I didn’t like this fool. There was no two ways about it. The way he was looking at Gianna pissed me off. Looking at her like he owned her. Yes, she may work within his bar, but she was not his. She was not his possession. I was not going to allow him to treat her that way.My ego had taken a hit when she said she was leaving me, I had hoped to spend the rest of her shift with her. I realized if she was working the afternoon to evening shift, then she would finish earlier than she had on my previous visit. I was more than willing to pay for her time, because that was what was expected in a place like this, or else she would be expected to be on stage.Then, I hoped I could hang around outside until she finished, and perhaps suggest a drink, or even dinner… yeah, okay, so I sounded a little like a stalker, but I was trying to ignore that right now, and hoped that she wanted to spend time with me as much as I did her. So, for her to decide she was leaving before our time together had ba
After being told I was to spend the rest of my shift with Mason, I guess I should be glad. I had been enjoying his company, and it meant I avoided any drama from other customers. But I didn’t like him taking control the way he did with Rhett. Like he thought I wasn’t capable of taking care of myself. It all felt a little too much for me. Like he felt I needed his help. Maybe a little possessive too. But what bothered me more was that he had pissed off Rhett. And while he may have paid him off, I would likely still get a mouthful from him at the end of my shift. That was just how Rhett was.I could feel the eyes of Mason watching me as he leaned back in the booth, a glass of whisky laying in his hands. A small smile resting upon his face as his eyes drifted across my body, sending goosebumps across my skin. Why did this man have this much of an effect upon me?“So, you going to join me for a drink?” he asked, his voice deep and I hate to admit it, sexy as hell.I raised my brows at him
I don’t even know what I was talking about. The words I was spewing were absolute nonsense and I knew it, but they had worked. They had won Gianna around, and she had been unable to resist saying something.I could see the inner struggle she was fighting the more I spoke, and I have to say it was amusing. The way she chewed her lower lip, I assumed to stop herself speaking was pretty damn adorable. Hell, she was pretty damn adorable. Not exactly a way you’d expect to be describing a woman sitting next to you dressed in lingerie…Her eyes looked everywhere but at me, as I still held the cocktail out toward her. “Aww, come on now, beautiful, you can’t speak and then go quiet on me. That is just teasing.” I told her. “Especially when your voice sounds as good as yours does.”Gianna’s gaze slowly moved toward mine, her long lashes fluttering, maybe a little anxiously, as she still chewed that lower lip. The thing she maybe didn't realize was, in doing that, she was simply drawing my atte
My heart was racing so fast I thought I would have a heart attack the moment Mason began asking about my accent. Yes, I knew it stood out compared to the locals in this area. It identified that I was not from around here so easily, but then so did many of the girls. But, I did not want to be asked about it. Least of all, by a complete stranger.And when Mason continued to probe, I panicked even further. I know I made it worse by blurting out all the things I did. I made it so obvious I had things to hide, and that was likely the worst thing I could have done. He was watching me with curiosity now, even more than before. Like a fucking freak show…“Gianna, I was making conversation is all.” He told me calmly, not giving a thing away, which only made my anxiety worse. Maybe I had jumped to conclusions automatically thinking he may be linked to Dalton, but I was on edge right now with all of that going on behind the scenes, and it had been the first thought that had entered my mind the
My attempt at conversation with Gianna was seriously flailing. I was obviously not as good with the charm as I hoped I was. Not that I ever really needed it before. I was an Alpha for god’s sake, women in and around the pack usually threw themselves at me, knowing my title. Not that I was ever fussed by that, knowing they were simply after me for the title. If anything, it had repulsed me. It certainly made it hard to know who was genuine and who wasn't.And then I had met Brooke and things had changed. She was the one meant for me, and all women had ceased to exist in my mind. Shame she had not felt the same way upon meeting me. Maybe then I would not have ended up as hurt as I did.Maybe the lack of charm was why she decided to look elsewhere? I found myself questioning. ‘Do not start.’ My wolf warned me, knowing I was headed into a downward spiral the moment I began thinking like that. The hurt my former fated mate had caused had seriously damaged my mindset. My ego. My heart. It t
I had done all I could to keep Mason’s drink topped up, and the conversation flowing in a more friendly way, avoiding all awkward conversations. I was more than a little surprised at how disappointed I felt at his suggestion of him leaving. It seemed I enjoyed his company maybe a little more than I realized… But, my shift was coming to an end, and I had once again spent a great portion of it with him, however it resulted in yet another of my most enjoyable shifts… if you took out the awkward bits, of course… We laughed so much talking about the most random of things. People watching turned out to be the most fun with him. Though I enjoyed watching him the most. The little ways his face changed when he smiled, or he laughed were just the sweetest… “Well, it is that time again.” I told him with a wry smile. “Aww, are you abandoning me?” he teased. “Afraid so. My shift is done.” “It has been fun. But I do want to apologize for earlier.” He watched me clo
I looked across the parking lot toward my car, but leaning against the wall near it was a man I did not expect to see so soon. Mason. And the moment his eyes seemed to register me walking across the parking lot, his eyes lit up, and his face broke into a smile. Not a small smile either. A big, beaming smile that it was hard to resist smiling back at…“Well, hello.” He greeted me as he made his way toward me. “Fancy seeing you here.”I raised my brows at him in question, a little shocked he was even here. He had left the bar a little while ago now. Had he intentionally been hanging around waiting for me? Or was he waiting for a cab? It was difficult to say, and I most certainly did not want to make things more awkward by asking. But one thing I knew, was it felt odd that he was here outside of the bar environment.“Aww, you keep looking at me like that and anyone would think you weren’t too happy to see me, Gianna. Nothing like trying to give a guy a complex, is there?” Mason teased, a
I could not believe this stunner of a woman had agreed to have coffee with me. Admittedly, I may have pushed the boundaries a little by leading her to the nearest restaurant rather than the popular coffee shop further down the street. And, to my further surprise, Gianna did not put up any argument when I led her to the restaurant. Nor did she flinch at the touch of my hand on her lower back, which felt like the most natural thing in the world. I can not explain how this girl makes me feel…So at ease… like I have known her forever… relaxed… things seem easy with her… yet something about her draws me in… wakes up emotions inside of me I thought were long dead. She excites me. And I think she may be having a similar effect upon my wolf. And that is even more shocking.“Dinner, I assume?” Gianna looked up at me, with her eyebrows raised, a playful smirk upon her face after I asked a waiter for a table for two.I