Destined (The Rangers of Ridge County #1)

Chapter Twenty-Three

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

MILLIE

I f I was going to survive being friends with Emmett, I had to get a better handle on my newfound fascination with him.

This man was causing me immense sexual frustration that I desperately needed to exhaust. Especially considering the mere thought of sharing more of my food with him felt erotic.

Friends shared food. In fact, I shared food with his sisters all the time. But with him, everything was different.

Emmett continued to chew the bite he stole from my chicken leg but didn’t let go of my wrist.

“There’s plenty of chicken here, Emmett,” Rory said, bursting our bizarre bubble. “You can have your own piece.”

I should download a dating app.

Maybe Rory would help me set up a profile.

I turned back to face her and Greer, only to find them skeptically assessing us.

It was as if they couldn’t decide whether or not to intervene—like they were expecting we might duke it out over fried chicken.

“She said this was the last chicken leg,” Emmett shrugged. “They have that perfect crunch-to-bite ratio.”

“You’re going to have to explain the logic behind that one,” Greer stated quizzically.

He stretched, and I felt the brush of his arm against my shoulder before he plucked a chicken breast from the bucket and held it up for examination.

“Take this piece for example,” he scoffed. “Too much meat and not enough breading. Therefore, an unsatisfactory ratio. Which one of you actually looks forward to eating this piece?” he asked.

And somehow his outlandish concept was reinforced when none of us spoke up.

“Exactly,” he declared. “Point proven.”

Greer rolled her eyes as she stood, moving back toward the counter to serve the man that had just walked in.

Emmett sat in her abandoned seat and started to devour the chicken breast despite having just complained about it.

“How’s your day going so far?” Rory asked him, and the sigh he let loose was telling in and of itself.

“It’s been long,” he answered, sinking back into the chair. Upon further inspection, I noticed his clothes were wrinkled and his beard unkempt. He even had dark circles under his tired green eyes.

“Is everything okay?” I asked, thinking back to the case file I saw on his desk a few weeks ago.

By now, the news of Molly Maxwell’s murder had spread around town. The local newspaper even published a short article about the investigation earlier this week .

“It will be,” he muttered. “I just have to stay vigilant.”

“No offense, but when was the last time you actually slept?” Rory asked, peering at Emmett with a look of admiration and concern. “You look exhausted.”

“I’ve taken an occasional nap in my office,” he said. “But I don’t really have time to worry about myself right now.”

“Emmett, promise me you’ll go home and sleep tonight,” Rory scolded. “You are no help to any of us in this state.”

Greer walked up behind Emmett and smacked him on the back of the head.

“You look like shit,” she stated. “Utilize those deputies of yours tonight, and get some rest.”

Greer and Rory both looked at me, and I realized they were expecting me to join in on their guilt trip.

“Please, Emmett,” I smirked.

His eyes jumped to meet mine, now vibrant and ablaze.

“I bought your lunch today,” I added with a shrug. “And the only thing I ask in return is for you to actually get some sleep tonight.”

He threw his head back and laughed.

“I guess I have to then,” he replied. “Since you did technically buy my lunch. My back can’t take many more desk naps, anyway,” he added.

He gave Greer and Rory hugs before turning to me.

“Dinner on me tonight? To repay you for lunch and all,” he suggested with his signature smirk. Heat flared up my neck and spilled over into my cheeks.

“Millie won’t be home until late tonight,” Rory answered with a wink. “We’re going to Rowdy’s with Jeremy and a couple of his friends.”

“Raincheck?” I asked with a nervous giggle, but his responding frown was not reassuring.

Rory and I spent the rest of the afternoon upstairs amongst her bookshelves.

After closing up for the day, all three of us walked the short distance to her studio apartment where we planned to get ready for our evening out with Jeremy and his two friends, Chance and Paul.

Maybe I would hit it off with one of them. I was ready to put myself out there and had high hopes for the evening. Besides, the dating apps would still be there if this didn’t pan out.

I had to do something to get my mind off of Emmett.

“What are you two wearing tonight?” I asked.

“I was thinking I’d wear a basic tee paired with my black leather skirt, tights, and my knee high boots,” Rory said. “And I have the perfect outfit for you!”

“What’s wrong with what I have on?” I asked, looking down at my ripped black jeans and off-the-shoulder sweater.

I was also sporting a comfortable pair of black sneakers because I refused to torture my feet all damn day. I planned to switch into heels tonight, though.

“You can keep the jeans on, but I have a different top in mind,” she declared. “And I’ll loan you my black faux leather jacket.”

“Greer, what about you?” Rory continued, looking over at her sister.

“I pulled something out of my closet this morning while I was still half asleep,” Greer shrugged. “I’ll consider it a win if what I grabbed even matches.”

It definitely matched, and Greer looked gorgeous.

In fact, we all did.

I took a moment to appreciate our color coordinated outfits as we stood in front of Rory’s full-length mirror adding final touches to our hair and makeup.

Rory ended up in a black body-con midi dress with brown cowboy boots after changing her mind multiple times. The suede jacket she wore matched the color of her boots, and she’d pulled her hair up into a messy topknot.

Greer had on dark wash jeans, a black cami, and black combat boots. Her long dark hair was slicked back in a low ponytail.

My chestnut curls hung loose and were full of volume, falling in layers around my face and down my back. I still had on my black ripped jeans, but I traded the sweater for a black bodysuit with a plunging lace neckline. It was a little out of my comfort zone, but I felt sexy. My black stilettos and Rory’s faux leather jacket finished off the look.

With little time to spare, we rushed out the door and made our way up Peak Street to Rowdy’s.

“There they are!” Rory shouted over the noise once we were inside the darkened bar.

We squeezed through the crowd toward the booth the men had snagged near the dance floor.

“Hi!” Rory greeted a man whose dark hair appeared expertly coiffed. She bent to kiss his cheek then turned to us. “This is Jeremy.”

He waved his hand in greeting, and I did the same.

“I’m Millie,” I offered then elbowed Greer who stood silently beside me.

“Greer,” she huffed, shooting me an annoyed glance.

“That’s Chance,” Jeremy said, pointing to a muscular man with a dark complexion and even darker scowl.

Chance’s gaze stayed fixed on Greer, so I turned my attention to the other man in the booth.

“And I’m Paul,” he offered shyly. The grin he wore made his dimples pop. It was such a practiced move, and I fought the urge to roll my eyes. It reminded me of why I’d avoided dating for so long.

The men had drinks, so Rory waved down a waitress then slid into the booth beside Jeremy.

“I’ll take a mojito,” she ordered once the woman made it over to us.

“Whatever you have on tap is fine,” Greer called out. She’d snagged a chair from a nearby table and planted it at the head of our booth. Which only left me one option for seating.

“I’m good with the local draft on tap, too,” I said as Chance stood to let me into the booth, sandwiching me in-between him and Paul.

From a distance, Paul was one of those people that looked familiar but once you were up close, you realized he wasn’t. He had an average build but was fairly tall. Not as tall as Emmett, though.

His brown hair was cropped close to his head, and he was clean-shaven.

“How do you know Jeremy?” I asked, trying to kick off the conversation.

“We were roommates in college,” he stated matter-of-factly.

The waitress returned with our drinks, and I grabbed mine gratefully—taking a healthy sip of the crisp beer. Over the rim of my glass, I spied Rory conversing with Jeremy. Chance and Greer seemed content to sit in silence, and Paul lounged awkwardly beside me.

Was this what dating looked like now?

With a little more coaxing, I found out Paul was twenty-six and worked at his father’s car dealership in the Valley. The conversation was far from riveting, but I was content to sit here until his wandering eyes started to test my boundaries. I wasn’t sure what he enjoyed ogling more—my cleavage or our waitress. Then his hand moved a little too high on my thigh.

I had never been more thankful to be wearing jeans.

“Let’s dance!” Rory shouted, pulling Jeremy and Greer along with her. Chance followed, leaving Paul and me alone in the booth. I watched as our friends made their way onto the dance floor and was debating on whether or not to call it a night when he asked me to dance.

I was conflicted but hesitantly agreed.

It wasn’t like I was agreeing to marry the man.

Dancing in a crowded bar seemed safe enough, and my friends would be close by.

We made our way out onto the floor, but Paul stopped and started to dance before we reached the rest of our group. When I tried to turn and face him, he grabbed my waist and tugged me into him.

The move felt a little aggressive so I attempted to put some distance between our bodies as we swayed to the beat, but his fingers dug into my hips—pulling me back again.

I tried to step away once more, but his grip was unrelenting.

“I know you want this,” he said, grinding into my backside. “You’ve been flirting with me all night.”

I tried to shake my head, but he started kissing my neck.

No one was paying attention to us. I frantically clawed at his hands as he held me captive.

His hot breath on my pulse point made my head spin and my stomach swim.

“Get your fucking hands off of her,” a familiar voice growled as the unwelcome weight of Paul’s body disappeared.