Knox was close enough to me that his chest brushed lightly against my back.
“Ian’s made and lost more millions than anyone else at that table. He’s got enough enemies out there that you don’t wanna be standing next to him when one of them shows up. And Winona carries a grudge. She feels she’s been done wrong, she’ll burn down your world with a smile on her face.”
“What about Lucian?”
For a moment, there was nothing but the sound of our breathing to cover the silence between us.
“Luce is a whole other kind of dangerous,” he said finally.
Carefully, I turned to face him. Not quite managing to cover the flinch when my breasts brushed his chest. His nostrils flared, and my heart rate picked up.
“I’ve had no problems at that table. And I’m willing to bet if it were Fi or Silver or Max on that party, you wouldn’t be having this conversation.”
“They know how to handle trouble.”
“And I don’t?”
“Baby, you showed up in town in a fucking wedding dress with flowers in your hair. You scream into pillows when you get stressed out.”
“That doesn’t mean I can’t handle myself!”
He put a hand on the door behind me and leaned into the last bit of my space. “You need a goddamn keeper.”
“I’m not some helpless damsel in distress, Knox.”
“Really? Where would you be if it wasn’t me who found you in the cafe? Staying in Tina’s shithole trailer with Way? No job. No car. No phone.”
I was getting very close to whacking him over the head with my tray. “You caught me on a bad day.”
“Bad day? Fuck me, Naomi. If I didn’t drive your ass to the goddamn mall, you still wouldn’t have a cell phone. Like it or not, you need someone watching out for you because you’re too damn stubborn to do it yourself. You’re too busy trying to take care of everyone else to bother with yourself.”
His chest was pressing against mine, and I was having trouble focusing on the fury that rose in my throat. Hot, hard muscle against soft flesh. His proximity made me feel drunk.
“You’re not kissing me,” I insisted. In hindsight, the warning was a tad presumptuous since he’d never kissed me before. But to be fair, he really looked like he wanted to kiss me.
“I’d rather wring your pretty little neck right now,” he said, eyes narrowing on my mouth.
I licked my lips, preparing to definitely not kiss him.
The low rumble in his chest vibrated through my body as he dipped his head toward mine.
A new vibration interrupted us.
“Fuck,” he hissed, yanking his phone out of his pocket. “What?” He listened, then let out a string of colorful curses. “Don’t let him past the bar. I’ll be out in a second.”
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“See? That right there is your problem,” he said, pointing a finger in my face as he yanked the door open.
“What?”
“You’re suddenly too worried about me to watch your own ass while you’re serving a table of criminals.”
“Has anyone ever told you you’re ridiculously dramatic?” I asked as he hauled me out. He was texting with his free hand.
“No one who didn’t have a death wish. Let’s go, Daze. This time I’ll let you make my problem yours.”
TWENTY
A WINNING HAND
Knox
My problem—besides the length of Naomi’s skirt—was leaning against the bar in full uniform, making small talk with a handful of regulars.
I dragged Naomi with me into the alcove of the kitchen doors. “My brother doesn’t get near that room. Got it?”
Her eyes widened. “Why are you telling me?”
“Because you’re going to distract him and get him the hell out of here.”
She dug in her heels and crossed her arms. “I don’t recall the section on my job application that required me to lie to law enforcement.”
“I’m not telling you to lie. I’m telling you to get those good girl eyes and that cleavage over there and flirt with him until he forgets all about busting that game.”
“That doesn’t sound any better than lying. It sounds like prostitution, and I’m pretty sure any family court judge would frown upon that during a custody hearing!”
I blew out a breath through my nostrils, then dug out my wallet. “Fine. I’ll give you a hundred bucks.”
“Deal.”
I was still blinking when she snapped the bill out of my hand and headed in my brother’s direction. It was an asshole move on my part, using her need for cash and putting her in a sketchy position. But I knew my brother, and Nash wouldn’t do anything to hurt Naomi’s chances at becoming Waylay’s guardian. Hell, any idiot with one good eye could tell the woman was several classes above her sister.