Breaking Clear (Full Hearts Series Book 3) by Mj Summers

his beer. If he kept this up, people were going to get the wrong impression. Or maybe it was the right impression.
    A few minutes later, an old Destiny’s Child hit rang out. Harper downed the rest of her drink and yelled, “Let’s go, girls! We need to show these guys just how bootylicious we are!”
    They laughed and weaved through the crowd to the dance floor, then gave their best moves, hips swaying, arms in the air, shoulders shimmying, knowing that the guys were watching. After a few songs, they went to the bar to replenish their fluids. Brent teetered over to the group, ordering shots for everyone and snugging up to Harper with a sloppy grin. “You are nothing like the Harper I knew in high school. When did you get so hot?”
    “Right around the time I left Boulder.” She laughed, turning to face him.
    “So you got bolder when you left Boulder,” he remarked, earning him a light chuckle from Harper.
    “You know,” he said moving in, “you look exactly like your mom. She was smokin’ hot.” He planted his hands on her hips, tugging her to him. “Are you wild like her, too?”
    Harper’s face turned to ice. She pushed his hands off her and tried to sidestep him but he was too fast, pinning her against the bar with his arms on either side of her. “Hey now, don’t be like that. I’m trying to compliment your hot ass. You should say thank you.”
    “Fuck off, Brent,” she spat out, pushing at him without any success. He was the human equivalent of a bulldog—short, stocky, solid muscle.
    “Don’t be like that, baby. I know you want it. You come from a line of women who like to get nasty.” The stench of his breath and his words made Harper’s stomach lurch as she arched her back over the bar to get away from him.
    “Get the hell off—” Harper’s words were cut short as she witnessed Brent’s arms suddenly being lifted and pinned straight above his head.
    Evan was standing behind the bulldog and had looped his arms in front of Brent’s, then pulled up while grabbing the back of Brent’s head. The effect was immediate, leaving Brent flailing and immobilizing his upper body. Evan tugged him away from Harper. “You’re way out of line, Brent. Go sleep it off.”
    Brent struggled a minute before giving up. When he finally relaxed, Evan let him go. Instead of walking away, Brent rounded on Evan and tried to punch him in the jaw. Evan grabbed his fist and held it, squeezing his knuckles as he gave Brent a sharp jab to the gut. “I said go sleep it off. I’m not going to tell you again.”
    Four bouncers descended, grabbing both men and dragging them out of the bar. Harper was quickly surrounded by her old friends. They were all talking at once, and a mixture of indignant rage and sympathy on her behalf flooded over her. She pushed past them, offering a distracted reassurance that she was fine. She needed to get out of there. The hot air felt like it might choke her, and she wanted to get to Evan before he left.
    She hurried to the door, a chill running down her spine as Brent’s words played over in her mind. Once outside, she stayed behind the bouncers in case Brent was still there. Evan stood dead still while Brent took off down the sidewalk, turning back with his eye already beginning to swell shut. Evan’s bottom lip was bleeding and starting to puff up.
    Harper rushed over to him. “Oh my God, Evan. Are you alright?”
    “Fine. He just wouldn’t let it go.” Evan looked down at her, his expression changing from rage to concern in an instant. “You okay? I caught the tail end of what he said to you. Fucking asshole.”
    “I’m fine,” Harper answered, reaching into her purse to get a tissue. She held it up to Evan’s lip, gently dabbing the blood. “Don’t worry about it. I’d never let someone like him bother me,” she scoffed, ignoring the lump now taking hold in her throat.
    Evan’s voice came out gentle as he lifted his hand to hers. “You don’t have to pretend