Author's Note: Quick chapter before I head to bed... Here's hoping it still makes sense in the morning.
Mike's being quiet tonight. Paige can feel his eyes on her the entire time as he sits and sips his beer observantly among her laughing roommates.
Paige on the other hand is happy to be out among the land of the living again. Even if she's not drinking, she's feeling pretty good tonight. She's laughing and joking with her roommates as normal. She's made a bet with Johnny that he can't pick up a girl with a particularly dirty pick up line, and as he walks back to the table, soaked in beer and defeat, she knows she's won.
"I'll go grab you a towel." Paige laughs, standing up to walk over the bar. Mike's eyes watch her as she goes.
"And another beer!" Johnny yells after her, clearly not pleased that he has to pick up Paige's next round on the chore wheel or that he won't be having sex tonight.
As Paige walks up to the bar laughing and asking the bar tender for a towel and a beer, she's approached by a handsome stranger.
"Hi. I'm Derek."
"Hi Derek. I'm Paige." Paige smiles at the handsome man, preparing herself for some good old fashion bar flirting.
"Hi Derek. I'm Mike." Mike reaches around Paige, seemingly from nowhere and gives Derek a firm handshake. His voice sounds overly friendly to the point of being aggressive.
"Hi Mike." The stranger doesn't even look at Mike, he keeps his eyes trained on Paige. "Paige, you probably hear this all the time, but you have the most stunning eyes I've ever seen. Would you let me have the pleasure of buying you a drink?"
It's not the most original pick up line, but it's complimentary and polite. Paige is never one to turn down a free drink, especially when the offer comes from such a beautiful man. She wouldn't certainly mind focusing her stunning eyes on that vision for a few minutes.
Paige feels Mike's hand possessively grasp her hip. Her skin tingles where his fingertips squeeze on the delicate bare skin that stretches over her hipbone. She sees Derek's eyes noticing it too. She is not a stupid girl. She knows exactly what Mike is doing, as he attempts to cockblock her. Derek is not backing down though, just waiting patiently for an answer. She can feel Mike pressing closer behind her, trying to mark his territory.
Normally Paige would feel happy to have to men fighting over her, but now… Oh hell, who's she kidding? Paige is thrilled. Standing between the two good looking men, she feels giddy. She knows she has to make a choice, but her ego is rocketing. Even with a broken hand, fading bruises, and a half assed makeup job she's doing ok for herself.
She needs to make a decision though, and Paige is torn.
On one hand, Derek is a beautiful man. He's tall with wavy black hair and a jaw that looks like it's been chiseled out of granite. From the look of his tshirt that seems to cling in just the right places, she's guessing his abs were carved from the same rock. He has beautiful deep brown eyes, and a stubble that she's sure would give her the most delicious burn if she were to kiss that strong jaw. He looks like someone took a Disney Prince, gave him the body of a greek god and then put him on the cover of GQ.
On the other hand, the heat of Mike's fingertips on her exposed skin, and his breath coming out tickling the skin of her neck right under her ear makes her want to melt back against him. She finds herself fantasizing about how far he would go to mark her as his own in front of this stranger.
In her fantasy she leans back, to find him hard behind her. Despite the crowded bar, his fingers would slip even lower, dipping below the waist of her jeans, into her panties. With Derek watching, he would grind against her from behind, his lips sucking on her neck, while his fingers would pump in and out of her. He would make Derek watch as she spread her legs for Mike, denying him nothing.
Giving up power had always been hard for Paige, especially after her recent helplessness with her attackers, but she would willingly submit to Mike. In her fantasy she can feel herself surrender to him, as he claims her for his own in front of the whole bar. So everyone would know what she was. Who she was. She was his whore. If they couldn't read it on her thigh they would hear it from her lips as his fingers would bring her to a screaming climax in the middle of the crowded room...
As if he's reading her mind, Paige feels Mike's hand tighten on her hip. When she feels his lips possessively press to the crook of her neck, her head falls back and a surprised gasp escapes her. This is not like the friendly tender kisses he's been placing in innocent spaces since the hospital. This kiss is familiar, like a lover's caress. Her skin burns, even as the damp spot he left with his tongue evaporates. She looks up at him with surprised eyes, but his are trained aggressively on the man Paige forgot was even standing in front of them.
The handsome stranger does not seem afraid of Mike though, rather he focuses his eyes on Paige, waiting to hear the verdict from her lips before he gives up the chase.
"Thanks so much for the offer, but my boyfriend here has my drink order covered." Paige says politely, leaning back against Mike's chest. "But see that sexy brunette at the end of the bar? Her glass is looking empty and I happen to know for a fact her favorite drink is Ketel vodka tonic with a squeeze of Lime on the rocks."
Paige hopes Charlie appreciates the hottie she has just thrown her way. She sighs, watching his perfectly formed ass as he walks away from her and over to Charlie. Spinning around in Mike's arms so her hand is now on his shoulder and his hand remains on her waist, she grins up at him. "You now owe me a drink mister."
"Um, I think you mean, you owe me a drink, missy. I just saved you." Mike's eyes are still warily watching the man walk away, as if he's worried he's going to come back.
"You saved me?" Paige asks incredulously, "Saved me from what? From the adonis who wanted to pay for my drinks all night?"
"Oh come on, you know that guy only wanted one thing." Mike finally brings his eyes back to focus on hers.
"Yes! And I handed off that one-very-attractive-thing to Charlie! Hence you owe me a drink." It has not escaped her notice that despite their bickering his hands are still on her waist. She tries to take advantage of that by twisting her hips suggestively against his. She leans in and seductively whispers, "Many many drinks."
"Another night." Mike kisses her protectively on the forehead. "You're still on your pain medication. You shouldn't be drinking yet. Doctor's orders."
"We're at a bar. Etiquette dictates we either drink up or hook up."
"Do you not want to be here? Do you want to go home then?" Mike asks hopefully. This is the question he's been wanting to ask her all night since they left the protective doors of graceland. He hasn't wanted to ruin her night if she's having fun, but all he wants is to sit at home on the couch with her where he knows she's safe.
"Is that an invitation?" Paige leans in and whispers seductively in his ear. His kiss still burns on her neck, and she stands on tip toes to press her hips tightly against his.
"No. You know what I mean." Mike rolls his eyes at her as if what she's suggesting is ridiculous. "If you're tired or not having fun here, we could go home. Watch some tv, go to sleep early."
"So wait, Charlie gets to have sex, and you want to go hang out like we're a boring eighty year olds?" Paige grouses, completely annoyed with Mike. Where was the possessive sexy man from two seconds ago? "Do you want to start eating dinner at 4:30 too?"
"Listen, you can't drink, and this bar is swarming with creeps. I can't keep eyes on you and pretend to be the protective boyfriend all night. Let's just go home, pop some popcorn and we can start a new tv marathon. Maybe Angel?" Mike says earnestly. "Come on, I'll let you draw on me…"
"I gave up sex for this." Paige grumbles to herself. Mike takes that as a yes.
"I'll go tell the guys we're leaving." Mike chirps, relieved to finally be getting out of here. He leans in but Paige stops him.
"I swear to God, Mike. If you kiss me on the forehead again, I will punch you in the face."
"Sounds like someone's pain pills are wearing off..." Mike leans in and places a kiss right on the tip of Paige's nose. "Grumpy."
She hits him hard on the shoulder. "Ow! What? I didn't do the forehead."
"Now who needs pain pills?" She sticks her tongue out at him. "Pansy."
Mike just grins at her wit and walks over to tell the guy's they're leaving. In a short while he'll have Paige safe at home and he can relax. The way that Derek guy was looking at her pissed him off and he wants to get her as far away from him as possible.
Paige looks over to where Charlie is grinning seductively up at Derek who is openly ogling her breasts. She sighs as she sees Mike telling the guys their leaving. Walking back over to her he smiles, placing his jacket over her bare shoulders. She shrugs it off, infuriated by his chivalrous act. He gives her a questioning look, but follows her closely as she storms out the door of the bar.