Free Always in my Heart (The Subzero Series, #2) by Rebecca Elise

Dean looks disapproving and Noah almost looks amused.
    “Tyler...might I speak with you for a moment?” Jack asks, although it is more of a demanding request than a question.
    “Give me a minute. There’s something I need to take care of first,” I glance down at Cath. “I’m going to go tell him to leave and if he refuses then we can call security.”
    Cath licks her pouty, pink lips and a worried look crosses her face. She places her hands on my stomach and then grabs a fistful of my Ramones t-shirt.
    “You have to be careful,” She begs. “Just because he’s never done anything before doesn’t mean that he won’t and you can’t believe anything he says to you.”
    I nod, wondering what he could say that has her so worried. I turn to walk off but she grabs my shirt again stopping me. She glances up at me, her brown eyes filling up with tears.
    “Please be careful,” she says again. “If anything happens to you...”
    I smile down at her. “I’ll be fine. I can take care of myself. I’m a big boy.”
    Her lips turn up into a wicked smile. “I don’t doubt that.”
    “Ooookay...well I’ll be right back then.”
    I turn again to walk out, this time with Jack on my heels.
    “What is going on?” He demands.
    “Ah, some guy that follows Cath around is here in the lot. She doesn’t want him here so I am asking him to leave.”
    “And the passionate embrace was necessary because?”
    I snort with laughter, which only gets me another famous Jack Riley dirty look.
    “I don’t know what you think you walked in on but there was nothing passionate about that hug. She was upset so I comforted her. It’s what any decent man would do.”
    Jack rolls his eyes and shakes his head. “You don’t think she may possibly be exaggerating things here?”
    “Why on earth would I think that?”
    “Let’s see, maybe because she just hit on you! Don’t tell me you didn’t catch that little innuendo there.”
    I frown, I had caught that. “Yeah that was kind of weird, wasn’t it?”
    I walk through the doors, back into the parking lot with Jack following behind me. I glance around but don’t see Jesse standing by Jack’s truck. Walking a little closer, I see him sitting on the ground leaning up against one of the tires.
    “Hey, it’s Jesse right?” I ask him.
    He jumps up from where he is sitting and wipes his hands on his pants. He moves slowly towards us, glancing warily back and forth between me and Jack.
    “Yeah, where’s Cath at? She’s in there right?”
    I nod. “She is but she says she doesn’t want to talk to you, so you have to go.”
    “I just want to talk to her.” He says.
    “Well...she doesn’t want to talk to you besides, she’s working. Would you want her to bother you at your job?”
    “I would love for her to visit me at work.”
    Okay...clearly I need to figure out another approach. I’m thinking about what to say next when Jack steps forward. He runs a hand through his jet black hair.
    “Two things guy, the first is you need to move away from my truck. The second is that Cath doesn’t want to talk to you. You need to respect her wishes and leave.”
    “Are you sleeping with her?” Jesse asks Jack.
    Jack rolls his eyes and lets out a quick laugh. “No, I most certainly am not. I’m engaged.”
    Jesse turns towards me, sticks his finger out and pokes me in the chest. “Are you sleeping with her?”
    I try to hide my amused smile but I can’t. “No, I have my own girl.”
    “I’m not leaving until I talk to her.” Jesse responds coolly.
    “You can leave or we can call security.” I say calmly.
    “I can be here. You don’t own the parking lot.” He says defiantly.
    I shrug. “Maybe I don’t but somebody does and they probably don’t want you here either.”
    Jesse gives me an odd look. Then his face clouds with anger and turns red as he places his hands on my chest and shoves me.
    “Really?” I ask. “There’s no reason to start shoving people.”
    Jesse