Page 58 of Eight Steps to Alpha

Chapter 19

With one footin front of the other, Elliot walked into the dining room, turned around, then walked in the opposite direction again. He’d been dressed for over an hour, waiting for her, but Fe hadn’t come out of her bedroom since she locked herself in there over ninety minutes ago. In that time, he’d been able to take a shower, trim his shadow, and try on not one, but two different outfits, one of which he still wasn’t sure was right. Black tailored slacks, a gray sweater, with sleeves he’d pushed up to his forearms.

He glanced over and Colton, who was sitting forward on the couch, watching TV. “I moved two thousand miles away, yet here you are.” It was said exactly how he’d meant. Annoyed.

If there was one thing he knew for certain, this club idea was Colton’s doing.

But Elliot knew his anger came from somewhere else. Had been festering ever since Colton asked Fe out to dinner. He could have said no, said that he was not OK with him taking Fe out to dinner, but what would he have looked like? An asshole, that’s what.

“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” Colton drawled, stretching out his denim clad legs in front of him.

“Is your life not exciting enough back home that you have to come to California and mess with mine?” Elliot flexed his jaw and counted to ten. He couldn’t explain why he was so angry, but he was. Angry at his brother for showing up unannounced. Angry that he practically moved into his apartment, was taking over his home, his life, Fe…

Colton walked across the room to stand in front of him. “Home? It’s funny you call it that, given you’ve not been back in four years. Why is that?”

Elliot’s jaw clenched, and he looked at his brother. The truth was, this was his home now. He’d been back once for his granddaddy’s funeral, and that was it.

Fe opened her door then, causing them both to spin toward the hall.

Her hair was full and wild, her eyes bigger and brighter with all the makeup she put on around them, and damn it all, she was wearing a skirt.

But not just a skirt. A short skirt.

A sexier than sin, short as hell, leather mini skirt.

He blinked a few times, not sure he was seeing things right, but Colton didn’t miss his opportunity. He moved toward her, sauntering across the room with a shit eating grin, and took hold of her hand. He kissed the backs of her fingers. “I knew you’d have killer legs under all those clothes.” He spun her around and clicked his tongue. “Damn.”

Her cheeks immediately flushed, and she pushed a strand of hair behind her ear before turning toward Elliot.

Words escaped him. Not just words, but his breath too. They twisted in his gut together, the words and his breath, making it almost impossible to stand there and not cover her with a blanket. The reaction was almost primal, a need to protect her from the world and everything in it, but especially Colton. He wanted to rip Colton fingers off. Wanted to slap that stupid smile right off of his face.

Fe stepped toward him, her fingers inching the silky white strap of her camisole back on her shoulder. He’d never seen this side of her before. This wild, vixen like side that simultaneously reminded him of an angel and a seductress. He swept his gaze over her body from head to toe, then swallowed. “Took you long enough.”

Hurt washed over her face, and she looked down to her feet. Dammit! What was wrong with him? Why was he being such a dick? He couldn’t explain it, all he knew was he wasn’t made for this. For the jealousy that was pulsing through his heart just thinking of all the men who would see her like this tonight. But how on earth could he be mad at her? He wasn’t mad at her! He was mad at himself. Mad at Colton. Because damn it, things were just becoming normal, and then she had to come out looking like that.

“Yes.” She nodded. “I’m finallyready.”

* * *

Never in hislife had he been more thankful for his brother’s presence then he was right now, but as he was learning to realize, there was a first for anything.

Fe was pissed at him, and rightfully so. She also had a way of letting everyone within a hundred-mile radius know it. She sat in the front seat next to him, her shoulders square, proper, with perfect posture. He could see goosebumps on her legs, but not once had she complained about the temperature. Actually, she hadn’t said a world since they got into his truck. He had to stop himself at least ten times from taking off his sweater and wrapping it over her shoulders. Mostly because he knew that would only piss her off even more. If there was anything he’d learned in living with Fe for the last five years, was that giving her space when she was riled like this was wise. Because trying to make amends now would only get his head bitten off.

Colton sat in the back seat, barely paying any attention to either of them as he fiddled with his phone. “The crew and I were here the other night,” he said casually “If you’re looking for a fight, this’ll the place to find one.”

Elliot’s grip on the steering wheel tightened and released, but he said nothing. A fight didn’t actually sound like the worst idea in the world. He needed a release. Some way to let go of all this pent-up tension.

It was a good twenty minutes later when Colton instructed him to get off the highway. “Take the next exit.” He waved a finger toward the windshield. “Make a right, it should be just two blocks down on the left.”

They approached the building, where a line was wrapped round the perimeter of the bar. Colton instructed him to pull his truck into a small dirt covered lot, where they parked, and climbed out of the cab.

“Are you sure this is safe?” Elliot asked, glancing over the row of cars in the pitch-black lot.

“Trust me,” Colton said, pulling on his leather jacket to straighten it. “The crew and I were here a few nights ago. It’s fine.” Then he turned toward Fe, touched her cheek with his thumb and whispered something Elliot couldn’t understand into her ear.

He wanted to close his eyes, to look away, but he couldn’t. He needed to see her reaction. To see if there was a connection between them.

She nodded her head, then glanced over to Elliot. It was the first time she’d looked at him since they left the apartment, and a chill ran down his spine. He didn’t blame her. He’d been an ass. But that didn’t stop him from taking his fill of her. She looked different, beautiful, but she wasn’t his Fe.

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