They sat outside under palm frond umbrellas, and the food was pretty good. It helped Jake sober enough not to want to haul Emma down the beach and molest her.
They had all moved on to drinking cocktails thanks to Leila and her crazy huge knowledge of all things cocktail. The girl had once run a little bar somewhere exotic for fun a few years back and seemed to retain the recipe for every drink known to man.
She was always handy in teaching Jake new drinks to impress the ladies, and right now, his knowledge of Emmaâs preferences was helping him keep her in a steady supply of drinks she was happily downing. He liked seeing her relax this way, sitting beside him and fully leaning back in her chair without any hint of defensiveness.
He was more than aware of how the three of his so-called friends honed in on Emma with her new hair. Warning glares at them had proven futile, and Daniel smirking hinted that he was heating up to start trying to goad Jake. The guy got a kick out of it.
Jake shifted uneasily, ready to defend her with his life if thatâs what it took. He wouldnât let any of them make even a tiny hint at trying for her.
âWhat motivated this?â Daniel reached past Jake, scooping a strand of Emmaâs hair, and Jake batted his hand away aggressively. âNo touching.â
The scowl was somewhere between funny and serious and very impulsive. Daniel just raised an eyebrow and grinned at him knowingly. Jake wasnât amused in the slightest at what Hunter was playing at.
âSorry, big man. You have to admit, though, your girl does look extra hot with this new do.â He winked at Emma, and Jake had to push down the urge to kick him in the face from this angle.
If he thought he could flirt with her to get at him, he better back off. Jakeâs years of mixed martial arts and boxing meant he could take his head off his shoulders even from a seated position. Best mate or not, there was a line Daniel shouldnât cross.
For Jake, it would always be her. âUmm, thanks.â Emma cut in blandly, watching how Jake frowned at Daniel and then punched him lightly in the shoulder. He tried to curb the aggression but still warned Daniel to back off.
âSheâs not going to sleep with you, so you can cut out the compliments and the flirty crap.â Jake huffed Hunterâs way with a scowl.
âOh, I donât know. I reckon I could charm Miss Anderâ¦OWWW.â Daniel squawked like an injured animal as Jake shoulder-punched him a lot harder. Fist connecting with the bone under the muscle and most definitely warning him off.
âYouâll be pissing on me next.â He huffed and swiped his beer from the table.
âDonât tempt me.â Jake wasnât kidding. He wanted to send a clear message to all three men that YES, he had zero humor when it came to her, and they all better learn that fast.
Daniel and Jake threw angry looks at one another before taking what looked like precision-planned swigs of their drinks.
âJeez, testosterone flying much?â Leila laughed, pulling some of the tension away.
âMen!â Emma sighed in exasperation, glancing Jakeâs way with amusement before joining Leila in an eyebrow raise. Jake felt his jets cooling at just watching her interact with Leila.
He wanted her to have a friend in her; she was his best girl mate, and they were well-suited. It helped soothe his hot temper a little.
âNeedless to say, I was right!â Leila grinned at Emma with some underlying message between the two girls, and Jake found himself narrowing his eyes on them. ~What now?~
âAbout what?â Marissa cut in with a pinched tone that made both women look her way with rather snooty expressions. She was sprawled at the table with full cleavage on show, right in Jakeâs eye line and making it obvious it was intentional. He swigged on his beer and looked away.
Miracle was picking her nails at the right of her in a similar pose, seemingly a newfound love of Jake all of a sudden, and he felt himself eye roll and looked back to Emma. ~Women!~
âThat Jake would be enamored with her new short do⦠That she would look sexy as hell!â Leilaâs triumphant tone made Marissa eye roll, and Jake had the urge to pour her cocktail over her head. Even for a girl with pretty features, a nice body, and generally attractive, he found her repulsive.
That black heart and snooty face just killed any looks she once had. âJakeâs a man! He appreciates it when women try really hard to get a reaction from him,â Marissa said icily with a flick of her hair.
Jake glared at her harshly, not liking her dig at Emma one bit. She glared back, challenging him, and he had to hold his tongue.
âYou would know!â Leilaâs scathing comment came with a new tone for her. Disdain. Jake couldnât agree more, though. If anyone needed a crown for trying to get Jakeâs attention, then it was Marissa.
Emma didnât need to try at all. Jake caught sight of the twins moving uneasily in their chairs, and both men lifted drinks to focus on that instead. Miracle lifted her head in interest, eyes gleaming with the possibility of drama.
He sighed, knowing the signs of trouble brewing, and he wouldnât let any of them ruin this for her. âMuch like her.â Jake cut in smoothly, his glare fixed on Marissa coldly, that sinister tone in his voice devoid of emotion yet portraying a lot to the people who knew him, and everyone hushed up.
He hoped to God his dangerous tone and angry scowl gave everyone the message to back off. He used to be the Alpha of this little circle, and he would be taking that title back if they kept this shit up.
âMan, did it just get cold in here?â Daniel jumped up from his perch on the tableâs edge and slapped Jake on the back. âWe need a new topic and way more booze, man.â
Daniel was toeing the line, taking his place in the hierarchy, and glances toward the twins saw them shuffling their feet too. âCouldnât agree more.â Jake relaxed back, happy with the sudden submissive atmosphere.
Marissa and Miracle looked down at their fingernails. Jake, feeling better, leaned in and kissed the oblivious Emma on the cheek spontaneously, giving Marissa that back-off signal as much as the rest of them.
She maybe wasnât his woman in the normal sense, but she was his queen while on this boat, and they would damn well treat her that way.