Conall nodded. “Sorry about that. I thought—”
“I know. You thought I was going to fuck with you because you’re Pack. No offense, but I could give a shit. That’s not my life anymore.” She wrapped her arms protectively around her body. “And maybe you shouldn’t attack people without being sure they’re actually trying to kill you. Asshole.”
Then she headed up the street.
Miki went to the food table and grabbed some carrots. She’d tried to go for a brownie earlier, but Conall had nearly broken her wrist getting her to drop it. That’s when she knew they were Craig’s “special” brownies. Having Conall around was kind of like having a drug-sniffing dog at her disposal.
Miki ate her carrots and looked around the room. At first she didn’t see Conall. She felt a moment of annoyance at his absence. Then she felt a moment of annoyance at her moment of annoyance. And was even more annoyed at herself when she felt relief at seeing him come back in the room.
He walked over to her and took a carrot out of her hand. “Well, I’ve hit a new low.”
“What happened?”
“I just beat up a little girl.”
“Compared to you everyone’s a little girl.”
“She was Pride.”
“Oh, yeah. The Goth chick with the gold eyes, right?”
“Yeah. Her. You saw her?”
“Yeah.”
“Why didn’t you say anything?”
Miki shrugged. “I didn’t think about it. She’s one of Amy’s teaching assistants.”
“You think and obsess about everything else but that doesn’t seem like something you should tell me about?”
Miki was about to get good and pissed off, but then she realized he was right. “You’re right.”
Conall choked on his carrot. “What?”
She shrugged. “You’re right. I should have said something.”
“All right. What are you setting me up for?”
“Nothing.” She would have been hurt if she hadn’t drugged him once.
His eyes narrowed and she felt kind of guilty for making him so paranoid. “Really. I’m just telling you that you’re right. I swear.”
“You been eatin’ the brownies?”
Miki rolled her eyes. “No.”
“Drug the carrots?”
“No.”
“Drug or eaten the Jell-O shots?”
“No. I didn’t drug anybody or anything.”
Conall backed slowly away from her. His eyes never leaving her face. “I’m watching you, Kendrick.”
She stared at his body as he walked across the room to talk to a bunch of snowboarders.
He was watching her. She liked the sound of that.
A sloppy round of “Video Killed the Radio Star” with some guys who actually made money playing video games for a living, and Miki was ready for a break from the people and the heat of the room. She headed to the back of the house and went out on the stoop. Surprisingly dead in the back but, not surprising in Seattle, it was raining a bit. There were several couples in the trees behind Craig’s house. She stared in their direction but she wasn’t really paying attention. Watching other people fool around had never been very interesting for her.
She felt a presence next to her and turned with a smile to see…Troy. And just like that, her smile faded. “Oh. Hey, Troy.”
“Hey, Miki.” He sat down next to her on the stoop. She scooted over because he sat a little too close. “Where’s your pit bull?”
It took her a moment to realize he meant Conall. “Inside. He seems to get along well with the skateboarders.”
“I’m glad you’re back, Miki.”
She frowned at him. “Really?” She never thought the man even noticed her.
“Yes. I’m really hoping you’ll take the job Conridge offers you.”
“She hasn’t offered me anything yet.”
“She will.”
Miki shrugged. “Whatever.”
She stared at her boots. She had nothing to say to this man. In fact, she wanted him to go away.
“You know, Miki,” his hand landed on her knee, “I’ve been thinking about you all day.”
Miki turned to look at him and, suddenly, Troy’s lips were on hers. She could taste the liquid courage he’d been guzzling to make this move, but he took her by surprise and that was always a mistake with her. She shoved him so hard he flipped off the stoop and landed in a heap.
Miki leaned over. “You okay, Troy?”
He lifted his arm. “I’m fine.” But it was muffled since he went face first in the dirt. “I’m just going to lie here for awhile. Don’t mind me.”
Christ, how did she ever think this guy was cute or sexy? Just the touch of his lips against hers made her want to spit.
As she wiped the back of her hand across her mouth, a bottle of water appeared in front of her.
This time she didn’t even have to look to know it was Conall. He’d been taking very good care of her all night. Making sure she ate, stayed away from any cleverly hidden drugs, and that she was always hydrated. She grabbed the bottle and made room on the stoop so he could sit down beside her. She realized she didn’t mind him sitting close. Of course, with Conall she really had no choice. He took up a lot of space on the stoop. At least his shoulders did.
“Feel better now?” she asked as she opened the bottle.
“Yeah. I’ve recovered from my random act of violence.” He looked at her. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah. I’m fine. I almost killed a man, though.”
“What?”
She pointed and Conall leaned over her to see. As soon as his body touched hers, she had that same damn reaction. Hard nipples. Wet pussy. It was getting ridiculous.
“What happened?”
She had to force herself to focus. “He kissed me. But it took me by surprise.”
She felt the growl before she heard it. Miki dropped her water bottle, accidentally hitting Troy in the back of the head, and grabbed Conall’s shoulders before he could leap off the stoop and tear Troy apart.
“Don’t you dare! Sara will kill me if you go to prison.”
He let her pull him back. His arm brushed her breasts and the gasp was out of her mouth before she could even think about stopping it. His eyes locked with hers. She still had her hands on his shoulders. On a whim, she slid them up his neck, cupping his chin. He was so gorgeous. She felt the strength of him under her hands. The power of the wolf just inside his skin.
He was a piece of ass and he was interested in her.
Maybe she’d been looking at this the wrong way. Maybe she should go to what she knew. Science. How did attraction work? Why could one man force her to knock him on his ass, while another made her want to drop to her knees? Well, there was only one way to find out.
She took a deep breath and pulled him toward her.
Conall stared at her mouth and it didn’t seem like he was breathing at all. “Miki…”
“Shhh. I’m testing a theory.” And then her mouth was on his. And, yeah, this was definitely different from when Troy kissed her. She’d felt nothing but panic and the slightest trace of revulsion with Troy. But when her tongue connected with Conall’s all she wanted was for him to crawl inside her. She leaned back against the stoop, Conall right there with her. Over her. His hands sliding around her back. His arms wrapping around her. She realized he was keeping her back off the hard stone stoop. And every time his tongue stroked hers, she felt it all the way to her clit. She wanted this man. In fact, she had to have him. Preferably now.
She pulled her mouth away from his. She needed to say something sexy and romantic with a mere hint of her vast intelligence. Something that would entice him into bed.
But what came out was, “I wanna fuck.”