followed.
“Hi,” he said to Emme. “I’m Liam, Liam Smith.” He nodded toward the Asian. “This is Gem, and that ray of sunshine over there is Miakoda.”
“I go by Koda,” the Native American said. He shot Liam a snarl that caused my claws to protrude, but Liam ignored him.
Emme smiled so sweetly at Liam, I feared the poor sap might need insulin. “I’m Emme Wird. These are my sisters, Celia, Taran, and Shayna.”
No one said anything at first. Koda, Gem, and I were too busy sizing each other up. If it came down to it, I thought Bren and I could take them in a fight.
Liam remained oblivious to the tension. “Would you like to dance with me, Emme?” he asked, extending his hand.
“Sure.” She strolled off before I could stop her.
Shayna, who could sense the growing strain between Koda and me, intervened. “How about a dance, big guy?” she asked.
This broke Koda’s eye contact with me, and he seemed genuinely surprised. “Are you talking to me?”
Shayna’s grin lit up her face. “Well, duh. I’m looking right at you, dude.”
It wouldn’t have shocked me if no one had ever asked Koda to dance before. He was a scary mo-fo of epic proportions. Shayna wriggled to the edge of the seat to leave, but not before I shoved the toothpick from her martini into her hand. She giggled and kissed my cheek. “Don’t worry, Ceel,” she whispered, glancing at Koda from the corner of her eyes. “I’ve got this one.”
Koda moved aside to let her out of the booth. Shaynagrabbed his hand and led him out to the floor like a well-trained poodle rather than a two-hundred-and-fifty-pound werewolf. I couldn’t believe it. Taming someone like that was impressive even for her.
I turned to Taran, who had been unusually quiet. Gem slid into the booth next to her. They stared into each other’s eyes, but not in a challenging way. Most guys gawked at Taran. I was used to that. Yet the way Gem stared at her wasn’t sexual; it was tender, and it put me on edge. I couldn’t understand what the hell was going on, but thought it best to run interference.
“So, what kind of name is Gem, anyway?” I asked, trying to rip his eyes off my sister.
“My nickname is Gemini. My real name is Tomo Hamamatsu.”
“Is that your astrological sign or something?”
He returned his gaze to Taran. “Something like that,” he muttered.
Taran said nothing. Hell, she barely breathed.
I pinched the bridge of my nose. Another fun night out with the girls.
I enjoyed a good paranormal romance as much as the next gal, but there was only so much lovey-dovey crap I could take. After fifteen minutes of watching Taran and Gemini reenact the last few seconds of Ghost , I left to take a seat at the bar.
The brunette flirting with Bren scowled at me the moment I slumped onto the stool. I slammed my purse onto the bar, tired of dealing with petty bitches. “Do you have a problem?”
Bren groaned when the tramp ran like I’d set her sequined miniskirt on fire. He shoved a lime into anotherCorona and handed it to me. “Are you trying to ruin my chances of getting laid?”
I played with the bottle. “Sorry. It just sucks to always be the one without a date.”
My stomach clenched with the immediate sadness my words brought me. I hated admitting how lonely I was.
Or how badly I wanted to fall in love.
Bren leaned forward. “Ceel, you have a killer body and are smarter than hell.” He grinned. “You’re also beautiful. And you don’t even fucking know it.” He reclaimed the beer, took a swig, then handed it back. “But you know what your problem is?”
“I scare people?”
“Yes. Shitless. But that’s not what I meant.” He sighed. “You haven’t found anyone who can compete with the strength of your beast.” His smile faded. “You need to find your equal, babe.”
I glanced back at Taran and the wolf she’d so easily enthralled. “What if I can’t?”
Bren didn’t answer me. He may not have known how much I
“Hi,” he said to Emme. “I’m Liam, Liam Smith.” He nodded toward the Asian. “This is Gem, and that ray of sunshine over there is Miakoda.”
“I go by Koda,” the Native American said. He shot Liam a snarl that caused my claws to protrude, but Liam ignored him.
Emme smiled so sweetly at Liam, I feared the poor sap might need insulin. “I’m Emme Wird. These are my sisters, Celia, Taran, and Shayna.”
No one said anything at first. Koda, Gem, and I were too busy sizing each other up. If it came down to it, I thought Bren and I could take them in a fight.
Liam remained oblivious to the tension. “Would you like to dance with me, Emme?” he asked, extending his hand.
“Sure.” She strolled off before I could stop her.
Shayna, who could sense the growing strain between Koda and me, intervened. “How about a dance, big guy?” she asked.
This broke Koda’s eye contact with me, and he seemed genuinely surprised. “Are you talking to me?”
Shayna’s grin lit up her face. “Well, duh. I’m looking right at you, dude.”
It wouldn’t have shocked me if no one had ever asked Koda to dance before. He was a scary mo-fo of epic proportions. Shayna wriggled to the edge of the seat to leave, but not before I shoved the toothpick from her martini into her hand. She giggled and kissed my cheek. “Don’t worry, Ceel,” she whispered, glancing at Koda from the corner of her eyes. “I’ve got this one.”
Koda moved aside to let her out of the booth. Shaynagrabbed his hand and led him out to the floor like a well-trained poodle rather than a two-hundred-and-fifty-pound werewolf. I couldn’t believe it. Taming someone like that was impressive even for her.
I turned to Taran, who had been unusually quiet. Gem slid into the booth next to her. They stared into each other’s eyes, but not in a challenging way. Most guys gawked at Taran. I was used to that. Yet the way Gem stared at her wasn’t sexual; it was tender, and it put me on edge. I couldn’t understand what the hell was going on, but thought it best to run interference.
“So, what kind of name is Gem, anyway?” I asked, trying to rip his eyes off my sister.
“My nickname is Gemini. My real name is Tomo Hamamatsu.”
“Is that your astrological sign or something?”
He returned his gaze to Taran. “Something like that,” he muttered.
Taran said nothing. Hell, she barely breathed.
I pinched the bridge of my nose. Another fun night out with the girls.
I enjoyed a good paranormal romance as much as the next gal, but there was only so much lovey-dovey crap I could take. After fifteen minutes of watching Taran and Gemini reenact the last few seconds of Ghost , I left to take a seat at the bar.
The brunette flirting with Bren scowled at me the moment I slumped onto the stool. I slammed my purse onto the bar, tired of dealing with petty bitches. “Do you have a problem?”
Bren groaned when the tramp ran like I’d set her sequined miniskirt on fire. He shoved a lime into anotherCorona and handed it to me. “Are you trying to ruin my chances of getting laid?”
I played with the bottle. “Sorry. It just sucks to always be the one without a date.”
My stomach clenched with the immediate sadness my words brought me. I hated admitting how lonely I was.
Or how badly I wanted to fall in love.
Bren leaned forward. “Ceel, you have a killer body and are smarter than hell.” He grinned. “You’re also beautiful. And you don’t even fucking know it.” He reclaimed the beer, took a swig, then handed it back. “But you know what your problem is?”
“I scare people?”
“Yes. Shitless. But that’s not what I meant.” He sighed. “You haven’t found anyone who can compete with the strength of your beast.” His smile faded. “You need to find your equal, babe.”
I glanced back at Taran and the wolf she’d so easily enthralled. “What if I can’t?”
Bren didn’t answer me. He may not have known how much I
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