It'll Be An Adventure (Masters of the Shadowlands #15)(88)
Author: Cherise Sinclair

 

“Well, look at this.” His gaze ran up and down her body, and he moved uncomfortably close. “Tiny Tits has escaped her tiny house.”

 

Apprehension scraped along her nerves. “Go away, Ross.”

 

“Hey, hey, don’t you want to get together and fuck?” He reached out to touch her face, and she jerked back a step. “Not that you were any good in bed. In fact, you were a real shit lay.” His loud voice caught the attention of people at the tables around them.

 

Her hands fisted. What kind of a complete creep would say something like that?

 

She knew why, though. Because Saxon, her friends, and her own self-examination had opened her eyes.

 

He was quite deliberately hounding her.

 

Avoiding him or being polite hadn’t worked in the past and wouldn’t work now. Because making her feel ugly and small made him feel good. More powerful.

 

He wouldn’t stop unless she made him.

 

She could feel herself shaking and her mouth felt numb, not like her own. But she lifted her chin and raised her voice to match his. “Ross. I asked you before to stop bullying me.”

 

He sneered. “Oooh, are you going to cry now, tiny tits?”

 

“Ross, Ross.” She shook her head in mock sadness and kept her voice loud. “Didn’t you know—being a bully isn’t a good life choice. Bullies have a higher risk of abusing alcohol and drugs and are often abusive to their spouses and children. What woman would want a man like that? You, Ross, are a walking disaster.”

 

His mouth dropped open, and he stared at her in shock, then growing consternation as laughter came from everyone within hearing distance.

 

“Now you can help, Master.” Kim’s voice came from their alcove. “Not that there’s anything left to do.”

 

Ross turned and hurried away.

 

I did it.

 

“Woohoo!” Rainie yelled.

 

“Go, girl!” came from Zuri.

 

There was cheering from the spectators all around her.

 

Murphy gulped and hastily took her seat in the alcove…before her knees gave out.

 

 

 

Still standing at the entrance, Saxon shook his head in amazement. When Ross was running Murphy down, he’d forced himself—and the bouncer—to give his woman a chance to stand her ground.

 

Saving her would make him feel like a hero. But a rescue wasn’t what she needed—and damn, but her comeback had been devastating.

 

Head down, Ross hurried right past Saxon and out the door.

 

“You got a ballsy girlfriend, man.” The bouncer fist-bumped Saxon. “Good call on letting her run with it.”

 

It had been. Despite the anger still boiling in his blood.

 

He eyed the exit door. He could follow Ross and mess him up for some satisfaction.

 

The bouncer grinned and backed away from the door.

 

Saxon took a step, then shook his head. If Murphy found out, it would lessen her victory.

 

Shit.

 

“Guess I’ll have to wait.” He clapped the bouncer on the arm and headed over to the table.

 

Rainie crowed. “You should have seen your girl, Saxon.”

 

“I did see.” Sitting, he closed his hand around Murphy’s. Her fingers were cold, her face slightly pale. “Congratulations, champ, on winning your fight.”

 

Her fingers closed tightly around his, and then she gave him the smile that he loved. “Thank you.”

 

“I saw you kept the bouncer from intervening.” Jake slung an arm around Rainie. “Our subbies kept us here too.”

 

Ah. He’d wondered why the Masters hadn’t wiped the floor with Ross.

 

Saxon gave Jake an easy smile. “Murphy had it handled. She didn’t need us.”

 

The look in her eyes told him he’d made the right choice.

 

 

 

 

 

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

 

 

 

 

 

On Saturday night, Murphy was sitting in Jessica’s bedroom next to the dressing table, surrounded by feminine voices. Despite the air-conditioning, the room was warm, the air filled with the fragrance of lotions and hairsprays.

 

How crazy is this? She shook her head in wonder.

 

Seated in front of her, Rainie made a threatening sound.

 

Don’t annoy the person doing your makeup, Murphy.

 

But all this getting ready for a party felt excessive. Okay, maybe it was remarkably fun too.

 

Uzuri and Gabi were in the opulent bathroom, giggling about something.

 

Cursing up a fit, Josie was struggling to pull on tight, mid-thigh shapewear. “Really, would a few lines and bulges be so bad? Next time, I’m wearing a loose skirt, dammit.”

 

“Go slower, Josie”—Gabi called from the bathroom—“or you’ll get all sweaty and need a shower.”

 

“You’re not helping,” Josie growled, wiggling to get the waist up.

 

Murphy pressed her lips together and tried not to laugh.

 

Having gone to check on her children and the nanny, Jessica bounced back into the room and beamed at the women. “I’m so glad you all are here. I’ve missed girl time.”

 

“We’ve missed you, woman.” Rainie grinned at her, then turned back to Murphy, holding a mascara wand like an instrument of torture. “Look up so I can do your bottom lashes.”

 

“Yes’m. Thank you for doing this—and showing me how.” Murphy obediently looked up. “My last attempt made my lashes look like big black bugs had died on them.”

 

“I’m surprised you managed to avoid wearing makeup until now.” Kim was using a flat iron on her black hair.

 

“My brothers and I grew up in a wilderness hunting lodge, and Mama died when I was thirteen. We were homeschooled since Pa said driving us to the bus stop took too long.” It was a sad thought that some people shouldn’t have children—and he was one of them. Thank heavens they’d had Mama for their first years to raise them, teach them—and love them. “Back then, a new flannel shirt was the height of my teen ambitions. It was a shock when we moved to Tampa, and I started college. Only, I had no spare money and pretty much figured it wasn’t worth trying to learn how to put all this stuff on.”