“Is her body language not enough for you, asshole? Or are you the kind of guy who doesn’t recognize boundaries?”

Winter grabs my bicep, but I keep my eyes on him, my grip tightening around his wrist. One jerk of my fist and his wrist will break under the pressure. Prick’s probably got a pocket full of roofies, too.

“Aleck, I had it handled,” she spits. “I don’t need you—”

“Yeah, Aleck,” he mocks. “She had it handled.” His tongue slips past his teeth to lick his lips seductively.

Before I can talk myself down, as a grown man, but also as a lawyer, I pull my arm back, accidentally pushing Winter backward, and smash my fist into Asshole’s face.

And this, this is the moment I know, without the shadow of a doubt, I have lost my fucking mind. If there was ever a question, this moment is my answer. I’m fucking done for this woman. Full-blown feelings, shiny and blaring for the entire bar to see. I am completely unrecognizable.

From the corner of my eye, I see Keith and Preston stepping up to the other guys, whose only concern is gathering their friend with a nose that’s bleeding all over his tacky designer deep-V tee.

And my only concern is Winter.

She stumbled back against a cocktail table when I punched the guy, and I admit it was a dick move to pursue my anger toward him instead of my concern for her. Especially since I’m treading on such thin ice with her already. But I’m back now, and I’m on the right track. That has to count for something, right?

I step toward her as she dusts the back of her dress off.

“Winter—”

“Don’t!” she hisses, holding up her index finger.

“You’re serious?” I spit. “He pressed his dick into your ass!”

“I don’t need you to take care of me, Aleck! I don’t need anything from you!” She wobbles, then lifts one foot to remove her heel, and that’s when I notice it’s broken.

“Winter, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to push you—”

“Sondra,” she says, turning away from me. Completely disregarding my apology and overall existence. “I’m going up to my room to change my heels. I’ll be back.”

“Okay, sweetie,” Sondra says, pulling at Preston’s arm, trying to get him to stop staring down the dipshit frat boys. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah.” Winter’s leering gaze lands on me. “I will be.” Then she turns and stomps off barefoot toward the exit leading to the lobby.

This is complete bullshit!

I did nothing but give her exactly what she wanted: my cock. Then, like the idiot I am, I stuck around to talk because I couldn’t get my mind to function properly. She got from me what women typically beg for.

Resort security approaches. I struggle to keep my eyes on Winter as I pull a few hundred dollars out of my pocket, then pat the man holding a taser on the shoulder and give him the bills.