Chapter 18 - Mia

"Your husband is a bit of an asshole," Ryan comments as we sway to the music.

"You have no idea," I mutter. "I'm really sorry about him. I don't know what's going on or why he gets so ridiculous anytime a member of the male species even looks in my direction."

"Maybe he's just trying to protect you. I can't say that I blame him. You are gorgeous."

My cheeks heat. "Thanks. Well, he can tone it down a notch or five hundred. It's not your fault. I've been having a good time with you, and you've been nothing but a gentleman. I'm just glad he didn't scare you off."

"He's not the one who scares me. You can tell just by the way he looks and carries himself that he's not someone to mess with. But you? Something tells me you're a covert badass."

"Is that a compliment or an insult?"

"Both." He grins. "So, have you and your husband been married long?"

"No. It's a complicated story."

"Most interesting ones are." He takes my hand and twirls me around.

"We didn't exactly have a traditional courtship."

"Oh, yeah? What does that mean?"

Ryan dips me, and when he brings me back up, his face is closer. Probably a little too close for his own safety. I step back, putting some space between us. He's a great guy, but I don't need the drama that would come from getting too close to him. "It's a shifter thing," I explain.

"Ah, gotcha. That makes sense. Are you, uh, into guys like him?"

"Like what? Assholes?"

"More like... dominating. I can't see a sweet girl like you going for a guy like that. He's rough around the edges and kind of intense."

"Yeah, well, that's part of the complicated story." I shrug.

He reaches out and takes my hand, tugging me back against him, and his other arm wraps around my waist. "If you ever want to talk, I'm a good listener. My boss is a shifter, so I know the drill. Sometimes, it's nice to have someone to talk to that doesn't have the same problems. An outside perspective. You know what I mean?"

"Yeah, I do." I smile and lean back a little. His embrace isn't making me uncomfortable, plus I'd rather not give Evan any reason to go all alpha wolf on us again, so I inch away from him. "Thank you. I appreciate that. And thank you for the dance, but I think I'm going to go find a drink. It's a little hot out here."

"I'm happy to go grab us both something and come back out."

"No, it's okay. I should find my friend, anyway."

"Okay." He nods and offers me a small smile. "It was nice to meet you, Mia."

"You too, Ryan." I wave and turn around, heading inside. Shawna is standing in the kitchen making drinks, so I join her. "What are you making?"

"Just some cocktails," she says, sliding a glass filled with red liquid across the counter to me. "Try this. It's called a strawberry sunrise."

"Looks good." I take a sip and moan as the sweet drink touches my lips. "Mm. So good."

"Right? Try the blue one next." She hands me the glass, and I try the second one.

"Oh, this one is yummy, too. What is it?"

"Midnight mermaid. Vodka, blue curacao, cranberry juice, and a splash of Sprite. It's pretty strong, but I figured you could use it after your little spat with your husband."

"You heard about that, huh?" I groan.

"Hard not to when you're shouting at each other. What the hell was that?"

"I don't know," I huff, throwing back a big gulp of the drink. "One minute, we're dancing, and the next, Evan is there, practically ripping my arm out of the socket and threatening Ryan."

"Did you even notice how Ryan was looking at you?"

"No, not really. We were just having fun. He's a nice guy."

"He's a horn dog, and he has a fetish for shifters. You're an easy target."

"Wow." My jaw drops. "Really?"

"Yes. Didn't you notice the way he was eyeing you up and down? You're lucky Evan came along and shut it down. I don't think he'll try anything now that he knows you're mated, but just be careful, okay? He's probably a decent person, but he's got some bad habits."

"Thanks for the heads-up," I tell her. "I'm going to try to find Evan, make sure he isn't too worked up. Where is he?"

"He was out front earlier, but I'm not sure."

"Thanks. I'll find him."

I finish off my drink and set the empty glass in the sink. After saying goodbye to Shawna, I head to the front door and peek my head outside. He's down at the end of the driveway, chatting with a girl my age. Human, if the scent I'm catching on the breeze is right. Their backs are turned to me, and he doesn't seem to notice me, so I head in his direction.

"I'm willing to bet you could bench-press that guy," the girl is saying, flipping her long dark hair over her shoulder before she reaches out and squeezes his bicep. "You must work out a lot."

"Uh, yeah. Something like that," he replies, taking a step back. "I work outside a lot, so I guess that keeps me in shape."

"That explains why you're so tan." She giggles, stepping closer. "I'm a sun worshiper, too."

"Good to know," he replies.

Oh, this is rich. The guy flips out when a guy even looks at me, but here he is, letting this woman put her hands all over him. Unbelievable.

When she reaches for him again, something inside me starts simmering. He's not even stopping her, which only fuels the fire burning inside me. Unlike Evan, I will not cause a scene. Instead, I'm just going to walk right past them and pretend like I don't give a shit. Because I definitely don't.

I'm a few feet away, and Evan must finally catch my scent because he whips around. "Hey," he says, taking a step away from the woman.

"Don't let me interrupt," I mutter, glaring at him.

He looks back and forth between me and the woman, his brows pulled together in confusion. "Mia, this is Tasha."

"Hi." Tasha smiles and waves.

"Nice to meet you," I reply, plastering a fake smile on my face, but I don't stop walking. I shift direction and head back toward the side of the house to make my way around to the pool. I'm not even mad, really. I just don't want to deal with it.

"Mia," Evan calls, jogging after me.

I'm almost at the gate. I know I'm being ridiculous, but I just can't right now.

"Mia!" he yells, his voice a low growl.

I flip around and throw my arms out wide. "What?"

"Where are you going?"

"To find Ryan. Maybe he'll be up for another dance."

"Fuck, no," he growls, moving toward me.

"Why not? I can dance with anyone I want. You certainly have no problem finding other women to spend your time with, so why should I be any different?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Your new friend. Tasha. She was awfully friendly with you."

He shakes his head and closes his eyes. "Are you fucking kidding me right now? You were flirting with another man, and you're upset about me talking to a woman?"

"I wasn't flirting," I argue. "And you were more than just talking to her."

"She came over and started talking to me, and yes, she was touching me, but I was just being polite. She's just a human." He cocks his head to the side and stares at me. "Mia, are you jealous? Is that what's happening right now?"

"No," I scoff, crossing my arms. "Of course not. Why would I be jealous?"

"You tell me." He crosses his arms, mimicking my pose, and stares me down.

"I don't like her. I don't like the way she was looking at you, and you weren't stopping her. How do you think that made me feel?"

"So, you are jealous." He drops his arms and steps toward me, closing the distance.

"Yes," I huff, throwing my arms down at my sides. "Okay, fine. I was jealous. I didn't like seeing her all over you. It pissed me off."

"It pisses me off, too, when I see other men all over you," he replies, closing the gap between us and reaching up to cup my face. "But I can assure you, Mia, I take my marriage vows very seriously. Besides, I much rather my wife's hands all over me than hers."

"Oh." I bite my lip. He's so close to me that his breath fans over my lips and the heat from his body surrounds me. My stomach clenches as his gaze drops to my mouth, and he drags his thumb across my bottom lip.

"Tell me what you want, Mia. Right now. Be honest. Don't think about what's right or wrong, or what's fair. Just say it."

"You," I breathe.

He groans and moves his mouth over mine, claiming me with a hungry kiss. I grab the back of his neck and hold him to me, pressing myself against him. One of his hands is on my hip, the other is buried in my hair. The kiss is so hot, it makes me feel like I'm on fire. I can feel the heat between my legs, and the ache is almost unbearable.

He backs me against the vinyl fence and deepens the kiss, his tongue sliding against mine. A low, rumbling growl escapes his chest, and he pulls back, breaking the kiss. His eyes are wild and dilated, and his breath is heavy. I don't want him to stop. Not yet. I pull his mouth back to mine in spite of the alarm bells blaring in my mind.

We shouldn't be doing this. I shouldn't want it. But I do. God help me, I want it.

I want him.