I let out a sharp breath of relief.
“Bloody hell. Chill, would you?” she said, holding her hands up in surrender. “Didn’t know you were still slumming it.”
I narrowed my eyes at her. “Slumming it?”
She shrugged. “I thought you dumped him. If you don’t want your bit of rough long term, you should let the rest of us have a go.”
“He’s not a bit of rough,” I said. “He’s kind, honourable, beautiful, loyal, and intelligent. He makes me laugh, which is not always an easy thing to do. He’s the best man I’ve ever metin my life. And he doesn’t deserve the way you’ve put your hands on him without his consent.” I shook my head jerkily from side to side. “He doesn’t deserve being calledcarpenter-boywhen he’s a skilled artist.”
“Woah.” Olivia backed off with her hands in the air. “Calm the fuck down. Keep your blue-collar bit of stuff.”
“You shouldn’t call him?—”
“Hey, hey.” Mike’s soft, amused voice cut me off, and suddenly, my view of Olivia was blocked by his big body.
I blinked up at him. Why was he smiling?
“I think she gets the message, love.”
“She shouldn’t speak to you that way,” I said, my voice tight as Olivia stalked off to the other side of the bar.
“Okay,” he said, still smiling.
I shook my head. “And she shouldn’t touch you if you don’t want her to touch you.”
“I know,” he said. “I’m okay, I promise.” He stepped into my space and reached for my hands, which I realised were clenched into tight fists. “You can stand down, love.”
I let out a breath in a huff, still not ready to let go of my anger completely.
“Let’s go back to the table, okay?” He steered me back to the others with that hand on my lower back again.
“Why are you all smiling?” I asked.
Chapter 34
Our cabin
Mike
Vicky was still bristlingwith anger on my behalf. She was like a little ball of indignant fury, and I felt better than I had in weeks.
This Vicky—the Vicky shaking with rage next to me—was infinitely better than the blank Vicky from before, the one who’d displayed nothing.
This Vicky, I could work with.
“Well, you definitely toldher, Vics,” Ollie said with amusement.
Felix stifled a laugh. “Yeah, you saved poor little Mikey from the big bad supermodel before she could compromise him.”
Vicky’s rage ebbed, and doubt entered her expression when Felix said supermodel.
I frowned at him.
“Shut up, Moretti,” I snapped. “Who says I didn’t need saving?”
Vicky bit her lip. “Maybe you could have handled it yourself,” she whispered. “It’s just, she was pawing at you, and?—”
“I’m very glad you sorted her out, love,” I said softly.
