A buzz started low, simmering and building the closer he got. And at the same time, the lump in my throat moved down, choking me until I pushed it down to fall with a thud to the bottom of my stomach.

My mouth dried.

He looked so good.

Faded jeans, a black shirt, the silver-tinted sunglasses, and a Thunder ball cap pulled low over his head, I’d never seen Reese more a celebrity than just now. His head was down, and there was a girl on his arm. I almost fell back when I saw her.

God.

Her little hands clung to his arm. She was hurrying to keep up.

Juan and Stan were talking, moving at a more sedate pace toward the private box. Reese edged ahead of them, an urgency in his gait, as if he just wanted to get away. The girl teetered behind on her heels. It was like he’d forgotten she was there.

She wore a bikini top with a ripped jeans miniskirt that barely covered her ass. As she stretched to catch up with Reese, I caught a glimpse of something lacy underneath. Her hair was blown out and her makeup was heavy.

Skank.

Okay. In fairness to her, she might not have been one. You never knew—but then she stuck her hand in one of Reese’s back pockets. She was definitely a skank.

Pretty sure I was showing my front teeth as I growled. It was savage. I was scaring even myself.

“Down, girl.” Trent pulled me to sit. He laughed in my ear, sitting next to me. “The girl’s not with him. He doesn’t even really know she’s there.”

Yeah.

He was up the stairs, looking for a seat.

Trent was right.

Maybe.

Probably.

Reese looked like he really didn’t know she was there, and then he sat down on the far end of the box, facing our direction—and she climbed right onto his lap.

I started to surge to my feet.

Trent clamped a hand on my arm, holding me in place. “Stop. Stop. She doesn’t mean anything.”

I knew that. She was a fucking one-use girl, but that didn’t matter.

Reese was mine.

I leaned back against the seat. “I can’t do this. I can’t sit here and watch him get mauled.”

“Well…” Trent kept his hand on my arm. “I don’t think you can get to him right now, so you’re going to have to. Try not to watch?”

A gurgling laugh erupted from me. Yeah, right.

He patted my arm. “Or focus on what you want to say? You’re here now. He’s here. Lauren’s done working for the night, so she’s hanging out with us. We’ll keep an eye out for you. If he goes to the bathroom, you can move in.”