Bait. Samantha Keith

was a damn good judge of character. It didn’t ring true.

      “I don’t believe you. But even if that’s true, you should know better. If I ever catch you feeding shots to a young woman and trying to take her home, Ryan,” he emphasized his name for good measure. “I’ll break every bone in your face, understood?”

      Sweat broke out on Ryan’s brow. He nodded. Ethan stood and Riley dropped to her knee next to Ryan.

      “Don’t listen to him. We’re not together, honest.” She whipped her head over her shoulder and glared at him. “Go away.”

      Ethan’s head pounded. What in the hell was the matter with her? Did she not know what this idiot had in mind? Ryan rose to his feet and brushed off his pants.

      “I have to go.”

      Riley’s hands fell away from him. He skulked the rest of the way to his Mustang and got in. His tires screeched as he peeled out of the lot.

      She reeled on him. “You idiot. I don’t know who the hell you think you are, but you need to mind your own goddamn business.” The tip of her index finger stabbed into his pec muscle. He brushed her hand away, annoyance gnawed at him.

      He rested his hand on the back of his neck. The tension had turned into an angry ache. He worked his jaw.

      “Are you kidding me right now? Are you completely unaware what that guy was planning to do once he got you back to his house?”

      “This is insane.” Her voice raised an octave. “I barely even know you.” Her arms waved in the air between them. “And for the record, I didn’t ask for your help.”

      “You fell on your ass for god’s sake.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “Didn’t anyone teach you what happens to young women in bars? I feel like you need some education on the subject.”

      Her eyes sharpened on him. A deep blush stained her cheeks. If smoke could billow from her ears, it would have.

      “I’m not stupid,” she hissed. “And if you come near me again, I will punch your lights out. Got it?”

      A laugh bubbled in his throat. He couldn’t stop it and didn’t try to. He was easily two times her size. Not to mention her fist could fit in his palm. She seethed. Her foot stomped in the dirt, kicking up a small cloud of dust. A growl gurgled from her throat before she spun on her heel.

      Her hair fanned out behind her as she stormed away.

      The laughter gone from his voice, he jogged after her. “Riley, come on. Let me give you a ride home, you’re drunk.”

      She whirled around so fast he had to catch himself from barrelling into her. This close he could see the rise and fall of her chest. Her breasts overflowed the top of her skimpy shirt. Her sweet-smelling perfume permeated the air around them.

      “Are you deaf? Or are you really that stupid?” She flung her hair over her shoulder and rested her hands on her hips to stare him down.

      His temper crackled in his ears. “You’re calling me stupid?” He shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. “I can’t believe I have to spell this out. That guy was going to rape you, Riley. I just saved you.”

      Something flashed in her eyes. She took a step closer to him, the toe of her boot stepped on his loafer. She didn’t back down.

      “Did it ever occur to you that I wanted him to take me home? That maybe I was looking for sex?”

      The muscles in his face went lax. Holy shit. He pulled his hat off to scratch his head. Damn, this was uncomfortable. He stared at the fiery little blonde. She may be dressed the part and her actions now added up to her words…but something didn’t fit.

      Her eyebrows bobbed at him waiting for a response. She was accusing him of cock blocking. Unbelievable. Or would it even be called that? He didn’t want to explore the female version.

      She was trying to make him squirm. For a heartbeat, she’d succeeded. Now he was going to knock some sense into her stubborn head.

      “And I ruined it for you, is that it?”

      Her lips spread into a smirk. “Obviously.”

      “And that’s the kind of guy you want to fit the bill? Someone who drags you across the parking lot? C’mon, Riley you’re not fooling anyone.” He opened and closed his hands, hesitation built in his chest at the questions screaming in his head. “Are you against nice guys or something?”

      She widened her eyes and her teeth scraped over her bottom lip. “You mean guys like you?”

      Hell yeah, he meant guys like him. He hadn’t pursued her. Not once. But he always sparked conversation with her hoping to crack the dark cloud that she carried over her head.

      She shook her head. A flash of something in her green flared eyes alerted his senses. Regret?

      She let out a low breath. “There’s no nice way to say this…I’m not interested.” She shrugged and moved to turn away. He held his hand out and she stopped.

      Her words sunk slowly through his eardrums. He wasn’t arrogant enough to accuse her of lying. Hell, based on her distance with their every conversation, he had no doubt she meant it. But that didn’t make the pull toward her that started in his chest any less. He should have listened to his head and stayed out of her business. She was complicated as hell and every time he walked away from her, his head ached with confusion.

      The fact that she’d flat-out faked being drunk hadn’t escaped his attention. But it did set an alarm bell in his head. And no matter how much she pushed him away, the FBI agent in him needed to know why she’d put on that act tonight.

      “I get that,” he said evenly. “But try to exercise some common sense. I might not be around next time.”

      She snorted. “You’re an asshole.”

      He lifted his shoulders. “Funny that you’re not interested then, isn’t it?”

      “Don’t come near me again,” she said barely above a whisper, her voice shaking. She pushed past him, but not before he’d caught the tears glimmering in her eyes. His anger deflated like air releasing from a balloon.

      A knot formed in his chest. Guilt burned through his stomach. His fingers clenched on the ball cap in his hands, crushing its bill. He’d let his anger get the best of him. It wasn’t like him to lose his cool. But Riley did something to him. Her aloof attitude had been driving him crazy since he’d arrived in the small town of Beaufort, North Carolina. Living next door, they bumped into each other almost every day, and even more frequently when he visited the restaurant she worked at. The harder he tried to talk to her, the more distant she’d become.

      And for what? Because he’d talked about the weather or asked for his coffee to be topped up? Or left her a nice sized tip?

      His eyes followed her as she reached the sidewalk and headed down the road. He couldn’t let her walk home alone, but he couldn’t approach her again. If he followed her, no doubt she’d call the cops.

      If something happened to her, he’d be responsible. He walked the rest of the way to his truck, pulled the keys from his pocket, and slid in. His hands tightened on the steering wheel.

      Stupid, stupid, stupid.

      If she didn’t like him before tonight, she downright despised him now. He waited fifteen minutes before pulling out of the parking lot. If the lights were on in her house, he’d at least be able to sleep easy that she’d made it home.

      He made a few detours and drove extra slow, then came back to the main street just as she rounded the corner of their street. She passed under the streetlamp, its glow picked up the soft sheen of her hair. Her arms hung at her sides, her hands balled into tight fists, and her back rigid. He turned in the opposite direction, not wanting to pull in his driveway at the same time she got home. He drummed his thumb on the steering wheel and