Free The Rebel's Return (Red River) by Victoria James Page B

believe him.
    She downed the rest of what looked like whiskey, coughed, and then shoved it at his chest. “I won’t ever dance with you again. I don’t need you being a friend. I have a friend,” she said, attempting to swing her arm around Sabrina, who also swayed. Oh for God’s sake. It never ceased to amaze him how these two were always getting into trouble together. He grabbed her arm to steady her, and Jerk-off yanked at him. Not a good move.
    He turned to him. “Get your hands off me, man.”
    “Just protecting the lady.”
    “Are you kidding me? No, I’m protecting her from you . I’ll spare you the humiliation of being turned down. Go now.”
    He ignored Natalia’s gasp of outrage. He also intercepted her next round of drinks when the waitress came around with a tray of shots.
    Natalia poked him in the ribs. He stared down into her somewhat glazed, but still the nicest brown eyes he’d ever seen. “You. Are. Not. The. Boss.” She turned to her friend. “More drinks.”
    Sabrina gave her a salute that didn’t quite reach her head and then wandered off. “I think you’ve had enough, Nat.”
    “Nope. Not listening. And for the record, I’m so mad at you. You don’t get to walk back into my life and have a say in what I do or don’t do. Also, this is Francesca’s bachelorette party—I can’t be here sober. It’s bad enough I actually have to attend. Attending sober would be as bad as watching you and Amanda in bed together.”
    Holy crap, he hated himself, especially since her gorgeous eyes were now filled with tears. He opened his mouth hoping to God something would come out that could actually make it all better, but she beat him to it. “You don’t get to wander—no, saunter —back into town after all these years and pretend to give a damn about me. How do you know that this isn’t what I do every weekend? Maybe I go home with that chump every Friday.”
    He tried not to smile because he didn’t want her to think he was laughing at her, but she was pretty damn adorable. He quickly tried to look somber when her eyes narrowed on him. “I don’t think I can wander back into town. But I care about what happens to you, and judging by the way this guy is eyeing you, I’d say you don’t go home with him every Friday night.”
    The lout moved in. “Time to leave, buddy.”
    “You leave,” Aiden said, using his meanest sonofabitch voice.
    “Aiden, you can’t go around barking out orders at people. You didn’t even ask me what I want. You just assume—”
    “I know you, Nat,” he said in a low voice as he moved a step into her. Her breath hitched, and he could see that her pulse picked up rapidly in the base of her throat. He wasn’t going to let his gaze wander lower, because he knew he’d just get distracted by the way she filled out her sweater.
    “You don’t know me,” she said, vulnerability shining in those brown eyes.
    “I do. You’re still the same girl,” he whispered. The same one he wanted. Day and night. He’d never stopped wanting her. Wondering about her. Wishing for a future they could never have.
    She pushed past him and worked her way through the crowd. He’d always been faster, and followed right behind her, catching the door with the palm of his hand when she tried to slam it in his face. They stood outside on the wide porch of the Roadhouse, her chest rising and falling, and her face tight with anger. He was a weak man, he knew, as his gaze fell to her chest.
    “What are you doing?” she hissed.
    “Sorry. You always filled out a sweater—”
    “No, you ass, I mean what are you doing here? Interfering in bar pickups, pretending like you give a crap about me.”
    “I do. I always have.”
    “Oh, well sleeping with some stupid girl and then dumping me and taking off isn’t a great way of showing you care. You gave up all rights to interfering in my life, Aiden. Don’t go all apish because you’re back in town and you have some conceited idea that