Page 17 of Ours

She was excited because a bunch of people from her work was going along too. What she wasn’t looking forward to was her boss’s brother Richard. To get the tickets she’d had to promise she would be his date and go on another on Sunday night too.

For the last year at work, he’d asked her out at least once a week, but she always turned him down. Sandy never dated anyone from work. Richard wasn’t ugly. He was quite handsome, she supposed, at just under six feet, and slim, with short blond hair. The problem was he wasn’t her type, no matter how much she wished he was. She liked them big and muscular with dark tanned skin.

Thanking God her men weren’t there, Sandy groaned inwardly as she realized what she’d called them as she waited in front of her house for Richard.Her men.Sandy tried not to feel guilty about the date and told herself she had only met and been with her guys for almost two weeks. Jake was working tonight, and Zack was in his shop until five. He’d offered to drop her and her friends off and pick them up, but she’d said they had it covered. Sandy was grateful he didn’t ask any more questions.

They’d surprised her by not asking her more about the concert, although she had made her stance on the subject very clear early on. They were trying to not be like her family, and she could tell it was killing them, especially Jake. The cop in him was begging to come out, and she was fighting herself not to fall in love with them for their efforts. The dinner they’d done her the other night had been a dream come true. No one had ever cooked for her. The last person she vaguely remembered was her mother. Her father and brothers were good at takeout and canned or microwave foods.

A red sports car pulled up out front and Richard got out. He wore black striped shorts with a blue collared shirt. He strutted towards her with a huge smile on his face. Forcing her lips to curl up at the sides in what she hoped passed for a smile, she walked the rest of the way to him praying he wouldn’t expect much from her.

Grabbing her hand, he escorted her to his car, opened the door for her and closed it before he got in himself. He turned on the engine and drove away. The smile never left his face.

“I’m so happy you agreed to this. I look forward to getting to know you more outside of work.” He reached for her hand again, and she avoided him. “I’m sorry I had to go to this extreme to get you to go on a date, but I’m sure you will agree by the end of tonight it was the right thing to do. I think we could really have something.”

Sandy bit her tongue and told herself she brought this on herself. She should think of this as an experiment. She had wanted to date different people, men not like her brothers. She’d even said this to Zack and Jake, and Richard was the total opposite to her brothers, Zack, and Jake.

The guilty feeling got worse the closer to the venue they got. When they reached the vineyards and parked, Sandy got out before Richard could come around.

They walked up to the concert venue. He reached for her hand again, and she maneuvered herself out of his reach, pausing just before the gates. She couldn’t take the guilt anymore. If she was honest with herself, she couldn’t stand his touch. It felt slimy and made her sick. “I’m really sorry. I should have said something before, but I’m in a relationship. It’s kinda new.” She nibbled on her bottom lip.

“How new?” His brow furrowed, and his nose scrunched as he looked down at her.

Sandy wondered if she should tell the truth or stretch it a bit. Stretching won. “Oh, I don’t know. It feels a lot longer than it actually has been.”

He seemed to think about this for a moment before he grabbed her hand and pulled her to the entrance. “If it’s still new, then I have a chance. You might find I’m better.”

Sandy held back the gagging noise that threatened to escape and rushed inside, hoping when they reached everyone else, he would leave her alone.

****

Glancing at his partner David, who was a lion shifter, Jake muttered, “If you had a mate, then I’m sure you would be doing the same as me right now.”

David grunted and patted him on the back. “Maybe, but didn’t you say Zack was here too with front row tickets.”

“Yep. She doesn’t know that though.”

David shook his head. “The concert has been on for three hours now. It shouldn’t have much more to go.”

“I’m going to surprise her. There should be an hour left. I’ve let her have most of the show with her girlfriends. I’ve been so focused on the shifter killer. I want to enjoy some fun time with her.”

His partner grinned. “You telling me you don’t have fun with her?”

Jake winked at David and thumped him on the back as he showed his badge to security to be let in.

After wandering through the masses, he finally got to the VIP seating area and searched for where Sandy had said she and her friends were going to be, only to pause at the sight before him. Sandy and her friends were jumping up and down, singing. Sandy was at the end of the aisle next to a guy who kept touching her. Jake noticed the man never took his eyes off Sandy.

David grabbed his arm and whispered, “Calm yourself. Look up. Zack’s on his way to rescue her.”

Jake looked up to see a very angry Zack stalking towards Sandy. The song ended and a ballad came on. Sandy sat with her friends, and he watched as the guy wrapped his arm around Sandy’s waist. He turned her and kissed her. Seeing red, Jake easily got out of David’s hold and stormed over to meet Zack and reach the couple.

Jake yanked the guy off Sandy. Zack pulled her into his arms. Jake picked the guy up to face him and let his bear shine through as he growled, “Do you want to tell us why you’re touching my woman?”

The man trembled in his hands as he stuttered, “I-I-I didn’t know.”

There was a huff behind the guy and Sandy muttered, “I said I was in a relationship. I forgot to mention they are Neanderthals.”

The guy croaked out, “They?”

He watched as Sandy nodded and pushed at Zack to get out of his hold. “Iwasdating the lughead that has you now. And the one that has me in his grasp. And if he doesn’t let me go, he will be missing some vital organs.”

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