Holding Strong
Page 89
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Stunned, Cherry pulled up short, her smile disappearing in the face of his obvious anger.
Stepping in front of Cherry—shielding her from him?—Armie held up both hands. “She’s oblivious, dude. Take a breath.”
“You brought her here?” His gaze transferred to Cherry, and he easily pushed Armie to the side. “Looking like that?”
Hurt, Cherry pokered up just as she had while talking to Carver. Keeping her voice low in a laughable bid for privacy, she whispered, “You told me to come here!”
Uncaring that the entire rec center watched, he leaned into her, jaw muscles knotted and his irritability spiking. “Jesus, Cherry, you look naked.”
“What are you talking about?” Hastily she peeked down at herself, plucking at the sodden material of her skirt.
He narrowed his gaze on her jutting nipples.
That drew her attention there and she gasped, slapping her arms around herself.
Reaching to his back, Denver grabbed a fistful of his shirt and in one jerk stripped it off over his head.
Cherry snatched it from him before he could offer it, holding it in front of her chest.
“Put it on,” Denver told her.
She went from embarrassment to a flash fire of anger. “Are you ordering me?” she asked, incredulous over the possibility.
For a single second Denver thought she might throw the shirt back in his face. He braced himself—
And Armie stepped up next to her, snarling to Denver, “Ass.” Then to Cherry, “Jealousy makes guys nuts, honey. Ignore him.”
Going combustible all over again, Denver knotted up from the soles of his feet to the top of his ears. “You—”
“Dating groupies again?”
Ah, hell. He’d forgotten all about Pamela.
Both Armie and Cherry leaned to look behind him, Armie with male interest, Cherry going red in the face, the shirt clutched tight in front of her body.
Fed up, Denver faced his stepmother. “Later, Pamela.”
Ignoring him, she smiled at Armie. “Introduce me.”
Armie cocked his head to the side, giving her a thorough once-over.
On the ragged edge, polite manners well out of reach, Denver growled, “I’m busy.”
Of course, that didn’t stop Pamela. She stretched out a hand. “I’m Pamela, Denver’s stepmother.”
Cherry’s mouth dropped.
Armie adjusted from interested to cold but polite civility, saying, “Nice to meet you, ma’am.” After the briefest possible handshake, he said to Denver, “I’ll be in back. We need to talk.”
Glowing with mortification, Cherry tried to drum up a smile. “Hello. Nice to meet you. Clearly I got caught in the rain and I didn’t realize—”
To cut off her groveling, Denver slung an arm around her. “Pamela was just leaving.”
Like the cunning bitch he knew her to be, Pamela showed her teeth in a “got you” grin and spoke only to Cherry. “So nice to meet you...Cherry, is it?”
“Yes.”
“Such an unconventional name.” Not said as a compliment. “You and Denver are dating?”
She licked her lips. “We’re...”
When Cherry looked at him with so much uncertainty, he wanted to rip through the concrete walls. “Not your business, Pamela.”
“Denver!” Cherry tried to free herself, but he didn’t let her. It sucked, but he needed her at the moment. To apologize for that, he kissed her forehead.
Stymied, Cherry stared up at him, then at Pamela.
Pamela watched with shrewd speculation. “Never mind him, Cherry. I understand Denver and his...ways.”
What was that supposed to mean?
Cherry must’ve wondered the same thing because she quit resisting him and instead leaned into him. “What ways would that be, Ms. Lewis?”
“Call me Pamela, please.”
“All right.”
Wow. Denver stared down at Cherry in awe. She was always so sweet, occasionally defensive, but never curt. Now, though, her tone held as much cold bite as Pamela’s.
“Despite Denver’s surliness, it’s clear the two of you are...involved? So I’ll just include you in my invitation. You see, my husband’s birthday is coming up and I know Denver’s dad would not only love to see him again, but he’d enjoy meeting you, as well.”
“I see.” Cherry put her shoulders back, her little nose in the air. “Has Denver accepted the invitation?”
Pamela’s smile slipped. “Not precisely.”
“Then I certainly can’t accept.” She snuggled closer under his arm. “But he and I will talk about it, and if necessary, he can get in touch with you.”
Stepping in front of Cherry—shielding her from him?—Armie held up both hands. “She’s oblivious, dude. Take a breath.”
“You brought her here?” His gaze transferred to Cherry, and he easily pushed Armie to the side. “Looking like that?”
Hurt, Cherry pokered up just as she had while talking to Carver. Keeping her voice low in a laughable bid for privacy, she whispered, “You told me to come here!”
Uncaring that the entire rec center watched, he leaned into her, jaw muscles knotted and his irritability spiking. “Jesus, Cherry, you look naked.”
“What are you talking about?” Hastily she peeked down at herself, plucking at the sodden material of her skirt.
He narrowed his gaze on her jutting nipples.
That drew her attention there and she gasped, slapping her arms around herself.
Reaching to his back, Denver grabbed a fistful of his shirt and in one jerk stripped it off over his head.
Cherry snatched it from him before he could offer it, holding it in front of her chest.
“Put it on,” Denver told her.
She went from embarrassment to a flash fire of anger. “Are you ordering me?” she asked, incredulous over the possibility.
For a single second Denver thought she might throw the shirt back in his face. He braced himself—
And Armie stepped up next to her, snarling to Denver, “Ass.” Then to Cherry, “Jealousy makes guys nuts, honey. Ignore him.”
Going combustible all over again, Denver knotted up from the soles of his feet to the top of his ears. “You—”
“Dating groupies again?”
Ah, hell. He’d forgotten all about Pamela.
Both Armie and Cherry leaned to look behind him, Armie with male interest, Cherry going red in the face, the shirt clutched tight in front of her body.
Fed up, Denver faced his stepmother. “Later, Pamela.”
Ignoring him, she smiled at Armie. “Introduce me.”
Armie cocked his head to the side, giving her a thorough once-over.
On the ragged edge, polite manners well out of reach, Denver growled, “I’m busy.”
Of course, that didn’t stop Pamela. She stretched out a hand. “I’m Pamela, Denver’s stepmother.”
Cherry’s mouth dropped.
Armie adjusted from interested to cold but polite civility, saying, “Nice to meet you, ma’am.” After the briefest possible handshake, he said to Denver, “I’ll be in back. We need to talk.”
Glowing with mortification, Cherry tried to drum up a smile. “Hello. Nice to meet you. Clearly I got caught in the rain and I didn’t realize—”
To cut off her groveling, Denver slung an arm around her. “Pamela was just leaving.”
Like the cunning bitch he knew her to be, Pamela showed her teeth in a “got you” grin and spoke only to Cherry. “So nice to meet you...Cherry, is it?”
“Yes.”
“Such an unconventional name.” Not said as a compliment. “You and Denver are dating?”
She licked her lips. “We’re...”
When Cherry looked at him with so much uncertainty, he wanted to rip through the concrete walls. “Not your business, Pamela.”
“Denver!” Cherry tried to free herself, but he didn’t let her. It sucked, but he needed her at the moment. To apologize for that, he kissed her forehead.
Stymied, Cherry stared up at him, then at Pamela.
Pamela watched with shrewd speculation. “Never mind him, Cherry. I understand Denver and his...ways.”
What was that supposed to mean?
Cherry must’ve wondered the same thing because she quit resisting him and instead leaned into him. “What ways would that be, Ms. Lewis?”
“Call me Pamela, please.”
“All right.”
Wow. Denver stared down at Cherry in awe. She was always so sweet, occasionally defensive, but never curt. Now, though, her tone held as much cold bite as Pamela’s.
“Despite Denver’s surliness, it’s clear the two of you are...involved? So I’ll just include you in my invitation. You see, my husband’s birthday is coming up and I know Denver’s dad would not only love to see him again, but he’d enjoy meeting you, as well.”
“I see.” Cherry put her shoulders back, her little nose in the air. “Has Denver accepted the invitation?”
Pamela’s smile slipped. “Not precisely.”
“Then I certainly can’t accept.” She snuggled closer under his arm. “But he and I will talk about it, and if necessary, he can get in touch with you.”
