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NINE
Evan tried to wet her lips, but her mouth had gone arid the minute she’d seen Jace. What in the hell was he doing here?
“Sasha, do you accept my offer?”
Her gaze darted to the man standing closer to her—dark brown hair and hazel eyes, a friendly smile teasing at the corners of his mouth. Handsome. And built like a brick shithouse. The collar on the table meant he was offering to take her on, which meant . . . Her focus returned to Jace and the collar he gripped in his hand. He was offering, too?
No, Jace had stepped back and was half-cloaked in the shadows at the edge of the singles area.
“Jace, what are you doing here?” she blurted out before she could stop herself.
The other man turned to Jace with a questioning look.
“I’m a member,” he said, his voice tight.
Oh, fan-frigging-tastic. This was so not what she needed right now. The whole point of coming to a place like this was the anonymity, the privacy. And now not only had she run into someone she knew, but Jace, the last person in the world she needed to be around.
The man turned toward Jace. “You’ve got history with her?”
“Sure do,” Jace said, the words clipped.
“So are you making a claim or not?” he asked, his words laced with annoyance. “You know I’m not going to overstep if you have some previous connection to her.”
Jace’s gaze darted back to Evan and for a moment, she forgot to breathe. His jaw flexed. “No, I’m not.”
Evan clenched her teeth together, not sure if she was more relieved or insulted. She reminded herself that this was a good thing. Despite the fan club her hormones were forming just from being near him again, getting naked with Jace was a first-class bad idea.
Mr. Hazel Eyes graced her with a sexy smile. “Guess that means you’re mine, darling. That is, if you’re interested, of course.”
Nerves thrummed through her. The guy was hot as hell and he had kind eyes, giving her reassurance that he probably wasn’t some psycho. Always a bonus. But was she actually going to do this? Could she hand herself over to a stranger? Her eyes automatically found Jace again—the only anchor of familiarity in a suddenly fast-moving world of unknown.
Jace shoved his hands in his pockets, his expression softening. “You don’t have to choose Colby. You don’t have to choose anyone, Ev. You can turn around and go home. Back to the guy you’re marrying. This isn’t something to mess around with if you have doubts that you can handle it.”
His gaze dipped down and traced over the oh so faint scars on her lower belly. Ones that no one else would know to look for except him. Shame, hot and fierce, burned within her.
“I’m not that kid anymore, Jace. I don’t need someone to protect me,” she said more sharply than she’d intended. She switched her focus to Colby, her anxiety ratcheting up another notch. “I accept your offer.”
She caught Jace in her peripheral vision, scowling.
“Thank you.” Colby smiled down at her and gripped the back of her neck. “Now stand up, sub. I want to sample what’s mine for the weekend and make sure my friend Jace back there knows who you belong to since he seems to be confused.”
Her eyes widened as Colby helped her from the stool and to her feet. He had her put out her wrists for cuffs, then locked her arms behind her back. “There, that’s better.”
He slipped his large hands onto her hips and stepped in front of her, pulling her close. His hard body pressed against hers as Jace glared at her from over Colby’s shoulder. Colby dipped his face down until his eyes were inches from hers and his lips only a breath away.
Holy shit. He was going to kiss her. Right away. With Jace watching.
Before she could catch her breath, his mouth met hers, warm and inviting. Her eyelids closed automatically, and she tried to give herself over to the kiss. It’d been forever since she’d really kissed someone, and the sensation was something new again. Soft and sensual, his tongue teased hers, testing the waters. He was a good kisser, not giving or taking too much. But despite his skill, the experience felt empty, vacant. All she could think about was the man behind him, standing there watching it happen.
Colby pulled back and stared down at her, running a thumb over her lower lip. “You have a beautiful mouth. I can’t wait to feel it against my—”
Without warning, she was yanked sideways by a firm hand on her upper arm, the jolt nearly causing her to tumble onto her ass. “What the—”
“Get your goddamned hands off her, Colby,” Jace said, his voice full of grit.
Colby’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t be an asshole, Austin. I gave you your chance, and you didn’t make a claim. She chose me.”
“She can change her mind. You haven’t collared her yet.” Jace led her a few more feet away from Colby. She didn’t know what else to do but let him. “I changed my mind. I’m offering. Let the lady choose again.”
