He cut Caro a look, and certain she was engaged in conversation with Viola, he bent to whisper in my ear, “She grabbed my cock.”

For a second all I felt was the brush of his lips across my ear, and all I heard was the word “cock” in Roane’s deep rumble. The low, visceral tug in my womb distracted me for a second, but when his words eventually sunk in, the sexual heat I’d been feeling was overcome by fury.

I jerked my head back from his, eyes blazing, and I instantly felt his hand on my knee under the table. He gave it a reassuring squeeze.

“That’s not okay,” I hissed. “That’s as bad as a guy grabbing a woman’s ass or pawing at her breasts without her permission.”

“Shh.” He shook his head at me, and I bristled, trying to calm. He obviously didn’t want anyone else to know.

“It’s not okay,” I repeated.

It was so not okay, I wanted to march out of the pub and hunt the handsy cow down and teach her some manners!

“I know.” A muscle in his jaw twitched. “That’s why I asked her to leave.”

“Has she tried that before?”

Roane shook his head. “She’s been persistently flirtatious these last few weeks, but I haven’t done anything to encourage her. She’s just . . . determined.”

“I’m going to kick her ass,” I snapped.

His gaze sharpened. “Why?” He bent his head toward me until our noses were almost touching. “Because she dared to touch me without permission . . . or because she dared to touch me?”

The word “dared” seemed to reverberate between us because the look in his eyes . . . He was daring me to speak the truth.

To admit I was jealous. Territorial. Possessive of him.

Suddenly all the air in the room seemed to go out.

“Knocking back another offer, Roane?” Milly’s voice suddenly cut through to us.

I leaned away from him, trying to catch my breath, and he shot Milly a barely concealed look of annoyance.

The pub owner took the empty seat on my left, and I glanced around. Dex had disappeared from our table, and the one next to it was entirely female. Milly and Viola; Bobby Hopeton’s wife, Hazel; Lottie Mulhern, who was a good friend of Milly’s; and Caro and me. They were all staring at Roane. Dex was up at the bar with the men, having taken over serving for Milly.

“What?” Roane asked, clearing the scowl from his brows.

Milly chuckled. “That gorgeous brunette was practically in your lap.” Her gaze flicked to me and then back to Roane. “Can’t believe you passed that up.”

“Milly, don’t start.”

“We’re just looking out for you,” Hazel threw in. “We want to see you settled. And you’ll never get settled being as choosy as you’re being.”

A new indignation began to heat my blood.