“Right this way.” My hips took another trip down the aisle, and I could feel Max’s eyes on them as I led him to his table. When I turned to go back to the table, I felt another pair of eyes on me. Harley guy. I met his gaze and was taken aback by what I caught a glimpse of before he looked away. I swore I saw jealousy and possessiveness glaring back at me. What was the deal with this guy?
As the night wore on, I kept a watch on the two tables. Neither Max nor Harley guy seemed to be in any hurry to leave. The leggy blonde had other ideas though. Eventually, she got her way, and the two rose to leave. He started to say something to me on the way out the door, but she tugged on his arm, “Come on, Gabe,” and he left.
Max on the other hand stayed until closing time. He stopped when he approached the hostess stand. “I will be waiting in my car outside. I know you need a ride.”
I just smiled and nodded. I needed a ride alright, but it wasn’t in his car.
As the hostess, I didn’t have much to do at closing time. I straightened up my station, made sure all of the menus were in the proper place and helped out where needed. Sure enough, when I left the restaurant, Max stood beside his car, which was parked by the front door.
This time, when I got in, I scooted all of the way over. As Max pulled the car out of the parking lot, I ran my fingers over his thigh. I left trails of heat on his leg as I moved upward. “Why don’t we go to your place?” I slid my hand between his legs to make sure he got the message. From the hardness I felt, he most definitely did.
We didn’t make it to the bed. Hell, we didn’t even make it to the bedroom. At least, not the first time. Our hands fumbled with buttons and zippers and within a couple of minutes, I lay flat on my back on the couch as he thrust inside me. I wrapped my arms around his back and held on as bright lights flashed beneath my eyelids, and lust swept me away.
* * *
He lay on his back, his snores cutting through the air. I guessed I had exhausted the poor guy. Going at it three times with very little rest time in between could do that to a person. Carefully, I slid out of the bed and pulled on my clothes. I never spent the night. Never. I never let a guy spend the night at my place either, though we didn’t go to my place often since I had a roommate.
I crept to the door and glanced back at the sleeping detective. Good bye, Detective Andrews, and may I never again lay eyes on you. Relationships were not my thing. I always left in the middle of the night and never looked back. The guys only meant one thing to me…a hot roll in the sack to keep the memories at bay. I did not want them forming attachments. Once I hooked them and reeled them in, I used them once and that was it. I honestly never wanted to see any of them again.
Chapter Seven
Luckily, I hadn’t seen Max since our night between the sheets a week ago. Not that it was an unusual thing to happen. Come to think of it, most of my one night stands seemed to intuitively know I wasn’t looking for anything but a night of fun. However, considering how Max had appeared to be sweet on me, I was surprised I hadn’t seen him. Not that I wanted to. Like I said, me and long term relationships just didn’t go together.
Susie and I sat at the bar at Royal Lush. Unfortunately, after her fit of burning rage, she’d sunk back into sadness, so I’d talked her into coming to the bar with me. I hoped she’d find someone to take the edge off her pain. It wasn’t looking good though. She’d just sat on her stool and nursed her drink for the past hour, ignoring every guy who even thought about looking her way.
“Come on, Susie, you’re supposed to be having some fun. Look around. Find you a cute guy.”
“I’m sorry, Chloe. I’m just not ready. This was a bad idea.” She threw some money down on the bar to cover her drink. “I’m going to go. Are you coming?”
I started to say yes, but I caught the gaze of the pale blonde who’d been staring at me on and off since I’d been there. “No, I think I’m going to stay a bit longer.”
She nodded and didn’t look the least bit surprised at my response. “Be careful and make sure you find a ride home. Don’t walk through the park!”
“Okay, Mom.” Susie punched me in the arm and hopped off her stool. I felt kind of bad about not leaving with her, but I also knew that sometimes after a break up a girl just needed to be alone.
The pale blonde slid onto the stool Susie had just vacated. “I thought I’d never get you alone.” His voice rolled over me like honey, promising sweet heaven if I’d just give in. I normally didn’t go for the guys who looked like they’d stepped out from between the covers of GQ, but something about this one made me reconsider.
“How about buying me another drink?”
The blonde nodded at the bartender, and he put another beer in front of me. Hey, I’m a simple girl when it comes to liquor.
“I’m Chloe.”
“Brad.”
I ran my finger lightly across his hand and was surprised at how cool his skin felt to my touch. “Nice to meet you, Brad. I have a feeling we are going to become very, very good friends.”
He grinned. “Now that’s music to my ears, babe.”
“Are you trying to get yourself killed?”
I glanced up to see Harley guy looming over me. “I don’t have any idea what you’re talking about, Mr. Denton.”
He growled low in his throat and mumbled, “Of course you don’t.” He grabbed my hand and removed it from Brad’s.
“Hey!”
“I’ll deal with you in a minute.” Turning to Brad, he spoke, his voice low and threatening. “You know better than to poach.”
“I didn’t know she was one of yours.”
One of yours? What the hell was he talking about?
“She’s not…yet, but that’s beside the point. You know to stay outside of my territory. Even if one is unassociated, they are still under my protection.”
“Excuse me, but she’s sitting right here!” Harley guy just twisted his head and glared at me, his blue eyes shooting daggers before turning back to Brad.
“It sounds like she doesn’t want your protection, big guy.”
Harley guy inched closer to Brad, his hulking form looming over the pale man’s. His muscles tensed up, and I could’ve sworn he was seconds away from throwing a punch. “She doesn’t know she needs protection. Do you understand that?”
“Ah, I do believe things are becoming clearer by the minute.” Brad slid off the bar stool and stepped around Harley guy long enough to nod at me and speak before he headed out the door. “Sorry, babe. It just wasn’t meant to be.”
When Harley guy turned back to me, I slammed my hands against his burly chest and pushed him as hard as I could. He didn’t budge an inch. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
“Saving your ass.” He looked at me like I was a child who’d misbehaved.
“My ass didn’t need saving!” The nerve of this guy!
“Actually, it did.”
“Ugh!” I swore in exasperation and crossed my arms over my chest. “The only thing you saved me from was a tumble between the sheets.”
He just shook his head. “I saved you from far more than that, but you wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”
“Why don’t you just go hop on your Harley and ride away, Mr. Denton.”
“Oh, I will. But you’ll be hopping on it with me because I’m taking you home. And it’s Gabe.”
“Whatever. Do you really think I’m going to leave with you?”
He grabbed my arm and yanked me off my seat. “You don’t have a choice.”
And he made it very clear that I really didn’t. He kept a steel vice grip on my arm as he steered me out of the bar. When we got to his Harley, he didn’t let go, he simply grabbed me around the waist and hoisted me onto the bike. He climbed on behind me, keeping me encircled within his arms.
“What, no helmet?” Anger clipped my words.
“Nope, but don’t worry. I haven’t had an accident yet.”
“There’s always a first time,” I gru
mbled but the roar of the bike drowned out my response.
Chapter Eight
I spied the flashing blue and red lights before we reached the apartment building. When we pulled into the lot, I noticed Max standing beside Susie’s car. The door stood open. I glanced around, but I didn’t see her. Where is Susie? My heart began a staccato hammering in my chest as I frantically looked for my best friend.
Gabe stopped the bike well outside the jumble of police cars. “Stay here.” He swung his leg off the bike, toed the kickstand, and stood up.
“Like hell!” I grabbed the handle bars in preparation to maneuver myself off the cycle, but Gabe put his hand on my shoulder and pushed me back onto the seat.
“Chloe, stay here. Please.” He may have asked politely, but his tone said if I didn’t do as he wanted there’d be hell to pay later.
“Fine.” I remained on the bike and watched as he approached Max. The two men spoke for a few minutes, Max doing most of the talking while Gabe listened. The longer they talked, the faster my heart raced. I still didn’t see Susie anywhere. If her car door was open, why wasn’t she out here?
Gabe turned around, and I felt a scream bubble up in my throat. “No!” I scrambled to get off the bike, but my arms and legs wouldn’t seem to do what I told them to.
“Chloe, stop.” Gabe put his hand on my arm and gently pushed me back onto the seat.
“NO! Don’t say it. Please, don’t.” I felt a vise squeeze around my heart. It was too much. It was just too much.
Gabe put his arms around me, and drew me to him. “I’m sorry, Chloe. She’s gone.”
I fell apart in the protective circle of his arms. It amazed me how one night had changed my view of him. No longer did I fear him. I felt safe. Only, his arms couldn’t save me from this. With everything that had happened to me in my life, Susie was the one constant I could always count one. Now, she was gone. How was I going to survive without her?
I managed to pull myself together enough to ask. “What happened?”
“They aren’t sure yet. It looks as though someone or something dragged her away from her car after she arrived home. They found her in the park.”
“Why do you say some thing?”
Gabe winced. “Are you sure you want to hear this now?”
I bit my lip to try and hold off a fresh spurt of tears and nodded.
“Because the damage to her body looked a lot like the injuries you sustained when you were attacked.”
“Oh my god.” I let my head fall back against the rock hard muscles of Gabe’s chest. “She was at the bar with me earlier. She asked me to go with her when she left, but I said no. I should have left with her! She’d still be alive if I had!” Tears coursed down my cheeks.
“No, Chloe! You would probably be gone too! Whatever took her wouldn’t have cared that there were two of you. It would have taken you both!”
“But it didn’t kill me the first time!” My voice sounded muffled against the soft fabric of his black t-shirt.
“And no one knows why. It could’ve just been interrupted by the people who found you in the park. You can’t blame yourself for this. It’s not your fault.”
I heard his words, but I wasn’t so sure I believed him. All I knew was I let my best friend go home alone…and now, she was dead.
“Chloe, I need to ask you something. I know it’s going to sound weird, but it’s important. Do you still have any of the clothing you wore on the night you were attacked?”
“I don’t have the shirt. They cut that off of me at the hospital. I assume they threw it in the garbage. I have the jeans though. Why?”
“I’ll explain later. Did you wash the jeans?”
I looked up at him. “No.”
Gabe used his thumbs to wipe the tears from my face, and I twitched in surprise when he shocked me. His eyebrows shot up. “Dang, I’m sorry. I don’t know what caused that.”
“It’s okay.” I sniffled and wiped my nose with the back of my hand.
“Are the jeans in the apartment?”
“Yes. They are still in the dirty clothes hamper.”
He grabbed me underneath the arms with his powerful hands and pulled me off the bike. “Go get them, Chloe.”
I’m sure I looked at him like he’d lost his mind. Why was he asking about my jeans when I’d just lost my best friend? What difference did a ratty old pair of denim make at a time like this?
“Chloe, please. Go get the jeans. I promise I will explain later.”
Finally, I nodded and went into my apartment. I had to dig through a pile of dirty clothes in my bedroom floor because they weren’t in the hamper like I had thought they were, but I found them. I carried them out to where Gabe waited by the front door, and I shoved them at him. “Here. What do you want them for anyway?”
“I don’t have time to explain now. I will later, I promise.” He took the pants from me and hurried off without even so much as a goodbye. Another odd thing was that Max hadn’t come to talk to me, not even to question me about Chloe’s earlier whereabouts. What was it with the guys in my life and why did they all decide to abandon me at the same time?
Chapter Nine
The next week passed in a blur. I only saw Max once and that was at Susie’s funeral. Max acted like I didn’t exist. He never even questioned me about her disappearance which I thought odd considering I was the last person to see her alive. Gabe was there too and sat with me for a time and tried to talk, but I just wanted to be left alone. I spent the days either wandering aimlessly around the apartment or lying on Susie’s bed crying. The nights I spent at Royal Lush trying to drink away my sorrows. For once, I wasn’t looking for a guy to forget with.
One guy just wasn’t getting the message though. He looked vaguely familiar to me, but I couldn’t place him. It was entirely possible he’d been one of the many guys I’d spent the night with. It also could’ve just been that I’d seen him every night at the bar, and that’s why he was starting to look familiar.
I’d done everything I knew to discourage him. I kept my head down, nursing beer after beer, not looking around or making eye contact. I’d stay that way until I heard the roar of a motorcycle. Night after night, Gabe showed up to drag my drunk ass home. He never said a word. He just hauled me onto his bike and drove me to my building. Before pulling away, he made sure I had stumbled into the apartment and closed the door.
Despite my obvious do not disturb signals, the guy had been in the bar every night, and I always felt his eyes on my back. Tonight was no exception. I hunched over my beer and hoped he’d get the message for once and go away. No such luck.
“Chloe, I heard about what happened. I’m sorry about your friend.” Well, his knowing my name answered that question. I’d evidently spent the night with him at some point. But what was his name? A vague memory tickled my brain. It was something that started with an M.
“Thanks, Mike.”
I flicked at look at him as I replied, and he frowned. “Mitch.”
“What?” My beer addled brain couldn’t figure out what he meant.
“My name. It’s Mitch.”
“Oh, right. Sorry. Guess the beer is messing with my head.”
He grinned. “Yeah, it can do that to you.”
I returned my attention to my beer. Honestly, it surprised me not one bit that I couldn’t remember anything about the guy. His face blended in with the crowd and didn’t stand out in any way. His appearance and demeanor were so bland, he was entirely forgettable…and I had. I still couldn’t remember a thing about him.
He put his hand on my arm and leaned in close, so that his body brushed against mine. I felt a tremor of disgust run through me. Seriously? This guy knew I had just lost my best friend, and he was going to put the moves on me?
“You know, I find in times of sorrow there’s a perfect way to forget for a little while.” He made it very clear what he meant by flicking his tongue against my earlobe.
I clenched my hands around my beer. It took
everything within me not to throttle the guy. What, just because I slept with him once gave him free rein to touch me how he liked? I leaned away from him and fixed him with a glare. If looks could kill, he’d drop dead. If only I would be so lucky. “Listen, Mitch. I appreciate the offer, but I just want to be left alone, okay? I don’t feel like having a good time right now.”
He frowned but backed off. “Sure, I understand.” Though it was clear he didn’t. “Another time then.”
“I don’t think so.”
He actually had the audacity to smirk at me. “Oh, don’t be so sure about that.” He wisely walked out of the bar after that remark. Good thing too. I only had so much self-control, and he was just asking for a beer can in the face. What was with him anyway? It wasn’t like he was God’s gift to women. Not even close.
I lost count of how many beers I’d had before I heard the roar of Gabe’s motorcycle. Honestly, I think the only reason the bartender kept serving me was because he knew about Susie, and he also knew I had a safe way home. Otherwise, I’m sure he would have cut me off nights ago.
“What the hell?” Gabe leaned closer to me and sniffed. “Chloe, who did you talk to tonight?”
“What’re you carrying on about?” I mumbled.
“Chloe.” The voice of steel was back. You know, the you must obey me voice. Too bad for him I was too drunk to care.
“Gabe.” He spun me around to face him. Bad idea. My stomach churned, the beer I’d downed throughout the night threatening to make a return trip. “Oh god, I think I’m going to be sick.”
He grabbed me up off the bar stool and hauled me outside just in time for me to throw up in the bushes beside the bar’s entrance.
“Okay, Chloe, I think you’ve had enough nights at the bar. Tonight was the last.”
I wiped my mouth off with the tail of my shirt. “You don’t tell me what to do!”
Fated Mates: The Alpha Shifter Boxed Set (12 Book Bundle) (Insatiable Reads) Page 115