hoping to lighten the soured mood a little. She twirled in a circle to give him the full view, then cocked a hip. “That can be arranged,” she said, clucking her tongue.
Lucky’s hands fisted at his sides and he took a step toward her, then stopped, visibly shaking. “Can’t. We have to go. Hammer would go ballistic if we were late.”
Energy pulsed around the room, violence spiked with carnality. It seemed that Lucky was as on edge as she was, only he tried to hide it, whereas she’d decided to talk about it.
Men.
“Come on, then. Let’s get this party started. The sooner it’s over, the faster my life can resume.”
He arched a brow. “What the fuck does that mean?” From one blink to the next, he had her pinned against the wall with his body. “You planning on walking away once we get rid of the threat to you?”
Inside, she roiled, but she projected a calm exterior and stared into his eyes. “I meant I could breathe without feeling like I have a huge target on my back, Lucky. Not that I was going anywhere.”
Not unless I have a good fucking reason to leave.
Cecelia would never allow someone to hurt her again. Not ever. She knew shifters were a violent bunch, but she also knew they were caring, compassionate, loving, and most would die for their mates/girlfriends/wives/whatever. Lucky struck her as a gallant type, but craziness could be hidden until the right moment.
“Sorry,” he whispered. “This is all new to me, and it’s fucking hard to control. The mating frenzy is making me insane.”
She reached up and cupped his cheek. “It’s all right. We’ll get through it. One step at a time.”
“I understand what my brother went through, now.” Lucky smiled.
“Must have been something,” Cecelia said, even though she wanted to burst and ask a billion questions about him and his family. But she didn’t want to scare him away. He’d finally shared something. “What’s your brother’s name?”
“Mark. His mate is Rose. They have three kids. I haven’t seen them in a long time. Not since I left the pack and joined the Ruling Council. By rights, it should have been my eldest brother, Jonas. He’s the pack’s alpha. He let me come instead.”
Cecelia nodded and kissed him on the lips, then slid down and under his arm to stand behind him. “We’ve got a hot date.”
She opened the door and hooked a finger in his belt loop, tugging him with her. He slung an arm over her shoulder and they walked out of the bunkhouse, into the alley, and across the way to the party house. Lines of bikes gleamed in the space and music blared into the night as people milled about, smoking, drinking, laughing, and making out.
“Party’s in full swing,” Cecelia said into his ear and held his hand. She squeezed his flesh to rid herself of her nerves. They’d do her no good here. All the shifters would be able to smell her fear, feel her unease. She needed to project calm confidence, with a side of arrogance in order to play their games.
The humans needed to see her strong, unfazed, and even haughty. She was not an easy mark. Ha. I’m fucking Cecelia Marks, bitches.
Laughter bubbled in her stomach and she erupted in a fit of giggles. Lucky kissed her to stop the flow. When he pulled back he said, “Better?”
She bit her lip and nodded. “Sure. Hell is waiting with bells on.”
No one paid them much mind when they walked in. Gazes sized them up, people probed around with their senses, and dismissed them. Cecelia saw Hammer talking with someone she’d never seen before and even though her blood was pounding in her veins, she walked on without missing a beat.
“Is that one of them?” she murmured to Lucky, thrusting her chin in the direction of the MC president who was laughing and bullshitting with a small group of men.
Lucky glanced over, nodded once, and squeezed her hand. “Showtime, baby. Put on your happy face.”
Cecelia closed her eyes and inhaled, searching for that calm place she
Lucky’s hands fisted at his sides and he took a step toward her, then stopped, visibly shaking. “Can’t. We have to go. Hammer would go ballistic if we were late.”
Energy pulsed around the room, violence spiked with carnality. It seemed that Lucky was as on edge as she was, only he tried to hide it, whereas she’d decided to talk about it.
Men.
“Come on, then. Let’s get this party started. The sooner it’s over, the faster my life can resume.”
He arched a brow. “What the fuck does that mean?” From one blink to the next, he had her pinned against the wall with his body. “You planning on walking away once we get rid of the threat to you?”
Inside, she roiled, but she projected a calm exterior and stared into his eyes. “I meant I could breathe without feeling like I have a huge target on my back, Lucky. Not that I was going anywhere.”
Not unless I have a good fucking reason to leave.
Cecelia would never allow someone to hurt her again. Not ever. She knew shifters were a violent bunch, but she also knew they were caring, compassionate, loving, and most would die for their mates/girlfriends/wives/whatever. Lucky struck her as a gallant type, but craziness could be hidden until the right moment.
“Sorry,” he whispered. “This is all new to me, and it’s fucking hard to control. The mating frenzy is making me insane.”
She reached up and cupped his cheek. “It’s all right. We’ll get through it. One step at a time.”
“I understand what my brother went through, now.” Lucky smiled.
“Must have been something,” Cecelia said, even though she wanted to burst and ask a billion questions about him and his family. But she didn’t want to scare him away. He’d finally shared something. “What’s your brother’s name?”
“Mark. His mate is Rose. They have three kids. I haven’t seen them in a long time. Not since I left the pack and joined the Ruling Council. By rights, it should have been my eldest brother, Jonas. He’s the pack’s alpha. He let me come instead.”
Cecelia nodded and kissed him on the lips, then slid down and under his arm to stand behind him. “We’ve got a hot date.”
She opened the door and hooked a finger in his belt loop, tugging him with her. He slung an arm over her shoulder and they walked out of the bunkhouse, into the alley, and across the way to the party house. Lines of bikes gleamed in the space and music blared into the night as people milled about, smoking, drinking, laughing, and making out.
“Party’s in full swing,” Cecelia said into his ear and held his hand. She squeezed his flesh to rid herself of her nerves. They’d do her no good here. All the shifters would be able to smell her fear, feel her unease. She needed to project calm confidence, with a side of arrogance in order to play their games.
The humans needed to see her strong, unfazed, and even haughty. She was not an easy mark. Ha. I’m fucking Cecelia Marks, bitches.
Laughter bubbled in her stomach and she erupted in a fit of giggles. Lucky kissed her to stop the flow. When he pulled back he said, “Better?”
She bit her lip and nodded. “Sure. Hell is waiting with bells on.”
No one paid them much mind when they walked in. Gazes sized them up, people probed around with their senses, and dismissed them. Cecelia saw Hammer talking with someone she’d never seen before and even though her blood was pounding in her veins, she walked on without missing a beat.
“Is that one of them?” she murmured to Lucky, thrusting her chin in the direction of the MC president who was laughing and bullshitting with a small group of men.
Lucky glanced over, nodded once, and squeezed her hand. “Showtime, baby. Put on your happy face.”
Cecelia closed her eyes and inhaled, searching for that calm place she
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