“You’ll never make it in those shoes.” Amazing. The woman faced down lions, hyenas, wolves. Beings that could rip her apart limb from limb. But four puffed-up professors were making her unhinged.
She tugged on her jacket again. “I hate dressing like this. I feel like an idiot.”
“Maybe. But you look like a total hottie.” Especially with those shoes. She ended up wearing the four-inch fuck-me pumps with her prim-and-proper business suit.
“Where’s everybody?” she asked, probably not really caring where the Pack might be at the moment.
“I have them around the building.”
He brushed her hair out of her eyes, then let his palm rest against her cheek. She didn’t push him away. She let him get close. It was the best feeling in the world.
“This is just great. My throat’s sore.” She sighed and muttered to herself, “Who knew I was a screamer?”
It took all his strength not to drop to his knees and bury his head between her legs right then and there. The beauty of it all was how Miki had no idea what a compliment she’d given him. He did love this woman. How could he not? She was so insane.
She nervously glanced back at the room. Conridge stepped out and motioned to Miki. “I guess this is it.”
Conall tugged on her jacket and she looked at him. “You’re going to be great, Miki.”
“You sure about that, Viking?”
“Positive. And as you know my people are never wrong.”
“You know, the Vikings were quite influential—”
He cut her off. “Miki. Go. I’ll be here when you come out.”
“Right here? You promise?”
He stepped back, leaned against the wall, and then crouched down. “I’ll be right here. I promise.”
She braved a smile and then headed off toward Conridge. He watched her disappear into the classroom, the door closing soundly behind her.
Miki figured they’d asked her questions for about two-and-a-half hours before they felt she had proven herself. Conridge, of course, was the toughest of the professors. But Miki figured she would be and had been ready for it. In fact, she had been ready for all of them. She’d been confident, poised and on point with everything. Even when she screwed up, she made the professors laugh and they let her off the hook.
It seemed Angie and Sara had been right. Bartender-Miki apparently was the way to go because Normal-Miki would have been crying by now.
When she walked out of the classroom, Conall was crouched against the wall exactly where she’d left him. She got the feeling the man hadn’t moved. Like he’d promised. She was so startled it took her a second to realize one of the professors was congratulating her. She tore her eyes away from her Viking and finished off her thank-yous.
Once the other professors were gone, Conridge shook her hand. “I knew you’d be fantastic.”
“Thanks.”
“I’m going to my office. I’ve got to get out of these clothes. Stop by before you leave with your burly friend.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
She watched Conridge walk off. Then she turned and faced Conall. He stood and took several steps toward her.
“Well?”
She’d planned to just say “I’m done. Let’s go get something to eat.” Maybe even give him a thumbs-up. But the way he was looking at her…like he really cared how she did. Like he really wanted to know and he really wanted her to do well, that made her feel…well…special.
Before she knew what she was doing, she’d dropped everything, even her precious briefcase-covered laptop and charged over to him, launching herself into his arms.
“I fucking nailed it!”
Conall held her tight. “I knew you would, Miki-baby. I had no doubts.”
She pulled back slightly. “They already told me they were definitely signing off on all my paperwork. They didn’t see a reason to make me wait to tell me. I’m going to be Doctor Kendrick. Me. How fuckin’ cool is that?”
Conall laughed and squeezed her. “We’re celebrating.”
“Not in these clothes, I’m not.” He still held her so they were eye to eye. “Down, Thor.” She pointed to the floor. He let her slide down his body and immediately her breath caught. She had absolutely no control around him, but she shook it off. She couldn’t get all entangled with him now. They’d done enough elicit activity in the biotech school. “Where’s the backpack?”
He grabbed it from the floor and handed it to her. She pulled jeans, sweatshirt, and her steel-toe Docs out of it.
“Can’t you keep on the shoes?” He was practically begging.
“Dude, I can’t even walk in these things.”
“Keep them on and you won’t have to walk long.” He took a step toward her and she backed up.
Miki’s face got hot. “Back off, Viking.”
“Come on. For me?”
“No.” And just like that, his eyes shifted and he growled. She would have tried to run, but she wasn’t going anywhere in these shoes. So she let him pick her up and dump her over his shoulder.
“You son of a bitch! Put me down!”
“You do know that I am a son of a bitch. Literally.”
She knew he was heading toward the bathroom at the end of the hallway in the hopes of having his dirty way with her. The thought had her tingling from the top of her scalp to the tips of her toes.
He kicked open the bathroom door and walked inside. Lifting her up and gently dropping her to the floor, he grabbed the handful of clothes she still had in her hand and tossed them onto the row of sinks. Then he leaned into her, pinning her against the wall. “I do like when you wear these shoes, Mik. I don’t have to crouch as much.”
“Are you implying I’m short?”
“I’m not implying anything.” He pushed the jacket off her shoulders and kissed her neck. “You are short.”
She barked out a laugh and punched his shoulder. “Thank you very much.”
He reached down and tugged her skirt up. He gave a combination growl-moan in her ear. “God, woman. You’re wearing garters again. What are trying to do to me?”
She reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Make you crazy.”
“You get your kicks that way, don’t you?”
“No. I just want you to miss me when I’m gone.”
She needed to prepare herself for the inevitable. When Sara’s birthday was over, Miki and Conall would both go their separate ways. She wanted to be ready for that. She promised herself she wouldn’t become attached. She would keep that promise.
But when Conall pulled away, the expression on his face shocked her. He looked angry. Viking angry. “And where the hell do you think you’re going?”
Okay. He wasn’t being rational, but come on. Miss her when she was gone? She wasn’t going anywhere. Not if he had anything to say about it. And, as far as he was concerned, he had everything to say about it. She wasn’t leaving him. Not now. Not ever. He loved her. And he couldn’t imagine one second of his life without her.
“I just assumed—”
“Well, you assumed wrong. You’re not going anywhere.”
“I don’t like to be ordered around, Conall. And I never promised you anything.”
He stepped back from her. He had to. She was in heat. That’s why he hadn’t been able to keep his hands off her in the hallway. Well, that and the fact she looked so fucking good in those shoes.
He took a deep breath. “You’re crazy about me, why don’t you just admit it?”
Okay. Where the hell did that come from? That wasn’t what he meant to say. And it was definitely the last thing she wanted to hear.
Her eyes narrowed and she pushed past him. “Oh really? I’m crazy about you?”
“Miki—”