He closed his eyes, leaning forward, as if to kiss me. I leaned as far back as I could in his vise grip. His lips inched closer and closer, and I pulled away, back biting harshly into the table, jostling the diamond paperweights. I prepared for the worst.

Then Geoff was yanked back by his shoulder and flew—literally flew—against the yacht’s white railing. It all happened so fast, I caught only the aftermath.

“What the fuck?” Geoff yelled, holding his nose as blood spurted between gaps in his fingers. “All I did was touch her.”

Gray wrung out his hand, looking totally put out. “I think I made it pretty clear, if anyone so much looks in her direction, you die.” In a split second, his cool demeanor vanished, and he gripped him by the collar. “Does your dad like working at Crowne Industries?”

“Uh…”

Gray’s grip became a vise, pulling him closer. “How’s that coke habit working for him? Probably not as good as his love of jailbait.” Geoff’s eyes widened. “Touch her again, see what happens.”

Gray dropped Geoff with a slam to the deck. The dick ice sculpture jostled and fell, shattering into chunks of ice on the maple floor.

For the first time all night, Grayson looked at me.

I had to say something. “Thank you.”

Gray stepped to me, forcing me against the railing he’d just bloodied his friend on. Beyond him the ocean raged iron blue, brackish and unusually cold for summer.

“What are you doing?”

“Do you think I did that for you, Snitch?” he growled. “Do you think I give a single shit about you?”

He gripped my waist, pulling me close, and slid his palm along my back, over my ass, gripping.

“We’re in public.”

Maybe they couldn’t hear what he was saying over the music, but his actions were crystal clear.

“Didn’t stop you last night.” His voice was cold against my ear. “I saw the look in your eyes this morning. You’re like every other girl out there. You want me. You’re brazen about it. If I stuck my hand between your thighs, you wouldn’t stop me.”

He probed me from behind, through the thick fabric of my pleated black skirt. I looked around us, along the massive yacht. At his peers just waiting for Grayson to confirm everything that Geoff thought I was: a nobody for these somebodies to use and play with.

Finally, I made eye contact.

His breath warmed my lips when he spoke. “You’re disgusting.”

Hurt slammed into my chest, but I wouldn’t let him see. He took a step back, as if to leave me with that. Leave me to feel worthless.