feel. Austin held her close, too close, as they made their way to the dance floor, and the primal need to claim her rocketed through him.
Ease down
, he warned the beast within him. He felt the animal snarl in response. His entire body was tense and wired up, instincts fighting rational thought. Just watching the way Lora smiled at Austin made him want to tear the man to shreds.
“You seem distracted tonight.” Claire pouted beside him, her fingers slowly making their way up his thigh.
He grabbed her hand, stopping her before it reached its destination, and placed it back in her lap.
She huffed and reached for her glass of wine. He barely noticed her get up and walk away.
Chase tossed back the shot of bourbon he had been nursing.
Jaw clenched, cock throbbing, he watched as Lora moved to the rhythm of the music.
Get your shit together, Chase. She's your best friend's baby sister.
He pinched the bridge of his nose, closed his eyes and took a couple steadying breaths.
Even if she wasn't Jacob's sister, Lora wasn't a woman to be fucked and discarded. And that was all he was able to offer her. All he was able to offer any woman. He didn't let emotions get involved. They were lethal, deadly, a poison that seeped into a man's soul and destroyed him from the inside out. He might as well put a loaded gun to his head, rather than allow mating heat to turn him into his father.
He felt like he was spiraling into fucking Wonderland without so much as a rabbit hole in sight.
What happened to the young girl who use to steal doe-eyed glances at him when she thought he wasn't looking? And what the hell had she meant when she said she was in love with him?
He'd barely been able to process a thought before she kicked him out of her apartment. Now, here she was, fawning over McCaffrey like she hadn't just pulled the rug out from under him.
The music changed tempo, a slow, crooning song echoing from the speakers, and the dance floor flooded with couples, blocking his view of Lora. He went to the bar and ordered another shot, which he slammed back in one gulp.
Energy vibrated off him in waves, and his lion paced, growling to claim the woman it had chosen as their mate.
No fucking way.
He needed to pull his head out of his ass and get the hell out of there, fast.
He turned and stopped cold. McCaffrey held Lora tight as they moved to the music. His flattened palm lay intimately against the naked flesh of her lower back. He whispered something in her ear and she threw her head back and laughed. His hand dipped lower—
Uninhibited anger coursed through Chase's veins, and this time he was unable to contain the growl from leaving his chest.
There was no way in hell he was going to let her go home with McCaffrey, or any other man for that matter.
She was his.
* * *
Lora saw the look on Chase's face as he stalked towards them. He was mad. Really, really mad.
“Leave us,” Chase said in a low, dangerous voice.
A tick started on Austin's jaw. He tensed and straightened, squaring his shoulders. They stared daggers at one another for a full thirty seconds, and Lora was sure there was some sort of nonverbal communication going on.
They were in the middle of the dance floor with over a hundred people, humans no less, surrounding them, and they looked like they were about to take a swing at each other.
“Back off, Payne.” Austin's fists clenched. “We're not at work. You don't get to order me around.”
Austin was a good two inches taller than Chase, his body more heavily muscled, but there was no question who the alpha was.
Over the music, she heard the low rumble that resonated from Chase's chest.
“It's all right.” She squeezed Austin's hand, then let go. They were already getting funny looks and she didn't want to cause any more of a scene. “I'll meet you back at the table.”
Austin finally submitted. With an uneasy scowl, he shoved his hands into the pockets of his slacks, and walked away.
Lora watched as he
Ease down
, he warned the beast within him. He felt the animal snarl in response. His entire body was tense and wired up, instincts fighting rational thought. Just watching the way Lora smiled at Austin made him want to tear the man to shreds.
“You seem distracted tonight.” Claire pouted beside him, her fingers slowly making their way up his thigh.
He grabbed her hand, stopping her before it reached its destination, and placed it back in her lap.
She huffed and reached for her glass of wine. He barely noticed her get up and walk away.
Chase tossed back the shot of bourbon he had been nursing.
Jaw clenched, cock throbbing, he watched as Lora moved to the rhythm of the music.
Get your shit together, Chase. She's your best friend's baby sister.
He pinched the bridge of his nose, closed his eyes and took a couple steadying breaths.
Even if she wasn't Jacob's sister, Lora wasn't a woman to be fucked and discarded. And that was all he was able to offer her. All he was able to offer any woman. He didn't let emotions get involved. They were lethal, deadly, a poison that seeped into a man's soul and destroyed him from the inside out. He might as well put a loaded gun to his head, rather than allow mating heat to turn him into his father.
He felt like he was spiraling into fucking Wonderland without so much as a rabbit hole in sight.
What happened to the young girl who use to steal doe-eyed glances at him when she thought he wasn't looking? And what the hell had she meant when she said she was in love with him?
He'd barely been able to process a thought before she kicked him out of her apartment. Now, here she was, fawning over McCaffrey like she hadn't just pulled the rug out from under him.
The music changed tempo, a slow, crooning song echoing from the speakers, and the dance floor flooded with couples, blocking his view of Lora. He went to the bar and ordered another shot, which he slammed back in one gulp.
Energy vibrated off him in waves, and his lion paced, growling to claim the woman it had chosen as their mate.
No fucking way.
He needed to pull his head out of his ass and get the hell out of there, fast.
He turned and stopped cold. McCaffrey held Lora tight as they moved to the music. His flattened palm lay intimately against the naked flesh of her lower back. He whispered something in her ear and she threw her head back and laughed. His hand dipped lower—
Uninhibited anger coursed through Chase's veins, and this time he was unable to contain the growl from leaving his chest.
There was no way in hell he was going to let her go home with McCaffrey, or any other man for that matter.
She was his.
* * *
Lora saw the look on Chase's face as he stalked towards them. He was mad. Really, really mad.
“Leave us,” Chase said in a low, dangerous voice.
A tick started on Austin's jaw. He tensed and straightened, squaring his shoulders. They stared daggers at one another for a full thirty seconds, and Lora was sure there was some sort of nonverbal communication going on.
They were in the middle of the dance floor with over a hundred people, humans no less, surrounding them, and they looked like they were about to take a swing at each other.
“Back off, Payne.” Austin's fists clenched. “We're not at work. You don't get to order me around.”
Austin was a good two inches taller than Chase, his body more heavily muscled, but there was no question who the alpha was.
Over the music, she heard the low rumble that resonated from Chase's chest.
“It's all right.” She squeezed Austin's hand, then let go. They were already getting funny looks and she didn't want to cause any more of a scene. “I'll meet you back at the table.”
Austin finally submitted. With an uneasy scowl, he shoved his hands into the pockets of his slacks, and walked away.
Lora watched as he
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