enthusiasm of the welcome they got. Mirrie was introduced to Sarah, Jax, Aidan and Gabi and she got hugs from Naomi and King. She felt oddly shy among Shane’s good friends, a bit awkward that they knew so much about her and she knew so little about them.
She looked at the other women and was suddenly very self-conscious about her own appearance. She and Naomi were good friends, of course, and she’d always admired Naomi’s polished, stylish look. She was chic and stunning in a way that Mirrie just wasn’t and never would be. Sarah was a curvy redhead, a pale and lush natural beauty with almost no makeup on her sweet face – and she didn’t need any. And Gabi was all flashing black eyes and golden skin and tumbling dark waves of hair. She had a smoldering, sensual beauty that just jumped at you and knocked your breath from your chest.
By comparison, Mirrie felt too flashy, too obvious, too aggressive and dramatic. She suddenly wanted to scrub off her dark eyeliner and red lipstick; take out a few of her face piercings; hide her tattoo under a collar; put a baggy gray sweater on over her tight top. But then Shane squeezed her hand and kissed her on the forehead, murmured that she was fucking beautiful. That was when she relaxed.
“So,” Naomi said, her brown eyes bright. “You and Mac, huh?”
“Uh, yeah.” Mirrie looked down and blushed. “I had no idea you guys all knew each other.”
“Small world,” Aidan commented. “Ain’t it?”
“Yeah,” Mirrie said softly. “I suppose it is.”
“OK, then.” As always, King more or less took charge. “Mirrie, honey… we’re not going to talk about the Fallen Angels today, alright? We’re not discussing any of that stuff.”
That surprised her. “We’re not?”
“Nope.” Jax grinned at her and she watched as his hard, rough face softened and opened. “We’re here for dinner and to get to know you a bit.”
“You – you are?” She looked around at them. “You’re here for me?”
“Yep.” Jax shot Mac a look. “We’re dying to know about the woman who took this guy down once and for all.”
Mirrie looked puzzled. “Took him down?”
“Jax,” Mac said, a note of warning in his voice.
“Yeah.” Jax’s dark green eyes were dancing. “Did you know, Mirrie, that when I first got together with Sarah, Mac here called me a –”
“Jax!” Mac almost hollered. “Shut it, man!”
“And when I started to date Naomi,” King jumped in. “He said that I was –”
“ Shut. Up .” Mac hissed the words, horrified at what he’d said to the guys. He had, after all, teased them about being at the mercy of a woman’s wiles and having all their freedom just snatched away. Except he’d called them pussy whipped and idiots. Maybe he’d even meant it, just a little bit.
“And he was merciless about me and Gabi,” Aidan added, thrilled to see that Mac was now the color of a beetroot. “Told me –”
“Oh my fucking God,” Mac said, knowing that he was good and beaten. “OK, OK, I was an asshole when you all decided to get serious about your wonderful, amazing, gorgeous ladies. Is that what you wanted me to say?”
Sarah, Naomi and Gabi laughed. They adored Mac, despite his previous very-vocal aversion to committed relationships, and had never taken anything he’d said very seriously. But the guys seemed less eager to let him off the hook, so the women just sat back and enjoyed the show.
“It’s a good start,” Jax conceded. “But maybe you want to eat a bit more crow? Make it up to us?”
“How?” Mac growled, imagining himself down on his hands and knees right here in this high-end restaurant, apologizing to the women for being such a dick.
“Hmmmm.” Aidan tapped his chin, eyed Mac. “Oh, I know!”
“I’m waiting with bated breath,” Mac grouched.
“Dinner's on you , MacIntyre. Then we’ll call it even, yeah?” Aidan paused. “Oh, and I hear the lobster here is amazing .”
Everyone burst in to
She looked at the other women and was suddenly very self-conscious about her own appearance. She and Naomi were good friends, of course, and she’d always admired Naomi’s polished, stylish look. She was chic and stunning in a way that Mirrie just wasn’t and never would be. Sarah was a curvy redhead, a pale and lush natural beauty with almost no makeup on her sweet face – and she didn’t need any. And Gabi was all flashing black eyes and golden skin and tumbling dark waves of hair. She had a smoldering, sensual beauty that just jumped at you and knocked your breath from your chest.
By comparison, Mirrie felt too flashy, too obvious, too aggressive and dramatic. She suddenly wanted to scrub off her dark eyeliner and red lipstick; take out a few of her face piercings; hide her tattoo under a collar; put a baggy gray sweater on over her tight top. But then Shane squeezed her hand and kissed her on the forehead, murmured that she was fucking beautiful. That was when she relaxed.
“So,” Naomi said, her brown eyes bright. “You and Mac, huh?”
“Uh, yeah.” Mirrie looked down and blushed. “I had no idea you guys all knew each other.”
“Small world,” Aidan commented. “Ain’t it?”
“Yeah,” Mirrie said softly. “I suppose it is.”
“OK, then.” As always, King more or less took charge. “Mirrie, honey… we’re not going to talk about the Fallen Angels today, alright? We’re not discussing any of that stuff.”
That surprised her. “We’re not?”
“Nope.” Jax grinned at her and she watched as his hard, rough face softened and opened. “We’re here for dinner and to get to know you a bit.”
“You – you are?” She looked around at them. “You’re here for me?”
“Yep.” Jax shot Mac a look. “We’re dying to know about the woman who took this guy down once and for all.”
Mirrie looked puzzled. “Took him down?”
“Jax,” Mac said, a note of warning in his voice.
“Yeah.” Jax’s dark green eyes were dancing. “Did you know, Mirrie, that when I first got together with Sarah, Mac here called me a –”
“Jax!” Mac almost hollered. “Shut it, man!”
“And when I started to date Naomi,” King jumped in. “He said that I was –”
“ Shut. Up .” Mac hissed the words, horrified at what he’d said to the guys. He had, after all, teased them about being at the mercy of a woman’s wiles and having all their freedom just snatched away. Except he’d called them pussy whipped and idiots. Maybe he’d even meant it, just a little bit.
“And he was merciless about me and Gabi,” Aidan added, thrilled to see that Mac was now the color of a beetroot. “Told me –”
“Oh my fucking God,” Mac said, knowing that he was good and beaten. “OK, OK, I was an asshole when you all decided to get serious about your wonderful, amazing, gorgeous ladies. Is that what you wanted me to say?”
Sarah, Naomi and Gabi laughed. They adored Mac, despite his previous very-vocal aversion to committed relationships, and had never taken anything he’d said very seriously. But the guys seemed less eager to let him off the hook, so the women just sat back and enjoyed the show.
“It’s a good start,” Jax conceded. “But maybe you want to eat a bit more crow? Make it up to us?”
“How?” Mac growled, imagining himself down on his hands and knees right here in this high-end restaurant, apologizing to the women for being such a dick.
“Hmmmm.” Aidan tapped his chin, eyed Mac. “Oh, I know!”
“I’m waiting with bated breath,” Mac grouched.
“Dinner's on you , MacIntyre. Then we’ll call it even, yeah?” Aidan paused. “Oh, and I hear the lobster here is amazing .”
Everyone burst in to
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