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Dominic stood up and came around to my side of the table and pulled out my chair. “Speaking of fine-looking,” he said. “You are looking rather fine this afternoon, Ms. Trimmel.”
This close he smelled like cinnamon buns. I had to resist the urge to lean in and inhale deeply. No man should smell like dessert…or maybe all men should. I thought about Billy Bob, and I smiled. Hewasdessert.
I took the offered seat. “Thank you, Mr. Tartan.”
Blondina picked up the iced tea. “I’ll go get you some regular, hon.”
Two tables over, Wilhelmina aka “Willy” Boden sat with Hans Fisk, Randy and Chance Lowry, and a large man with dark brown hair and eyes. I could tell he was older, but like I said before, with shifters, it was too hard to tell. The shape of his jaw and his angular nose looked enough like the twins for me to suss out he was probably their father. I leaned across the table and asked quietly, “Is that Tri-Council President Lowry?”
Billy Bob had told me Lowry owned a big chain called Beaver Locksmiths. Their slogan was, “Call us if you’re in a jam.” I supposed it was a play on a log jam. Har-har.
He smiled. “Yes, it is. Would you like to meet him?”
I brightened. “Sure.” It would mean being formally introduced to Willy, the dead guy’s girlfriend. After all, she was probably on the suspect list. She had fought with him before his disappearance, and she might say something that would help me put the whole mystery into context.
“After we order, we’ll make a quick appearance.”
“Awesome.”
He had his chin tucked in and his eyes on the menu, and when he turned his gaze up to me, he did it in such a way that if I hadn’t been completely smitten with Billy Bob, I would have been asking, his place or mine. But, as it was…
“Isn’t that your friend from yesterday?” He pointed toward the door.
My back was to the door, so I swiveled my upper body to see whom he indicated. I nearly swallowed my tongue as—speak of the devil—Billy Bob came in with the very sexy and bitchy Bethany Hilliard. My ears burned, and a swift and severe jealousy made me shake. I stuck my hand into my pocket and stroked the star like a stress stone.
Billy Bob’s gaze met mine, and I could see the tension in the fine lines at the corner of his eyes. Had he brought Bethany here to make me jealous, or to keep an eye on me because he was jealous? The way we were both vibrating, I had a feeling it might be both. Billy Bob’s black jeans hugged his ass and his thighs in all the right places. The azure blue button-down shirt he wore made his gray eyes pop with vibrancy. My girly heart squealed for more of him, but my woman brain kept me in check.
“Are you okay?” Dom asked.
“Fine,” I said, unable to tear my gaze away from Billy Bob.
Why was this happening to me? I felt as if I had no control over my reactions when he was in the same room with me. Twenty seconds earlier I’d been a charming, logical, intelligent adult but seeing Billy Bob with Bethany had made me feel like a thirteen-year-old watching another girl flirt with her boyfriend. In other words, I was about to go all middle-school-rumble-in-the-playground on Bethany’s tight booty.
Dom put his hand over mine, and I barely felt his touch. My mouth dried out completely when I saw Billy Bob’s lips peel back ferociously. Crap! I wanted to jump his bones right in the middle of the restaurant.
Dom’s hand withdrew. “Chavvah.”
“Uh-hmm,” I said, still looking at my werewolf mate.
“Chavvah,” he said more urgently.
I dragged my gaze away from Billy Bob to look at Dom. “Yes?” I bit my lower lip.
“If you were already seeing someone, you could’ve told me.” He didn’t sound angry. Maybe disappointed, but not pissed.
Call me petty. I would have been pissed. “I’m sorry, Dom.” I held up my hands. “It literally just happened. And believe me, no one is more surprised than I am.”
“When nature calls,” he said, his tone slightly wistful. “I understand.”
“I’d still like to get lunch if you want.” I smiled at him. “You’re a nice man, Dom. I’d like to be friends.”
“I think your boyfriend would rather see me skinned alive.” He winced. “Sorry. Poor choice of words.”
“So you know then.” I paused as Blondina dropped off a new glass of ice tea. “About me finding the body.” Tripping over it, really.
“Yeah,” he said. “Terrible. Just terrible.”
“Mike wasn’t a peach by any means, but he didn’t deserve that kind of death.”
