I growled again when Jay’s eyes glanced my way. If the fucker made one comment about her boobs, he was a dead man. Sensing his impending doom, he just grinned and shook his head. “Men never learn.”
Wilson and Cole joined us, both sported shit eating grins the moment they spotted me sitting next to Mel. They didn’t know for sure that we were mates, since I’d forbidden any mention of her at the station, but I imagined they’d guessed as much. If they hadn’t put two and two together when we were rescuing her from Walter, they certainly did now, considering I couldn’t stop glowering at anyone who looked at her.
Wilson pulled out a chair and plopped his ass down. “The infamous Mel.”
Her cheeks darkened as she smiled wryly at him. “It never happened.”
“Don’t worry. Your singing reputation has outgrown your tree climbing rep, Melody Manes.” He stuck his hand out to shake hers, ignoring my angry snarl. “I’m Andy Wilson, and for the record, I remember every word of Alive In Your Eyes. It is so nice to meet you.”
“Hey, me too. In fact, when my wife found out I met you, she was angry I didn’t ask for your autograph.” Matteo held up a memo pad and pen. “Would you mind?” He smiled sheepishly.
Mel shook Wilson’s hand and then asked Matteo for his wife’s name before scribbling out a personalized message and signing it. “Nice to meet all of you. I have a boyfriend, but I’m pretty sure being the center of attention of a room full of firefighters is my best friend’s dream. She’s going to be upset when she finds out she missed this.”
The guys grinned at me when they heard “boyfriend”, thinking Mel was talking about me. I didn’t bother to correct them.
“Where is this best friend?” Wilson wagged his eyebrows, making Mel laugh.
“Hey, I got dibs.” Jay elbowed Wilson aside.
“Says who?”
“It’s bro code. I heard about her first, I get first shot.”
Wilson rolled his eyes. “I call second, then. When he strikes out, I’m up to bat.”
“She went back to her hotel room to change. A group of them are meeting up at Mimi’s Cabana. Ben came to invite Hailey and dragged me along with him. I don’t know why. I guess he thought having his female cousin with him would make him look safer and less creepy.” A mischievous look crossed her face and she glanced into the station.
I liked having her around, but I couldn’t help but wish she’d come here to see me. I was slowly going insane, watching her smile at the other guys and kid around with them. I wanted to be alone with her, but it wasn’t a good idea. I wasn’t going to allow myself to bond with a human mate.
If I found myself in Heather’s shoes one day, I wasn’t sure I’d have the strength to go on like she did.
When a few more of the guys came over and everyone piled around Mel, I inched closer to her, unable to help myself. My wolf was snarling out warnings to all the unmated males around us. He wanted them all to leave and get the hell away from his mate. He wasn’t torn. He knew exactly what he wanted. Mel. Desperately.
When the station phone rang, the guys shifted focus for a moment, and I leaned closer to Mel. “I think you’ve stolen the show.”
She winced slightly and her head turned to look at me. Her scent caressed me. “I could leave.”
I found myself smiling and shook my head. “I think they’d be right behind like rats following the pied piper.”
The corners of her lips lifted in a smile. “They must not see a lot of women around here. Poor Hailey.”
I shoved my hands in my pockets to keep from reaching for her. “They see plenty.”
Her smile drooped and her expression, which had been warm and friendly a second ago, morphed into something sour.
“I see.” She adjusted her position and leaned in closer. “I’m sorry about last night. I want you to know I wasn’t a part of that. Parker knows I have a boyfriend, but she lured me there under false pretenses. I was under the impression there was a party.”
I grunted. “She told me the same. She’s a meddler.”
“A word of warning, Parker may have recruited my friend Ingrid to be a willing pawn in her matchmaking schemes.”
“Ingrid knows about your boyfriend, though…”
Her shimmery peach toned bottom lip was squeezed between her teeth as she focused on nothing in particular over my shoulder. “She’s not a fan.”
I bristled. I wasn’t either, but that was strictly on principal. I didn’t know the guy. If her best friend didn’t like him, that waved all kinds of red flags. “Is he nice to you?”
She shrugged, then nodded, then shrugged.
What the hell kind of answer was that?
When she met my gaze again, her brow was furrowed. “I should probably go back to my room and get some rest. Looks like Ben won’t be needing me to vouch for him after all. He seems to be doing just fine.”
My heart sank. She’d only just arrived. I’d hardly gotten to know anything about her. I had all kinds of questions.
12
Mel
My heart hammered in my chest. I was playing with fire just sitting there with Mac. I had to get away from him. I sure as hell didn’t want to, though. I wanted to lean in closer, find out all about him, spend the rest of the night talking to him—or whatever progressed. I knew better, and instead, I stood to leave.
“Hey, Mel, hold up! Hailey wants to hear you sing!” Ben came rushing out of the station, a shit eating grin on his face. “Just one song, cuz. Do me a solid.”
I glared at him. “You sing.”
Jay turned my way wearing a cajoling grin. “Wait a minute. We all want to hear you sing, don’t we, guys?”
I heard Mac’s behind me and spun to see him mean-mugging Jay with a low growl coming from his chest again. Mac had been making intermittent growly sounds since I’d arrived. After seeing the man/polar bear transformation last night, I was quickly putting puzzle pieces together. The one that didn’t fit was my reaction. An ominous, animalistic growl from a grown man should’ve been terrifying, yet the sound sent tendrils of pleasure curling through me, tickling my entire body.
Ben pleaded. “One song.”
Supplication from Wilson came next. “One song, cuz.”
I rolled my eyes and shrugged. “Fine. One song.”
After a ridiculous cheer, complete with whoops and howls, I glared at Ben. Then, awkwardly, I glanced around for the right place to stand. With his hand in the middle of my upper back, Mac led me to the rear of the firetruck.
“Here.”
I shook my head when he patted the rear step above the back bumper, indicating I should climb up.
He nodded in response. “Your stage, m’lady.”
I laughed and rolled my eyes.
The guys grumbled behind us and Mac suddenly grinned. It was a smile that took my breath away. “Give them a show and they’ll leave you alone. Maybe. I’ll help you up.”
Having that dazzlingly handsome man, with his blinding smile, focus his attention my way, I would’ve said yes to just about anything at that moment. His hands encircled my waist and I was lifted onto the step as though I weighed nothing more than a hummingbird. The shiver of desire that wound through my body was immediate, intense, and triple X-rated. No man—and I do mean no man—had ever lifted me with such seemingly little effort. Reflexively, my hands clasped Mac’s shoulders and held tight, even after I was firmly settled on the platform. “You’re strong.”