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“Sorry. I didn’t mean to worry anyone. I went for a walk and got lost. Kicks found me,” I said.
Groza smiled at Kicks. “Kicks, thank you for bringing her home. We were all getting rather worried.”
“Of course,” Kicks said. “We’re still getting settled in, so I’ll be going. See you tomorrow.” Kicks nodded at Duncan and then turned to me. “Try not to wander off again, darlin’.” The words weren’t too bad, although a bit overfamiliar. It was the smirk he gave me, the one that was so hot, like we’d just rolled around in the sheets for the last few hours, that had my cheeks burning. Anyone watching would either have to be blind or assume we’d just had an afternoon romp.
He’d cornered me into lying and this was how I was repaid? What the hell was this guy’s problem? Next time I caught him alone, I was laying into him so hard he’d be lucky to keep all his skin. I should’ve let him dig out of that hole his man had made. Last time I was saving their asses.
Kicks rode out through the crowd, who were taking turns looking at him and then back to me, trying to decide if one and one added up to an afternoon tryst. There were enough grins to tell me they thought it did.
I turned, and Duncan was looking at me, doing the same math. Of all people to judge, I wasn’t going to tolerate it from this man.
“I’ve got to go get Charlie. It’s getting late.”
“Buddie has him,” Duncan said, his tone chillier than a corner store frosty, without any of the sweetness. Groza had already dropped the polite attitude, acting as if I hadn’t spoken at all.
“He’ll want to see me.” Every set of eyes was on me as I left.
I’d been back in my cottage for all of ten minutes, waiting for Buddie to show up with Charlie, trying to get my head together for a second, when Duncan walked in.
I swung around. “You don’t live here, remember? You have to knock.”
“What happened with Kicks?”
“What I said—I wasn’t paying attention and I got lost. Kicks brought me back.”
He took a step toward me. “You realize I can smell your pheromones? I can hear your heart race? That I cansmellhim on you? He’s not someone to get involved with.”
“I was holding on to him on the bike. Of course I smell like him.”
“And what about the fact that your skin is rubbed raw from kissing him?”
I lifted a hand to my mouth, before remembering the duct tape. Duncan was narrowing his eyes, as if that action had just admitted guilt. He was missing something crucial, though. There was no guilt. I owed him absolutely nothing.
“You realize that my heart might be racing because I’m annoyed you walk in here all the time like you live here? Do you also realize that we aren’t anything other than pack members, if that? I can bang half of this pack and it’s none of your concern.” The cottage felt smaller than ever as we faced off. I walked around him, trying to avoid touching him as I went to the door. “It’s unfortunate you choose not to believe me, but I don’t owe you an explanation.” My hand went to the doorknob.
“That’s it? I don’t deserve anything?” He didn’t budge as he waited for an answer, looking at me as if I were hurtinghim.
“Let me ask you a couple questions—how long did it take you to lose Groza before you came here? Did you lie about where you were going or did you just disappear?”
His lips flattened. “Don’t bring her into this.”
“No? Why not?” My back stiffened. He could say whatever he wanted about Kicks, but I couldn’t speak of Groza?
“Just because I’m with her doesn’t mean my feelings for you stopped. That I don’t care what happens to you.”
“Yeah, well, pretend you don’t, because we can’t do this.Iwon’t do this.” I couldn’t keep doing this. Every confrontation, every fight, felt like it was wearing away another layer of strength. I needed everything I had to keep Charlie okay. I couldn’t waste anything on Duncan, not anymore.
“I’m here because I care about you, and you don’t understand the kind of man Kicks is.”
“I can take care of myself.”
“You can’t. Not. With. Him.”
Oh, but I was fairly certain I would, because Duncan wasn’t an option.
“It’s none of your concern. Get out.” I opened the door just as Buddie and Charlie were walking toward the cottage.
“Duncan!” Charlie yelled, flinging himself at the alpha.
