Total pages in book: 136
Estimated words: 129691 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 648(@200wpm)___ 519(@250wpm)___ 432(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 129691 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 648(@200wpm)___ 519(@250wpm)___ 432(@300wpm)
“Have you heard from him at all today?” asked Elle.
“I saw him from afar this morning when I was on my way to work. He stared at me pretty hard, but that was all.” She bit into her sandwich again. “My guess is he’ll avoid me for a while like he did after that kiss six years ago—as if to underline that it didn’t mean anything.”
“If he is avoiding you, it’s a good sign.”
Bree blinked. “It is?”
“Yeah. It suggests he doesn’t trust that he won’t say something inappropriate. Like ‘Can you still feel my cock inside you?’”
Chuckling, Bree almost choked on her food. “Why would he ever say that?”
“I don’t know. I read it in a romance novel once. Made me tingle for just a second.” Elle unscrewed the cap from her bottle and took a sip of her soda. “Honestly, I’m not entirely surprised that you two ended up in bed together. Have you never noticed that his moods sort of … bounce off yours?”
“I don’t even know what that means.”
Elle shifted on her stool. “It’s hard to explain. But when you’re unhappy, he gets all broody and wants to fix whatever’s wrong. When you’re happy, it mellows him out somehow. When you’re excited about something, it puts him in an upbeat mood—or as upbeat as Alex is ever capable of being. You’ve really never noticed?”
Chewing yet more of her baguette, Bree shook her head.
“Well, I have. I wasn’t sure he’d give into whatever he’s feeling, but I suspected that he’d want to. And I was right. Yay! You know how I love to be right.”
“You can’t tell anyone about this, Elle. The Cages would freak—handing me drama I just don’t need right now.”
“I won’t tell a soul. It’s no one else’s business anyway. Think he’ll come back for more?”
“Nu-uh. He’ll be set on pretending last night didn’t happen.” Using her thumb, Bree swiped at the blob of mayo that had stuck to the corner of her mouth. “He’s no doubt mad at himself for not having the control to walk out the door. Control is important to Alex.”
“Do you wish he had walked out?”
Sighing, Bree shook her head. “I should, though, considering he obviously just hoped to burn out our chemistry.” But how could she ever wish last night hadn’t happened? It had been freaking amazing. Her body ached in some very interesting places.
He hadn’t bitten or scratched her, but he’d certainly left plenty of bruises. Fingerprint bruises. There were so many that she had to wonder if he’d done it on purpose …
Nah.
“Is the chemistry gone?” asked Elle.
“No. Not on my end, anyway. My body lit up like a freaking Christmas tree when I spotted him earlier.”
Swiping a napkin from the metal holder, Elle cleaned the crumbs and mustard from her fingers. “Is he strutting around like a guy who got himself some last night?”
“He seemed quite tense. Stiff.”
Elle grinned. “Then I’d say he isn’t free of all that chemistry either, or he’d be relaxed and smug. This is good.” She crumpled up her napkin. “But you don’t look like you agree. You really don’t have any hope that he’ll ever offer you more, do you?”
Bree shrugged. “I’m all out of hope when it comes to Alex.” Done with her lunch, she gathered her rubbish together and cleaned her fingers. The bell over the door behind her chimed and—
“Oh no,” whispered Elle.
Bree’s head snapped up. “What?” But then a familiar scent whispered over her just as someone behind her cleared their throat. And her feline just about lost her mind—hissing, clawing at air, shoving so hard against Bree’s skin to warn him off that her eyes flashed cat.
“Um, Bree?” said Mateo.
Anger burned in her gut. She had to breathe away the urge to spin and slam her fist into his jaw. Again. Because just hearing his voice—so soft and uncertain now—reminded her of the last time they spoke; reminded her how he’d sounded so bitter, spiteful, and cruel.
Conscious that the noise level had lowered as their pride mates strained to eavesdrop, Bree slowly turned her head and met his eyes, unmoved by the sorrow she saw there. “Go,” she bit out.
She wasn’t ready for this yet. She didn’t want to talk with him until she was sure she could do it without ranting and raving. And it seriously pissed her off that he’d approached her here, counting on her hatred of public scenes to make her sit there nice and quiet while he said his piece.
She’d already heard his apology—an apology he’d made immediately after doing something that was taboo to their kind. She hadn’t been interested in hearing his apology that night, and she wasn’t interesting in hearing one now either.
Mateo rubbed at his nape. “Can we please talk? I just want to—”
“If you don’t leave right now, I won’t be held responsible for what my cat does.”