AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Hush up,” Angie said, putting her face in her hands.
Noah looked at Angie and then back at Sean, waiting for the rest of the story.
“I was heading that way, but Angie put him on the ground before I could get there. He threatened her, but she told him that she was ready to fight and bring it on,” Sean said, with a huge smile, obviously proud of Angie.
“What was his reaction?” Noah asked.
“His friends dragged him out before Angie could hurt him more.”
Fury rose through Noah. Someone had dared to disrespect Angie. The thought of another man touching Angie’s ass made him see red. Noah growled in the back of his throat and clenched his fists.
Sean looked meaningfully at Noah and said, “Angie knows how to take care of herself. She can be meaner than a nest full of yellow jackets when she gets riled up.” After a second, Sean added, “Let me get your drinks for you.”
Noah wondered at the warning. Like everyone else Noah encountered, Sean probably didn’t see Noah’s presence as a good thing.
The trivia questions on the screens focused on movies, television shows, and music. He was amazed at how much Angie knew.
“I thought that you were always out doing good deeds. When do you have time to watch television or listen to music?” Noah teased.
“All the time. Last night, as you heard, was drinks and karaoke night. Sometimes I go out and play pool, air hockey, or go bowling with my friends. Other times, I hang out and watch television with Apollo. I’ve been known to go to concerts, comedy shows, aquariums, and even sightseeing. All work and no play make Angie a cranky girl.” She grinned.
“So, I’ve heard,” Noah remarked dryly.
“Sean’s never seen me mad. He’s just making things up.” Angie laughed.
“The hell I am,” Sean said, putting their plates on the table, and then setting one on the floor for Apollo. “Don’t let that sweet face fool you.”
They talked about movies and their favorite actors throughout dinner. Then, Angie drove back to her place where Noah had left his car.
He stood on the porch awkwardly, not sure whether to give her a hug and kiss or simply go back to the hotel in the hopes that Benny had a vacancy.
After a long minute, Angie asked, “Would you like to come in?”
“I would,” he said, honestly.
She grabbed a couple of beers and they went out on the back deck. The moon and stars highlighted the beautiful gardens.
“My mom loved flowers and planted every single rose and peony bush down there. Every spring, she would plant new flowers based on a color scheme she had in mind. There are benches in the middle of the gardens so we can just sit in peace and forget about the rest of the world.”
“I’m surprised you don’t have a pool,” he said.
“Cuz my folks were rich?” she asked, raising her left eyebrow. “We didn’t need one. If we wanted to go swimming, we had the creek.”
“Makes sense,” he said.
“We do have a hot tub,” she said. “Come on, I’ll show you.”
She gave Apollo a large bone and told him to stay and then led Noah to an area that was hidden by a large circle of ever-green shrubs. She pulled back a tarp to reveal a large in-ground hot tub.
“It stays hot. We can just turn on the jets if we want or leave them off if we prefer the silence.”
She grinned at him and asked, “Do you want to get in?”
“I don’t have any trunks,” Noah said, surprised that she would ask him, especially since she seemed to be trying to keep him at a distance.
“Since when does a shifter bother with swimming trunks?” she asked. “I grew up around shifters. A naked body isn’t going to bother me in the least. I’m pretty sure that I’ve seen three-quarters of the people in this town naked at least once.”
She had a point. Shifters didn’t mind nakedness since they tended not to shift while dressed. Plus, the thought of seeing her gorgeous body again was very enticing.
