Ren let my hand go to deal with the bill, but the minute he was finished tucking his wallet into his suit jacket that was slung on the back of his chair, he grabbed my hand again and, both our elbows to the table, he leaned in and put it to his lips.
His eyes came to mine.
“Ready to go home?”
I was. So ready.
I was also looking forward to doing the ride along with Vance. Still, I was hoping it wouldn’t last long so I could come home, wake up Ren, and continue the sex portion of the date.
I didn’t say this, though.
Instead I noted, “You didn’t get to Twenty Questions for Ally.”
Ren grinned. He rubbed my knuckles against his full lower lip, his eyes warmed and my happy place convulsed.
“I decided against twenty questions, baby. Findin’ I’m likin’ the surprises you give me.”
And I liked that.
I leaned closer. “Tonight was a great night, Ren. The best.” My voice dipped quiet. “Thank you, baby.”
His eyes got even warmer when he replied, “You’re welcome, honey.”
That was when I got even closer and whispered, “And last night was exactly what I needed. Thank you for that, too.”
“Anytime, Ally,” he whispered back.
“Ally?”
This came from behind us and we both turned our heads, Ren not letting go of my hand, and I saw Zach Gilligan standing there.
Shit.
Zach looked disbelieving.
He also looked angry.
Shit.
I hadn’t seen him since that night at Club. I had seen Helen, and I knew she was now with another guy, this one nice, cool and, big bonus, not a cokehead.
“Jesus, Ally,” he clipped, moving into our serene romantic secluded spot in a way that made my back go straight, Ren’s hand tighten in mine and the air around us turn heavy. Zach ignored all this and leaned deep into me. “You know, that was five hundred dollars-worth of product you made me drop in the john.”
Before I could say anything, Ren ordered, “Step back.”
Zach completely ignored Ren and kept his angry attention on me. “And Helen kicked me out. I was this close,” he held a thumb and forefinger half an inch apart, about double that away from my face, and I felt the air turn stifling, “from asking her to marry me.”
Again, before I could retort, and I had some doozies, Ren got there.
“Get your hand outta my woman’s face,” he growled.
Zach, apparently not feeling or not understanding the vibe in the air or the tone of Ren’s voice, turned his head to him.
“Fuck off,” he snarled at Ren. “Got something to say to this bitch.”
That was when it happened. And it happened so quickly, if I had blinked, I would have missed it.
And what happened was that Ren let my hand go and his shot up and out. He cupped the back of Zach’s head and slammed him face first, fast and hard enough to make a sickening thud, into our table.
His fingers gripping Zach by the hair, he pulled him back. Zach blinking and his nose bleeding, Ren brought him to within an inch of his face.
“That’s a start,” Ren whispered scarily, “Do you get me?”
“Yeah man, yeah,” Zach replied quickly.
“You see her again, you don’t know her. You get that?”
“Yeah, yeah, definitely,” Zach said.
“Get the fuck outta here,” Ren rumbled and let him go, but did this by jerking his hair back so Zach’s neck bent unnaturally and he went flying.
He righted himself and didn’t look back, but lifted his hand to his nose and scurried.
I stared after him until he disappeared then forced my eyes back to Ren, who I noted did all that without leaving his seat.
Without leaving his seat.
Holy.
