Page 11 of The Denver Alpha

“How about mixing it with a little pleasure, then?” Tayla urges, trailing her fingertips down my abs to the waistband of my pants.

I snatch her wrist, lifting her hand off me again. “Not now, Tayla,” I growl, dropping her hand as my eyes ping back to the dance floor.

She follows my gaze this time, and when I glance down at her again, her lips are turned down in a scowl. “Have your eye on someone else?”

“No,” I say bluntly. “I’m working.”

She blows out a frustrated breath, walking her fingers up my chest. “Later, then?” She cocks her head to the side, licking her lips.

I’m too fucking distracted for this conversation. I glance out at the dance floor yet again, gritting my teeth as I watch Juliet grind her ass into Tobias’ crotch.

Tayla’s still talking, but I don’t even hear her words through the ringing in my ears. “Sure, whatever,” I mutter, throwing the rest of my drink back and slamming the empty glass down onto the bar top.

Tayla grins like the cat that got the cream, leaving me to wonder what the hell I just agreed to. I don’t pause to ask, though, because my feet are already moving, taking me past her and straight for the crowded dance floor.

Juliet’s too lost in the music to see me approach, but her dance partner sure as shit does. Tobias looks spooked when he glances up at me, movements freezing and eyes widening in question. I give a simple flick of my head to indicate for him to get lost, and he immediately complies, letting go of Juliet and scrambling away. That’s when Juliet looks up, her ice-blue gaze slamming into mine.

“Well look who changed his mind about dancing,” she comments with a smug little smile as the others move away from us nervously.

I open my mouth to respond, about to remind her that I don’t dance, but I’m thrown off when she steps closer, shaking her hips to the Dua Lipa song blaring through the speakers and tossing her hair back. She presses her body to mine, the friction between us electric, and I’m momentarily mesmerized.

I don’t move.

Don’t breathe.

Her scent invades my nose, hints of coconut and lilac intoxicating me like a drug. Her hands land on my chest, sliding up my pecs, her fingertips trailing against my skin as she loops her arms around my neck. Those clear blue eyes remain locked in on mine as she rubs up against me, a teasing smile pulling at her lips like she knows exactly what she’s doing.

Silver flecks appear in her irises, her wolf pushing to the surface, and I feel my own wolf push forward in response to peer back at hers.

That’s what it takes to bring me back to my senses.

The filthy thoughts I’m having about this girl aren’t ones that I can afford to entertain. There’s a litany of reasons why hooking up with her is not only a terrible idea, but an impossibility. I need to think with the head on my shoulders, not the one between my legs.

I shove my wolf down, my posture going rigid as I reach out to grab ahold of Juliet’s elbow. “Time to go.”

“What, why?” she blurts, blinking up at me in bewilderment.

I don’t have a good reason, not really. I could just walk away. But that’d mean leaving her here to dance with some other horny asshole, and for some reason the thought of that sets my teeth on edge.

“Because I’m responsible for you, and I’m done here,” I grit out.

Juliet yanks her elbow from of my grasp. “No.”

My brows shoot up, her defiance to my direct order giving me pause. “No?”

She folds her arms over her chest, lifting her chin. “Sorry, is that a word you aren’t used to hearing?” she asks, all fucking sass.

“Watch yourself,” I growl.

We stare each other down, locked in another battle of wills. Then her lips part, an airy giggle slipping through.

“Jeez, Sarge, lighten up.”

This is the second time I’ve heard Juliet refer to me by that name, and I don’t like it any more now than I did before.

I narrow my eyes on her. “Why do you keep calling me that?”

Juliet’s grin widens, her eyes twinkling in amusement. “Well you look like a soldier,” she quips, reaching up to graze her palm along the top of my buzzed head, “but you walk around barking orders like a drill Sergeant all the time.”

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