After a satisfying meal, Jace and Stephen decided to challenge each other to a game of pool while Kate grabbed Michelle’s hand and tugged her to the bar.
“Gee, give us a couple more drinks down here, would ya?”
“I probably shouldn’t have anymore. I’m not really a drinker.” Michelle scrunched her nose.
Kate grinned. “Hell, Michelle. It’s time to kick up your heels and have a bit of fun. Those two will be playing for a while. And I won’t let anyone grab you. Not unless you want them to.” She winked.
“Alright, I’ll trust you. Let the night begin.” Michelle laughed and glanced to the bartender who plunked a new drink on the bar.
She froze for a moment and sized up the older man. Lord, she didn’t ever want to run across him in a dark alley.
Kate linked her arm with one of Michelle’s. “Thanks, Gee. This is Michelle, Jace’s lady.”
“Oh no, we’re not—”
“Nice to meet you.” Unsmiling, he extended one massive mitt toward her. “It’s time Jace settled.”
Michelle wasn’t about to question the man even though he had it all wrong. She placed her hand in his, awaiting the squeeze that would crush her fingers to a pulp. To her surprise, his grasp was gentle. As she gazed into his brown eyes, she sensed a familiarity there, like she’d known him all her life. Odd.
Kate laughed. “See, he’s really just a giant teddy bear.”
Gee rolled his eyes, released Michelle’s hand, and moved on to the next patron, thoroughly dismissing them.
Five gin and tonics later, Michelle floated on an alcohol-induced cloud. For two hours, she and Kate sat in the booth, laughed over Kate’s childhood stories of Jace and Stephen, and watched the men play game after game of pool across the bar. Despite the sarcastic remarks Kate tossed out about Stephen, it was obvious she had a soft spot for him. Of course, that caused Michelle to chug her drink, knowing what she did about the friendly woman’s boyfriend and brother.
A throat clearing from beside their table captured their attention. Michelle glanced up to find a rugged good-looking man with a well-groomed beard standing next to her. An attractive smile curved his lips when their gazes met.
He nodded his head. “Evening, Kate. I thought I would come over and offer to buy your friend here a drink.”
“Hi, Damien.” A mischievous grin formed on Kate’s mouth. “You know what? I think Michelle would like that. She might even dance with you.”
“Well that would make my night, sugar.” He beamed at Michelle and presented his hand to help her rise.
A bubble of excitement rushed through her inebriated limbs. She lifted her hand to place it in his, and then he was gone before she could stand. In his place stood Jace, looming above her.
He glared at Kate. “What the hell are you doing?”
She gave a nonchalant shrug. “Just seeing if you’re paying attention.”
Jace knelt on the outside of the booth and wrapped his hands around Michelle’s. She tried to ignore the sizzle of electricity fizzling up her arm. It happened each time he touched her.
“How are you doing, sweetheart?”
Michelle tried not to pant at the endearment. She tipped her head to the side and studied him. “Hi, Jace.” She touched a finger to his smooth cheek, because how could she not? “I dream about you sometimes, you know.” Then the most unladylike belch flew out of her mouth before she could stop it.
His eyes widened for a split second before he looked at his sister. “How many drinks did she have?”
“I’m afraid I didn’t keep count. Maybe you should get her home and into bed.”
Anger slashed across Jace’s face and Michelle worried she’d embarrassed him. She tried to rise from the booth. Unfortunately, gravity wasn’t her friend at the moment. She plopped back on the cracked leather seat and a giggle burst from her lips.
Great, now I’m a tittering idiot
.
Jace slid her to the edge of the booth and scooped her into his arms. Michelle squealed and to her dismay, giggled again. Kate laughed and waved as Jace carried Michelle across the bar. Patrons lifted their drinks in salute and cheered. She buried her face in Jace’s shoulder to hide her mortification. Well, at least Jace had all the cover he needed tonight. The entire bar thought he’d be getting laid.
Jace wasn’t sure which head he wanted to bust first. His sister’s for letting Michelle get as drunk as she did, or his pack mate, Damien, for trying to pick up on his damn mate.
He glanced over at her slumped in the passenger seat, head pressed against the window. Damn it, he shouldn’t have left her alone with his sister. What the hell had Kate been thinking? She knew Michelle couldn’t handle alcohol like they could. As shifters with higher metabolisms, they burned the alcohol off before it had time to settle into their bloodstream. Though chugging a bottle of hard booze would do the trick, which sounded like a damned fine idea to Jace at the moment.
Hell, who was he kidding? This was his fault.
He’d felt the tension pouring off her while they sat side by side. She’d been a ball of nerves around Stephen and Kate. Then she’d gotten that damned call from Marston. After dinner, he’d left her with Kate, using pool as an excuse to discuss pack business with Stephen. Their alpha, Andrew Tao, needed to hear the disturbing news as soon as possible.
The Black Hills pack was more than aware of Carl Marston. He and his wealthy counterpart, Dave Roberts, ran a successful land development company in Collins. Unfortunately, their pastime included hunting. And not just bucks and rabbits, it was wolves they were after.
It came as no shock to Jace that the men had found out a large population of wild wolves ran on Los Lobos lands. Living in close proximity to Collins, it was bound to happen. Despite each shifter in Los Lobos’s best efforts to safeguard the town’s secrecy and keep nosy humans out, the threat of exposure and extinction rose each day as more people settled in surrounding areas.
His pack had resided on their land for years, and they damn sure wouldn’t be ceding it over to a group of immoral hunters any time soon. Marston and Roberts weren’t the first to stumble onto their territory, and no doubt they wouldn’t be the last.
But what troubled Jace the most was the fact the bastards had locked their sights on Michelle. Frankly, it scared the shit out of him. He and his pack suspected the two men were responsible for Cecelia’s death, but they had no proof. Marston and Roberts wouldn’t hesitate to take drastic measures to ensure Michelle’s property fell into their hands. No matter the cost. Even if that meant eliminating Michelle.
Damn and fuck. His little mate had no idea of the danger she’d inadvertently landed herself in.
Jace pulled into her driveway, shut off the ignition, and leaned back against the headrest. He glanced at Michelle. She sat slumped in the seat, soft snores puffing from her nose. Hell, he needed to get her inside. When he’d thought to get his beauty into bed tonight, this wasn’t precisely what he’d had in mind.
He got out, walked around the truck, and made sure she didn’t fall out when he opened the passenger door. After fishing her keys out of her handbag, he lifted Michelle into his arms. She mumbled something about remembering to lock the door and he chuckled. She hadn’t completely checked out for the night. Once he hustled her inside and locked the door behind him, he found her bedroom upstairs and deposited her on the bed.
In the darkened room, he stared down at her sleeping form, fully dressed and twisted at an odd angle. Damn it, he couldn’t leave her like that. He wanted her to rest well since he was certain she would have a hell of a hangover in the morning.
Untying the laces of her shoes, he tugged them from her feet, followed by her socks. Once he’d worked her hair loose from her ponytail, he slid the glasses from her face and placed them on the bedside table. For all of thirty seconds, his hands lingered over the button of her pants before he thought better of it. Yeah, that just might be a bit too awkward. He placed her under the covers and sat on the edge of the bed. Unable to resist touching her one final time for the night, he brushed the back of his finger over her flushed cheek.
Michelle’s eyes fluttered open and she darted a glance around the room, then visibly relaxed. When her gaze landed on him, she smiled one of those sunny smiles that made him weak in the knees. She sat up and simply stared at him. He wasn’t sure if she could make out his features in the nearly darkened room, but he had no trouble seeing hers, a perk of being a shifter.
Her soft breaths filled the silent room, and the citrus scent lingered on her skin. Moonlight streamed through the window, illuminating her golden hair. Jesus, she took his damn breath away.
Then she leaned forward and pressed her soft lips to his.
Momentarily stunned, he froze, not moving a muscle. Once she laid one of her small hands on his chest, it spurred him into action. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her back with all the fervor racing through his blood. If touching her soft skin had sent tiny pulses of energy through his body, then kissing her damn near felt like being struck by lightning.
Desperate to feel the delicious heat of her mouth, Jace deepened the kiss, sliding his tongue past her parted lips—seeking, tasting, claiming what was his.
His hardened cock pressed painfully against his jeans, reminding him this wasn’t the right moment. She was drunk, and he refused to take advantage of her. He wanted her fully aware of everything that happened between them.
Jace tore his mouth free from hers and held her at arms’ length until he could recall his wavering self-control and steady his racing heart. His wolf clamored inside of him, desperate for another taste. Damn it, he shouldn’t have allowed the kiss to go so far.
A frown formed on her pretty face, and guilt stabbed at him. “Michelle, I shou—”
“Oh my God! I’m so sorry, Jace.” She buried her face in her hands. “I shouldn’t have done that.”
He swept her hair back and rubbed her shoulders to comfort her. “Hey, I didn’t mind at all, sweetheart. I would just rather—”
“What the hell was I thinking?” Her voice cracked, and he realized she was crying.
Oh shit
. “You’re the only friend I’ve made here, and I didn’t respect you enough to leave you alone.”
“Mich—”
Her sob cut him off. Jesus Christ, it hadn’t been that bad, had it? So what if they were friends? That was a good thing, right? He’d spent two months trying to establish just that type of relationship with her.
“I’m so sorry. I know you would never want me, and I just threw myself at you like that anyway. You probably hate me now, and you have every right.”
Wait, what the hell was she talking about? “I don’t hate you.” He couldn’t stop anger from seeping into his tone. “Why the hell wouldn’t I want you?”
Her hands fell away for a moment, revealing her blotchy, tear-streaked face. “Because you’re gay!”
Gay
.
He damn sure hadn’t seen that coming.
How in the fuck had she come to that conclusion? Slow, his pack told him. Well, this was what the hell slow had gotten him. A mate that thought he was fucking gay! He knew he should’ve just tackled her ass, sank his teeth into her shoulder, and claimed her on the damn spot. She wouldn’t be questioning his preference now, would she?
Damn it.
Jace scowled at her. With her face hidden behind her hands, she continued to weep, the sound tugging at his heart and driving the wolf inside him nuts. Despite the need to correct her misconception, he’d save it till she was stone cold sober. He exhaled a gust of air, rose from the bed, and strode into the adjoining bathroom. While he rummaged under the sink for a bottle of aspirin, he grabbed a washcloth and ran it under the tap. Then he filled a glass from the corner of the sink with water. Gathering his “feel better” supplies, he carried them back to her bedside.
Forcefully, he pulled her hands away and wiped her face with the cool cloth. Once he’d forced some aspirin and water down her throat, he helped her lie down and tucked her in.
“Get some rest, Michelle.”
For long minutes, she hiccupped and sniffed before falling into a deep slumber. He raked a hand down his face. Tomorrow, damn it, he’d show his little mate just how
not
gay he was.
Michelle awoke to her brain chiseling its way out of her head. She groaned and rolled onto her side to check the bedside clock. Bright red numbers glowed three-thirty a.m. Screwing her eyes shut, she tried to swallow the rank taste from her mouth. If she never touched another drop of alcohol for the rest of her life, she wouldn’t lose any sleep over it.
Attempting to piece together how she’d wound up in her own bed, she flopped on her back and lifted an arm over her eyes. The last thing she remembered was Jace carrying her out of the bar. The more she concentrated, vague snatches of what transpired flitted through her head. The truck ride home, Jace seated on the side of her bed, then…the last part of the night hit her like a brick wall. Her arm fell onto the mattress. Crapping hell, she’d kissed Jace.
The burn of leftover alcohol churned in her belly. Michelle threw the covers back and ran to the toilet just in time. After several minutes spent hugging the toilet, she made it up off her knees, rinsed her mouth out, and wiped her face. She shrugged out of her clothes, leaving a trail to her dresser, and grabbed a nightshirt and pair of panties. Once dressed in something fresh, a modicum of normalcy returned. Needing to rehydrate herself, she padded down the stairs to the kitchen in search of water.
Without her glasses, she squinted in the dark as if she might somehow magically see better. A faint scratching sounded from the kitchen. She skidded to a halt in the hallway, cocked her head toward the noise, and waited, making certain she hadn’t imagined it. Then she heard it again.
Now? Someone wanted to break in now? When she felt like microwaved crap? Well, she wasn’t in the fucking mood.
Michelle tiptoed to the pantry at the end of the hall, just outside of the kitchen, and eased the door open, swiping a broom from inside. Armed with a makeshift weapon, she peeked around the corner. The sight of a shadowy figure outside of the door jacked her alarm to an astronomical new high. She sucked in breath after breath to gain her composure and pull together some semblance of her courage.