I threw my hands up dramatically. “Go ahead, insult me. Both of you.”
Warren had good days and bad days. As I discretely surveyed him, I determined today was one of his better days. “Fine, I think I will go out. Leave y’all to think about what an asset I am to have around.”
“Did he say he was an ass all around?” Warren chuckled. “First thing he’s said today that made any sense.”
I grinned and gave Heather a kiss on the forehead before hurrying over and pecking Ame on the cheek. “You’re a couple of ungrateful relatives, you know that?”
I left them there, both smiling, and headed next door to my place. I felt guilty for leaving them with the baby for any longer than was necessary, but it would be worse if I stayed home.
I could sense that if Heather and Warren watched me leave for a night out, it would convince them far more than my words could that they weren’t a burden on me and neither was Ame, that I could be here for my family when they needed me and still have a life of my own—or pretend to when they were watching. I didn’t want to go anywhere, but they needed me to.
I took a shower and changed into clean clothes before taking my time walking across Main Street to Mimi’s Cabana. I had no intention of staying long. I’d just make an appearance and have a drink or two so I could be home in time to give Ame a bath and put her to bed. I didn’t want to risk her waking her up when I carried her home to my place for the night.
Mimi was a wildcard and her place was always a good time. The woman kept everyone on their toes with her coconut bra and sailor’s vocabulary. I made sure to wave and blow her a kiss before scanning the place looking for the party. Instead of a party, I found Parker and Maxim sitting side by side in a booth talking to whomever was across the table from them. I couldn’t tell from where I stood.
One step closer, though, just one step, and I knew.
It was her—my mate.
Bells were going off like a five alarm back at the station. I wanted to turn and run. I’d told Parker repeatedly that I had way too much on my plate. The last thing I needed or wanted was a mate. After finding out my mate was human, that statement held tenfold.
Damn, that woman was a meddler.
How the hell had I fallen for this again? Parker had tricked me into a blind date once before. It could have been a total disaster too if the woman, Elin, hadn’t also been conned into a date she wanted no part of. We ended up having an enjoyable dinner together and leaving as friends.
Okay, I had to give Parker credit. She did hit the nail on the head this time. Despite being one hundred percent human, the woman she chose was one hundred percent my mate.
I didn’t even know her name. After getting her down from Walter, she hadn’t stuck around long enough for me to ask. I’d say that was a telltale sign she wanted little to do with me either. How the hell had Parker found her and gotten her to the bar?
I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about my mate since I watched her race down Main Street in the opposite direction. Not that it was a good excuse, but that was a major reason I’d been on edge and had been so quick to lash out at Jenny.
I should turn around and leave. Just go.
But my wolf was going crazy trying to get at her, and I was strung so tightly I felt I might snap in two.
Maybe a quick glimpse of her…
As I took a step closer, my mate’s head snapped around. When she spotted me, her eyes grew wide. That’s when I knew. She was an innocent victim here too. She’d had no idea this was a set up.
Her jaw fell and her tongue darted out to nervously lick her lips.
“Mac! So glad you could make it. I understand you and Mel are acquainted?” Parker’s devious grin said it all. Maxim just shook his head and took a drink of his beer.
Mel. So that was her name.
I stood staring at the empty spot next to her like poisonous spikes might sprout out of the pleather and lodge themselves in the ass of any unsuspecting patron who happened to sit there.
“We ran into each other.”
Mel looked past me, at the door. She was going to bolt. The look in her eyes said it all. My wolf didn’t want her going anywhere, the masochist. Before my rational brain could talk my crazed libido out of it, I sank into the booth next to her—impaling myself with the spikes of destiny.
When our thighs touched, my jaw locked and my fists balled.
“Well, the party ended up being a lot smaller than I expected.” Parker shrugged.
The woman had no shame.
When Maxim snorted, Parker shot him a warning scowl. Then, she turned to us and, sweet as sugar, moved on.
“I ran into Mel at Rise and Shine this morning. She’s singing at the wedding tomorrow night. Flynn and Arden’s?”
I couldn’t help turning my head to look at her. She was a singer. With a sultry speaking voice like hers, it was likely she had an amazing singing voice. Fuck, her scent was messing with my head. Everyone was looking at me. Why? Was I supposed to say something?
“Er…that’s nice.”
Maxim snorted into his beer and, when attention turned to him, tried to hide a knowing grin.
9
Mel
My entire body overheated the moment my firefighter appeared.
No, not my firefighter. A firefighter.
He didn’t belong to me.
He was his own firefighter, not mine.
Mac. His name was Mac. Tonight he wasn’t in uniform. He wore a white T-shirt that clung to his wide shoulders and sculpted pecs like a second skin, medium wash jeans, and scuffed work boots. His hair was still damp from the shower. He looked masculine and sexy and powerful all at once.
I wanted to blame the Florida temperatures for the heat wave that rolled through me. But I’d been just fine, cool as a cucumber, until Mac sat down and his thigh brushed mine. Then, hello thermometer. Mercury shot through the roof.
His thigh was all I could focus on. It was so distracting.
That and his smell. Why did he smell so good? Like a bonfire on the beach at night, wrapped in a blanket under the stars. It didn’t make sense the things this man did to my body.
Could what I was feeling be gratitude? I mean, what woman wasn’t turned on by her own knight in shining armor?
No. That wasn’t it.
Mac helped me and all, but it wasn’t as though he’d saved my life or risked his own in the process. I would have gotten down eventually.
I needed to remember one thing, though, and cool my jet skis. Just because I was enjoying some solo vacation time did not mean I was single. I had a boyfriend, Aaron.
I mean Adam!
I was committed to Adam, and if there was one thing I despised it was people who didn’t honor their commitments.
One’s word was one’s bond. I’d always believed that.
I was not in the market for a new man—despite Parker and her devious machinations.
But sitting next to Mac was slow torture.
He seemed to be as shocked to see me as I was to see him, which meant Parker had pulled the same set up on him. He probably didn’t even want to be here.
“Mac is actually from Ohio, Mel. He only recently moved here.” Parker blinked innocently and smiled. “And Mac, Mel here was a big recording artist twenty or so years ago. You’ve probably heard of her, Melody Manes.”