“Damn girl, you can move! Where did you learn to dance?” he whispered against her ear as she shimmied into a deep drop and then back up his length.
“I’ve been dancing since I was four, and I love a great partner. You have some hot moves yourself!” She smiled as he whipped her around in a tight circle and spun her back up against his body. Her hands landed flat against his hard chest, and his thick thigh planted firmly between her thighs.
“A dancer, huh? I’d bet you’re pretty flexible…” he said with a smirk.
She lifted her eyebrow at him and gave him a slow, sultry smile. “Very. Aren’t you the one supposed to sing tonight?”
“Yep, I go on stage in a little while. My band is playing now, but this kid is new, so I’m trying to give him some stage time. I’ll be up there front and center soon enough,” he replied.
“Hmmm…I can’t wait to see it,” she responded.
“Any requests? I might be able to sing a special song if you’re willing to dance like that again,” he quipped with a toothy smile.
“Oh, trust me, I don’t plan on sitting too much tonight, so you’ll see it again. If you are serious about a request, I do have a favorite,” she said.
He slowed his dancing and cocked his head with curiosity. “Sure, what’s your favorite, cutie?”
“‘A Little Less Talk….and a Lot More Action’!” she whispered in his ear and laughed out loud as he growled and chuckled at the same time.
“Oh man, you’re trouble with a capital T. I hope Liam knows what he’s getting into!” he joked, and she whipped her head up to glare at him.
She was just about to clear up any confusion he might have about her relationship with Liam when a pair of strong hands suddenly wrapped tightly around her hips and pulled her back against the hard ridge of an erection. She was enveloped in Liam’s spicy, masculine scent, and she could feel his rough five o’clock shadow scratch across the softness of her neck.
“Can I cut in?” he said against the tendon that connected her neck and shoulder.
Cash smiled at her and winked as he was quickly swallowed up into the crowded dance floor. He would have no lack of willing partners she was sure, but she wasn’t sure she wanted the one she ended up with. She arched her back and pressed her body back against Liam’s, delighting in his sharp intake of breath.
“I guess so. As long as I keep dancing I don’t care who my partner is,” she said nonchalantly, and she stepped away from him to turn around. Continuing to dance, she let her eyes run slowly up and down his muscular form, taking in the snug black jeans and black combat boots that he favored. The diamond chip in his earlobe flashed almost as brightly as the fire in his eyes as they moved together.
As great a partner as Cash had been, he couldn’t hold a candle to Liam. Somehow he fit her perfectly, moving and swaying in perfect synchronization to her as if they were one. The sexy, throbbing beat of the booty-shaking song transitioned into a slow, passionate country ballad, and he held his hand out to her with a challenging smirk. She had to grit her teeth not to snap at him and storm off of the dance floor. Instead she smiled haughtily and put her hand in his. He pulled her tight against his body and pressed his cheek against her hair. She felt his intake of breath and the vibration of a low growl as he scented her.
“You will have to learn to tone your flirting down, or you might make me jealous, Sweet Tina,” he said quietly into her ear.
“Why would you be jealous?” she prodded, knowing she was probably pulling the tiger’s tail. Or in this case the wolf’s tail. She laughed silently at her own joke until he lifted his head to look at her.
“I know you say you don’t want me, but I can read your body language, and I know that you’re lying to yourself. You’re my mate, Sweet Tina, and I don’t like seeing other men touch you.” Her mouth dropped open to gape at him. He was serious, and she was incensed.
“How dare you? You think just because I’m physically attracted to you that I can’t walk away? Trust me, Liam, it’s not happening between us. Anyways, it’s not like you tried to contact me, so why would I wait around for you?” she snapped at him.
“You left me, Tina. Not the other way around. I wanted to take care of you when you needed me, and you’re the one that decided sleeping in a home where you had just been violently attacked was preferable to sleeping with me. I told you how it is. I didn’t think I wanted this either. I wasn’t looking for a mate, but you are it for me. I can’t deny fate any more than you can,” he snarled at her, and she took a step backward at the anger in his tone.
Was it possible that he was actually hurt by her leaving the other night? Surely not. He was a ladies’ man. Surely he was just used to being the one to sneak out in the night and didn’t like her running first.
“You don’t want a mate, and neither do I. So now that we have concluded this argument, I’m going to get something to drink. Don’t bother walking me back. I’m sure I can find my way, and if not then there are probably any number of guys interested in assisting me.” She spun around and took off toward the booth that contained her best friend.
She moved quickly to put distance between them, tears stinging her eyes, and Devin jumped up from the table with a growl.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, taking her by the arms and settling her on the booth seat next to Caroline. The concern on their faces was enough to cause one single tear to slide down her cheek, and she roughly brushed it away. She wouldn’t give Liam the satisfaction of seeing how much his rejection hurt her.
“Nothing, I’m fine. I just need to sit for a few minutes. Has the waitress been by? I need to get a soda,” she said, stuttering with her embarrassment and frustration.
Devin and Damon exchanged a glance with Caroline, and then Devin nodded. “I’ll go get you one, Tina. Just hang out here with Caroline.”
As Devin headed for the bar, Damon scooted out the other side of the round booth and stood. “I’m going to go say hi to someone I saw. Be right back, sexy ladies,” he said with a charming smile.
“What the hell was that, T?” Caroline said as soon as the men were out of hearing range.
“
That
was the last time I’m clearing up a misunderstanding between Mr. Liam Gray and myself,” she said angrily.
“Oh no! What happened?” Caroline moaned.
“He just doesn’t stop. He keeps telling me that I’m his mate, but then he says that he doesn’t want a mate. He’s not hearing me say that I don’t want a mate either. And if I did want a mate, I sure as hell wouldn’t pick one that didn’t want me just as much,” she said and she crossed her arms over her chest protectively.
“You two are like oil and water, aren’t you? I sure didn’t see this one coming. So tell me what you don’t like about him, T,” Caroline said patiently as she leaned back into the booth.
“He’s possessive and controlling,” Tina said, then she jumped when a hand dropped onto her shoulder. Looking up she met Devin’s concerned gaze, and she huffed.
“No, he’s protective and jealous.” His voice was soft, but his words were firm. Tina stared at him defiantly as he set a drink in front of her. “You have to understand how it works for us, or you will never understand Liam.”
“All right, almighty King of the Werewolf Firemen, tell me how it is supposed to work.” Tina knew she sounded bitchy, but at the moment she felt bitchy. She stabbed a straw into her soda and took a long, satisfying sip before turning her angry glare on him.
Ignoring her attitude, Devin settled in the seat across from her. “When a wolf finds its mate, its whole outlook on the world changes completely. When I first realized that Caroline was my mate, the idea of her being out of my sight was nearly agonizing, but the thought of another man touching her was unbearable. I realized in a millisecond that I would lay my life down for her, and I hadn’t even spoken to her yet. A wolf couldn’t feel any stronger for a person than it does for its mate and its children. Did you know that Liam scented you outside of your home? He knew that his mate was in there before we even entered the building that night, and he was going just as crazy with rage just as Damon and I were. He walked away from helping us put an end to Barton Diego, because he knew that you needed him. He held you in his arms the entire time you were unconscious.”
“He said he doesn’t want a mate….” she started to argue, but Devin’s glare cut her off.
“He doesn’t have a choice. Fate determines his mate for him, and he will never be happy with any other woman. You need to know that he has been through a lot of shit. He buried his ex-wife along with his baby daughter Daphne a couple of years ago.” Recognition of the name shot through Tina and an image of the crescent moon and shooting star tattoo flitted through her brain. Daphne was his daughter! That was reassuring and horrifying all at once.
“I thought wolves only had one mate? And don’t they die if their mate dies?” she asked. Her whole analysis of Liam was just thrown a curveball.
“Roxy wasn’t his mate. She was some random screw that he married on a whim in Vegas. Not his brightest moment, I’ll grant you, but he committed himself to his vows. Roxy, on the other hand, slept with every dick she could. I don’t know if she was ever faithful to Liam. He wants you, Tina, but he thinks you don’t want him, and that eventually you will hurt him,” Devin said. “In fact, though I’ve seen him date around some in the few months, he hasn’t been serious with anyone until you.”
“He’s not serious with me, damn it,” she snapped, and then flushed with embarrassment. “I’m sorry, but I don’t want to keep going over the same story. I’m physically attracted to Liam, but for that matter I’m physically attracted to every one of the firemen in Battalion One!”
“Hey!” Caroline said.
“Not your men, sweetie, but all of the rest are hot as hell, and they know it. The point is that I’m not interested in a long-term, serious relationship. I’ve been through my share of shit, too, and I don’t want to marry and settle down to raise kids,” she said. “All I want to do is have some fun. Is that so wrong?”
Devin and Caroline both watched her for several moments in silence before reacting. Devin just sighed and shook his head, not even bothering to speak.
“You’re scared of getting hurt, T, and I understand. You haven’t been serious with anyone in a long time either. Six years would be my estimation. Not since Esteban, but you can’t give up on the idea of a future with another man just because that one didn’t work out!” Caroline said.
“Don’t, Caro. Don’t bring him into this,” Tina said quietly, her voice cracking and hot tears filling her eyes.
“Who is Esteban?” Liam’s voice was soft and sounded concerned as he stepped up to the table. Their eyes met for a brief second before Tina looked away from his concerned gaze and reached for her soda again.
“Someone from my past, and he has nothing to do with my future,” she said.
“Tina! How can you say that?” Caroline cried out, but she stopped when Devin put his hand over hers.
“I think Tina and Liam need to talk. Come on, sugar, let’s dance.” Caroline went with Devin, but she shot a worried glance back over her shoulder at the pair as they headed away.
Liam stood awkwardly next to the booth for a moment before he sat down next to Tina.
“I feel like I need to explain myself better. Will you talk to me, Tina?” he asked her, and she looked up into his clear blue eyes.
She had to admit to herself that the urge was there. The longing to let him hold her and comfort her from all of her memories was overwhelming. Part of her wanted to spend the whole night wrapped in his arms because it would shut the rest of the world out. But she couldn’t be what he needed, and she wouldn’t continue to argue about it.
“Not tonight. I can’t talk about this again. Can’t we just be here as two people tonight? No talk about mates or wolves or destiny? Please?” she pleaded.
His face registered relief that she didn’t push him away, but she could see disappointment in his eyes, too. “Okay, just two strangers getting to know each other then. Have you eaten yet?”
She looked him over as she responded. “Not yet, but that can wait. I want to dance again. Are you interested?” She cocked her head in challenge.
“I’m always interested in holding a sexy woman against me.” He flashed her a million-watt smile that had her body humming, and her panties growing damp.
“Good, because I need a body to move against, and yours should work perfectly,” she shot back and took the hand he held out to help her stand. She saw him take a deep breath, and his smile grew.
“Mmmm…there is that delicious scent again. Apples and cinnamon, I can almost taste you on my tongue now,” he flirted as he pulled her against his side, putting his arm around her waist, and walked her through the crowd.
“Maybe another time, hotshot,” she said, flushing with arousal. When they reached the floor, she let him pull her into the music with him, and they danced fluidly. He was graceful and powerful in his movement, and her blood heated to near boiling.
How was she ever going to have a sane conversation with him when just being near him clouded her brain so much? It was like a fog of desire enveloped her just being in close range to him, and it irritated her to no end. She hated not being able to control her own body.
Deciding to live in the moment, she ran her hands down his chest as she dipped low in front of him. She could feel his body heat through his T-shirt and the thud of his heart under his ribs. His blue eyes were lit with fire. He was feeling it just as strongly as she was, and she found she was ridiculously pleased to know he was not unaffected.