Page 11 of Wolf's Midlife Baby

“Maybe,” she replied with a laugh.

Pierce glanced around the room. “I’ll be right back. Are you okay on your own for a second?”

“I think I can handle it.” She enjoyed the view as he got up and walked toward the restrooms. Pierce’s job obviously kept him fit, and he filled out a pair of jeans nicely.

“Holly!”

Holly was instantly filled with revulsion. “What are you doing here, Kyle?”

“I should be asking you the same thing!” He threw himself into Pierce’s seat and turned to look around the room before he leaned closer, his breath smelling of whiskey. “Who’s the guy?”

“What? Why?” The question caught her completely off-guard.

“Listen, Holly. The people around here are weird. Really weird.” He rested his elbows on the table and looked firmly into her eyes. “You need to watch yourself.”

She leveled her gaze at him. “He’s the one who pulled me out of the river, if you must know. I think if he had any bad intentions toward me, he would’ve just let me drown.”

Kyle shook his head. “I’m telling you, something’s different about these people.”

“I don’t recall you ever mentioning it before,” she noted, “and we’ve been coming here for annual meetings for quite some time now.”

“I know. I just wasn’t paying attention.” He glanced around the room again. “I don’t know what it is yet, but there’s definitely something unusual happening here. The people around here aren’t like you and I.”

They were far more like her than he could ever imagine. They might not be bears, but Holly was feeling more and more comfortable as she understood just how many shifters surrounded her. Maybe a dark nightclub wasn’t typically her bag, but it was nice not to have to keep her secret held so tightly against her chest. “I’m fitting in just fine, thank you.”

He didn’t seem to hear her. His jaw was set, and his eyes were constantly scanning the place. He’d squared his shoulders, looking like he was trying to play the protagonist in an action movie. “I can keep you safe, Holly. I’ll take you back to your place. Let’s go right now while we have the chance.”

She scraped her chair back as he reached for her hand. “Just what the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“I told you. I’m keeping you safe.”

Holly shook her head, suddenly understanding exactly what was going on. Kyle happened to see her hanging out with the guy who’d saved her from the river. He was jealous, especially since he’d been trying to get in her pants for years, so he’d come up with a hero act of his own. It wasn’t going to work. “I’m fine, Kyle. Really. I’ll see you at the meeting tomorrow.”

“But—”

“Really,” she insisted. They’d have to continue working together in some capacity, so she didn’t want to be rude, but she didn’t want to ruin her night with Pierce, either. “I’m fine. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

A deep furrow creased his brow, and for a moment, he looked like he wasn’t going to take no for an answer. “Just be careful, okay?”

“I will.” The only danger right now was the risk of losing her heart to a man she couldn’t have. He appeared through the crowd just after Kyle left, making her heart jump all over again.

“I hope I didn’t keep you waiting too long,” he said as he returned to his seat.

“Not at all. I was just wondering, how long have you been with the fire department?” Her irritation with Kyle was easily forgotten as she sank into the comfort of Pierce. As they continued to talk, the club seemed to fall away around her. She hardly heard the music any longer, concentrating only on the sound of his voice and the way his mouth moved when he spoke. She noted the gentle twitch of his finger every now and then and the way he rubbed his thumb through the condensation on his glass.

“Do you want to dance?” he asked, standing up and holding out his hand.

A bit of the fantasy faded as reality set in. “I’m not much of a dancer.”

“Neither am I, but no one’s going to be looking.” As soon as she set her hand in his, he brought her down toward the crowd around the stage.

The music crashed into her ears again, flooding her body and making her move. No, it wasn’t just the music. It was him. Being so close to him made her feel as if she’d been missing out on something for a long time, like a part of herself had finally been regained. His hand brushed against hers, then her hip. The lights sparkled and her skin tingled. She was drunk but not on alcohol. With a happy sigh that only she could hear, she followed Dahlia’s advice and truly let herself go. She didn’t care about who was looking or how good of a dancer she might be. She only cared about being close to her mate.

They moved through several songs until a final crescendo indicated the end of the set. Pierce captured her in his arms as they stumbled through the crowd, laughing and sweating. “Do you want to come back to my place?”

She sucked in a breath, but there was only one answer that could possibly be right. “Yes.”

They escaped from the noise and chaos of the club, running out the door and hurrying through town to Pierce’s truck. Holly laughed as he pulled her along by the hand, both of them eager to find a private moment together. Even without that privacy, he found a way to show his desire for her when they paused at a crosswalk and waited for traffic. Her hand still clasped in his, he brought it up and pressed his lips gently to the back of her fingers.

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