Of course, Asa’s attention went right to that and she cringed.

He touched her cheek again as he had inside. Like she was precious.

“Hey, baby girl.” Duke approached with Mick and gave her a gentle hug. “I brought your stuff in case you guys wanted to duck out. The manager is glad you took it outside, but he’s understandably anxious to have us all vacate the premises.”

She wanted the ground to open up and swallow her. “This keeps getting better and better.”

Duke thought that was hilarious. “Asa, your lovely lady seems to be under the impression this is the first time we’ve been asked to leave an establishment.”

Asa grinned and she saw the light in his eyes. Noted the gleam. He was hot for her right then and there, and it was probably because he’d just tossed some dude out in the street like trash to protect PJ.

But it didn’t offend her sensibilities. Whatever that meant about her, PJ just didn’t care. It was hot seeing him be so badass to protect her. She wanted to lick him and thank him and go find that jerk and kick his face and also sleep and maybe have a doughnut.

“We get kicked out of a lot of places.” Asa shrugged as he took PJ’s things from Duke. “This isn’t even the first time we’ve been asked to leave this particular restaurant. We’ll stay away for a month or so and come back and things will be fine.”

Duke and Asa seemed to find it hilarious, which made her feel a little better.

“You’re an unruly lot.”

Asa nodded solemnly and then winked.

Mick hugged her. “You okay, baby doll?” He looked her over carefully. Since that apology, he’d claimed her much the way Duke had. She was theirs because Asa was too.

“I just wanted to order some more pitchers. I didn’t mean for it to turn into a fight.”

“Aw, honey.” Asa kissed the top of her head. “We’ve fought over far less.”

Duke shook his head. “A person should be able to order a damned pitcher without being assaulted by a drunken frat boy. And the asshole who makes that impossible for women all the time needs to be thrown out into the street like garbage.”

Mick and Duke did some sort of handshake/fist-bump thing and sauntered off.

Ellen waved as she came over. “It was nice meeting you. Do you have a card? I was about to ask you for it when all hell broke loose.”

PJ pulled a card from her purse and handed it to the other woman, taking the one Ellen offered in return.

“I’ll call you about doing some work down in the south Sound.” Ellen waved and headed off with a knot of the people they’d come with. Many shouted their good-byes and locations for wherever they’d head next, but she could see in Asa’s eyes that he and she weren’t going anywhere but to his house.

He put her in the car and paused a moment before he got in on his side. He needed to pull it together because he didn’t want to aim any of the violence he felt right then in her direction.

She’d had enough for one evening. And while he and his friends ate the adrenaline of fights in the street right up, he was sure it wasn’t a regular part of her life. Nor would he want it to be. Especially when it was the result of some shitty treatment.

He slid into the seat and relaxed a little because it smelled like her in there.

“I’ve got another six weeks, maybe two months before I have to put her away for the winter,” Asa said as he took them north, back to his place.

As much as he loved to drive his Caddy summer and early fall, once mid-October came it was time to bring her in for a while.

“What do you drive in the winter?”

He was glad that change of subject caught her interest.

“I have a few vehicles.” She laughed at that response. “You laugh?”

“A few?” she managed to ask around her gales of laughter.

“You don’t drive your Camaro all the time, so I don’t see how you can judge.”

She laughed some more, reaching out to pat his thigh. “Easily and often. Judging is one of my favorite things.” Then she snorted, softening her tone. “Awww. I’m sorry. You’re right, of course. I drive my Charger more than the Camaro. It has heated seats, which makes my ass very happy in the winter. How many is a few, though?”

He snorted. “Impudent.”

“Does that mean you’re going to discipline me? I thought we’d already established that. Will you discipline me extra hard?”

“You’ve had a rough night. Let’s watch a movie and go to bed. I’ll wake you up early in the morning.”

“Asa, that guy was a dick. He touched me and I hate that. But that’s not uncommon. That sort of reaction when you say no to a guy like him, I mean. You were there – and I’m going to hell for this – but you were so fucking hot when you picked him up like a pile of dirty rags and tossed him into the street.”

Pleasure simmered low in his belly. “That so? I don’t much like anyone touching you at all, much less trying to hurt you. The cops were called, which is why I didn’t beat his ass. I hate that this is normal for women. Knowing this is the second time in a month you’ve been treated like this makes me crazy.” He hadn’t told her about his trip down to Centralia to happen by the bar Gary Weston had been hanging out in. But he wasn’t worried about Weston saying anything. Once the swelling went down he wouldn’t even look at PJ sideways.

“His face when he turned around after Duane said my boyfriend was coming. I bet he peed his pants a little.”