when you don’t talk. Didn’t your mother teach you any manners? That was no way to treat a new friend.” He leans into me again, pressing his lips to my throat. Tears spring to my eyes, threatening to spill over onto my cheeks. I squeeze them tightly and grit my teeth. I will not give this bastard the satisfaction of seeing me cry.

  He starts trailing kisses up my neck. When he reaches my ear, he bites it sharply. I’m unable to contain the squeak that escapes my throat. His laughter echoes lightly in my ear. “You like it rough, don’t you?”

  He runs his hand up the inside of my thigh. I’m desperately trying to get my voice to cooperate with the screams ringing through my head when I feel him torn away from me. I slump in relief at the feel of nothingness before me. The breath I’ve been holding for far too long finally escapes my lips, and a tear runs down my cheek. I quickly wipe it off before turning to see what happened to Bruce.

  I expect to see Amanda and Justin. Instead, another man is there. He has dark, closely trimmed hair and a seriously pissed off expression. He’s a few inches shorter than Bruce, but he moves quickly and he’s obviously strong. Bruce swings at him, but the man deftly dodges the hit, causing Bruce to stumble off balance. While he tries to correct himself, the man lands a blow to his cheek. Bruce falls to his knees, a dazed look on his face.

  A large man steps in then. I recognize him from the door when we entered. The bouncer. He pulls Bruce to his feet and shouts at the dark-haired man to get out. A blond man appears at his side and the two of them begin to make their way through the crowd. As the blond shoves through the swarm of people that gathered to watch the fight, my champion looks back over his shoulder, his eyes finding mine. He gives me a small smile before turning and following his friend to the door.

  Suddenly Amanda is in front of me. She pulls me into her arms, telling me how sorry she is for leaving me. It’s not until she wraps her coat around me that I realize I’m trembling. Justin steps between us, lifting me into his arms. Everybody is looking at us as he starts to carry me through the crowded club. I push against his chest and wiggle out of his arms. I’ll be damned if I’ll give these people anything more to talk about. Justin sets me down and I plant my feet firmly on the ground. I square my shoulders, lifting my chin and make my way through the throng of people.

  Once we’re outside, Amanda starts in with her apologies again. “I’m so sorry, Hay. I never should have left you alone in there. Justin has warned me about that guy before. He’s a certified asshole.”

  “I should have known better,” Justin adds. “I saw him come in just before my break started. I’ve seen the women he goes after. I should have known you’d be his number one target.”

  The two of them sound so remorseful I can’t take it.

  “It wasn’t your fault,” I interject before either can continue, giving them both pointed looks. “Either of you. So stop it. I ran my mouth, like usual, and I pissed him off. Nothing happened. No harm done. Except maybe to that asshole. Probably gonna have a pretty nice black eye tomorrow.” I laugh lightly at that, hoping to lighten their somber moods. I hate to think that I’ve ruined their night.

  “Good. I hope he knocked some sense into that prick. Maybe now he’ll think twice before attacking poor defenseless women,” Amanda says, anger still very evident in her voice.

  I shake my head at her, laughing at her over protectiveness. “I wasn’t exactly attacked, Mandy. Just caught off guard. Bad day today, I guess. It was nothing. Really. Can we just go?”

  I can tell she’s unconvinced, but she nods. As we make our way over to her car, I see a familiar form standing near a truck.

  Now that he’s standing still, I can see that he’s only a few inches taller than me. Probably just barely six foot. His short hair is slightly disheveled, as if he’s been running his hands through it. He folds his arms across the edge of the truck bed and drops his head to them. The muscles across his shoulders are evident through the thin fabric of his t-shirt. His strong arms are corded with muscle. He pushes away from the truck, dipping his head even lower and hanging on to the edge with both hands. The back of his shirt rides up, revealing a trim waist. He clearly keeps himself in great shape.

  The blond man from the club rolls down the window of the cab and leans out. “You cool yet, man?” he calls to him. He straightens, rolling his shoulders as he turns around. His eyes fall on me and my friends.

  “Just a sec, Chris,” he says to the blond as he heads toward me.

  I’m not sure I want to do this. I appreciate his help. But I’m embarrassed. I completely clammed up in there. This man probably thinks I’m a complete coward. Too soft to even take care of myself from the unwanted advances of an asshole in a club. He’s probably coming over to tell me to stay home if I can’t handle myself.

  He stops a few feet in front of me. He looks down at the ground, as if he’s unsure of what to say now that he’s over here. I take a deep breath and speak.

  “Thanks for your help in there. You didn’t have to do that. I’m not sure what came over me. I just…froze, I guess. I’m normally more self-reliant when it comes to guys like that.” Amanda comes up next to me and puts an arm around my shoulders, pulling me into her side. Always trying to protect me. Even from someone who just saved me.

  The man looks between the two of us and then back at Justin. He smiles at me. “I couldn’t stand there and watch that for another second. I had no illusions that you couldn’t take care of yourself. Guys like that just piss me off. You shouldn’t have to defend yourself against creeps like him. I could see you weren’t interested from a mile away. He just needed a little help getting the memo.”

  I smile back. I’m certain he saw the distress on my face in there. And I’m sure he can hear the embarrassment in my voice right now. He’s just too kind to mention it. Instead, he tries to reassure me that this was all his doing. That I wasn’t sitting there terrified and on the verge of tears. That he just did me a favor by getting rid of the asshole for me.

  I close the distance between us and offer him my hand. “I’m Haylee. And I really do appreciate you delivering that message for me.”

  He takes my hand and gives it a light shake. “It’s nice to meet you, Haylee. I’m Ryan. And believe me, the pleasure was all mine.” He winks.

  This time my laugh is real, coming from deep within my belly. His knuckles are red and his hand must hurt from smashing into Bruce’s face, but he’s managed to make me feel a thousand times better in just a few short moments.

  I gesture to his hand. “You better get some ice on that. You might need it again tomorrow night when the next damsel is in distress.”

  He grins at me. “I think my damsel-saving days are over. At least for a little while. Already gonna hear it tomorrow when Chris over there runs his mouth. Sarge is gonna kill me.”
>
  As if sensing we’re talking about him, Chris lays on the horn. “C’mon, man. We gotta go. I told Roberts we’d pick his ass up.”

  Ryan holds up a finger, letting him know he’ll be just another minute. He turns back to me. “Glad I could help tonight, Haylee. You stay out of trouble. Be safe, okay?” He winks at me again, turning to jog toward the truck. When he’s halfway there, he glances over his shoulder. Seeing me still watching him, he turns around and jogs backwards. The cheeky grin spreading across his face is apparent, even from halfway across the parking lot. He waves at me one more time before turning back around.

  He doesn’t see the bottle on the ground until it’s too late. One moment he’s upright, moving with an easy stride, and the next he’s flat on his back.

  Hysterical laughter bursts from the cab of the truck. Ryan is lying on the ground, not moving a muscle. I start toward him to make sure he’s okay, but I don’t make it more than three steps before he jumps to his feet. Chris starts laughing even harder. Ryan gives me a sheepish look and shrugs. He holds up his hand in another small wave then slowly jogs the rest of the way to the truck. As he climbs into the cab, I see him slug Chris in the arm before gesturing to the road in front of them. Chris collapses against the steering wheel, laughter still pouring from the open window. Ryan is clearly berating him, but it just seems to make Chris laugh even harder. With a smile and a shake of my head, I turn and walk back to Amanda and Justin. I’ve had enough excitement for one night.

  “Rise and shine, asshole.”

  Chris throws open my bedroom door and steps into my room. His rumpled shirt and messy hair indicate he’s just barely rolled out of bed. Obviously expecting to find me in a similar state, he looks dumbfounded when he sees me fully dressed and sprawled out on my bed. The TV is playing softly in the background. I hit the pause button and turn my attention to him.

  “Rose and shone hours ago, asshole. Already got my run in, showered, and had breakfast.” I smirk at him, turning back to the show I’m watching on Netflix.