Page 15 of The Wolf's Bullied Bride

And yet, as she smiled under the low light of the bar, I couldn’t help but wonder where I had seen her before outside of her reporting. She looked so familiar, but I couldn’t place her face.

On the topic of shifter-witch mates, I was curious about her status. I wondered if she had a shifter boyfriend back home, waiting for her to return. But from what I could tell, nobody’s scent was on her.

Based on her workaholic demeanor, I had the feeling that was a contributing factor.

Part of me wanted to ask her, but I didn’t want to seem too forward. I was starting to get somewhere with her and didn’t want to ruin it.

Instead, a different approach entered my mind.

“Do you want to dance?” I asked, feeling braver with every sip.

A light dusting of color moved through her cheeks, and for a moment, she looked almost bashful. Chewing the inside of her lip, that buzzed look veiled her eyes, and she nodded.

Something about that more carefree glow surrounding her made me even more eager to be near her. To understand why I felt so drawn to her.

Without having to say another word, we both stood and made our way over to the crowd of patrons already dancing. She walked with such languid confidence that I found it impressive. Her nonchalance about how gorgeous she was made me want her even more, and I wondered if she knew just how radiant she looked.

As we meshed in with the group of dancers, I reached for her hand, bringing her closer to me.

She looked up at me with a glimmer of mischief in her eyes, and that was enough to make me weak in the knees.

Her hips swayed without a care in the world as she danced around me, entrancing me at once. She turned herself around and let her body brush against mine, forcing my skin to run even hotter than usual.

I couldn’t take my eyes off her, not when she seemed to know exactly how to move, and how to tease me with little effort. My hands migrated to her hips, taking in how it felt to hold her close.

A tingling sensation ran through her body to mine and kept me completely locked in. Just like we were feeding off each other’s energy, neither of us pulled away. We blended in easily with the others around us, but I didn’t bother to take any of them into account.

All that mattered was the self-assured journalist in my relaxed grip, giving everyone else a run for their money.

From watching how she moved, I decided I had scored the most impressive woman in the whole place.

My future in Rose Valley looked even brighter.

Chapter 7 - Cora

I knew it was in my best interest to stay as far away from Liam as possible, but in his time in the city, he managed to become magnetizing.

As much as I didn’t want to speak with him at first, it was hard to resist the temptation of how good he looked.

With his dark hair resting just above his eyes, shading his gaze with even more mystery, Liam’s focus was entirely on me as I danced. I couldn’t ignore the desire clouding his features, which only served as more fuel for my hips to move.

That lust, paired with the tee hugging his body and the tattoos running down his arms, had me far too glued to him. While I could’ve called it off and ventured my separate way from him, I didn’t want to.

For whatever reason, his attention was on me, and something about it had me simultaneously squirming and intrigued.

I had never known the soft side of his gaze before and how it felt to be treated with respect by him, but it helped me forget about the rest.

With a few drinks swimming warmly within me, I had been willing enough to talk to him, and I was curious about just how far it would go. There was something in his aura that fascinated me, and it drew me in completely.

I told myself before that I wanted nothing to do with him and that I was better off by ignoring him, yet it seemed he didn’t know who I was. It made me curious.

The classic rock played loudly through the speakers, bringing me back to all the nights I had spent there with friends before they all managed to find themselves husbands. It made me nostalgic, but I didn’t let myself see the sadness in it, not when I was wrapped up in Liam and finding myself a different kind of fun.

I had let myself get lost with strangers before, but something about the way our bodies moved, grazing one another occasionally, felt completely different.

There were two choices ahead of me that I couldn’t ignore. I could either admit who I was and rehash our past or pretend like I was someone completely different. Someone he met for the first time just the other day.

The latter seemed like the easier option, but I never enjoyed trying to keep up with my own lies. It would take too much effort, and I felt like being mindless for as long as I could.

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