Page 17 of Unhinged Magic
Following his gesture, I spotted Tyler and Colton sitting in a booth. So much for keeping my distance from Wesley. I guess I should’ve expected that of a small town, though.
As we approached the booth, Morgan slid in beside Tyler, Wesley following. With Colton’s broad frame on the other side of Tyler, I had no choice but to sit beside Wesley.
The booth would usually fit four people comfortably, so everyone squeezed around to make room for me at the end. I slid into the booth right as the guy who I recognized as Reid from the night at Tyler’s house approached.
“Well, this is my bar, so I’ll take that compliment,” he said, replying to Morgan’s comment about how impressed she was with the place.
I had to agree with her. The name seemed fitting for the bar he had apparently ripped to pieces, reopening the old courthouse with a moody new fit-out.
Reid stood about the same height as Wesley, long black sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing an arm of tattoos underneath. The name of the bar sat over his left pec, embroidered into the fabric in spaced out letters.
J I N X E D.
He placed a handful of drinks in the middle of the table before pulling up a chair, perching beside me at the end of the booth.
He glanced my way. “It’s a welcome back for you, I hear?” He extended his hand to me. “I don’t think we’ve officially met. I’m Reid.”
I flashed him a smile, shaking his hand. “Skye. Sorry, my mind is coming up blank. You must have arrived just as I left for boarding school.”
“Sounds about right. What do you think?” He gestured around the room in question.
“Not that I remember this place much as a child, but you’ve done a nice job.”
His warm brown eyes gleamed at the compliment. Not in a flirty way, just pleased at the acknowledgement.
“Thanks. I knew I wanted to do something with it; it’s such a beautiful building. Also, got to keep the mind busy or I’ll go stir crazy.”
I smiled at his honesty but wondered if there was more to the statement than he let on. His gaze swept over his shoulder to the dance floor, fixating on something, orsomeone, by the way his pupils blew wide. He took a sip of his drink, his gaze never leaving whoever held his attention before snapping out of it and speaking to Tyler. Something about his grandad’s mustang.
I took a glass from the middle of the table, taking a long drink from it, wincing at the generous dash of alcohol that hit my tastebuds.
A knee nudged mine under the table. Wesley’s voice was low, as if keeping the conversation between us. “Someone’s thirsty.”
“Someonewould like to finish her dance,” I gritted out, just as low.
He subtly shifted in his seat so he could side-eye me. “You’re looking for trouble, dancing with a wolf,” he stated from behind his glass.
I fought the urge to roll my eyes. He had no right to tell me what to do.
The moods of this guy were unbelievable. He could go from downright rude, to a flirt, to overprotective in the space of five minutes.
“Jealous much?” I chimed, flashing him the brattiest look I could muster.
His attention didn’t waiver from mine, his stare heavy, bordering on a plea. It clawed at my every nerve, only serving me to piss him off further.
A bell rang from the bar, the call for everyone’s last round.
I turned my attention to the group, speaking to the table. “Who’s keen on a dance before last drinks?”
Morgan jumped at the chance to get back out there, and we scarpered back to the dancefloor like wild cats fleeing danger.
I spotted wolf guy as we made our way back through the mass of moving bodies. He caught my eye, a suggestive brow arching at my approach. I didn’t care for this stranger, but he was hot, and I knew it would piss Wesley off. A dance would do no harm.
Wolf guy lowered to my height, a hand on my shoulder as he spoke in my ear over the music. “And she returns…”
“Yeah, I never got that dance.”
He chuckled, his large chest heaving with the motion. He slid a hand through the cropped dark hair that matched his gaze. “You’re not with that guy?”
