“Maybe because you actually named it.”
“Whatever.” Miki turned back to her suitcase, stopping when she saw something she knew she didn’t pack. She pulled out a brown paper bag. “Dude, I didn’t pack this.” Visions of international spies using her as a transporter flew through her mind. But the expression on Sara’s scarred face told a different story.
“You may not have packed it…”
Miki frowned and opened the bag. There were boxes of condoms inside. And a note lay right on top. Immediately, she recognized Angie’s perfect handwriting.
Really, isn’t it time you got laid? —Angie.
“I hate both of you.”
“Now. Now.” Sara backed up toward the door. “Angie and I only want you to be safe. You’re not on any birth control. Sometimes people get lost in the moment. Angie did it with the best of intentions. We care about you and want you to be happy.”
“Fuck her. Fuck you. And, for that matter, fuck your intentions.”
“See. Those are the tense cuss words of a woman who needs to get laid.”
Sara ducked the bag of condoms just in time, tore the door open and ran.
Miki sat on the edge of her bed and dropped her head in her hands. This was going to be a long, long trip.
Chapter Four
“Forget it.”
Sara shrugged. “Okay. You can ride with Zach.”
“In hell.”
Sara didn’t answer Zach’s bark. She just reached back and punched him in the chest.
“I’m not riding with…” Miki smiled sweetly, “…him.”
“Then you better get your ass over there.”
Miki glanced over at Conall. He leaned against his bike, looking as casual and innocent as always. It didn’t help he wore black jeans, black boots, black tee, and a black leather jacket. He looked fucking phenomenal in all black.
He gave her that innocent smile and she couldn’t stop the little whimper that came out. She knew without a doubt Conall would not make this easy.
“Would you just go?” Sara spun Miki around and shoved her toward Conall. Immediately, Miki saw the predatory gleam in his eye, but she wouldn’t let him see her being weak. Not if she could help it anyway. So, steeling her resolve, she marched over to him.
“All right, Viking, a few ground rules.”
He seemed curious. “Such as?”
“No inappropriate touching. No grinding yourself into me. No leaning back into me. No doing stunts on your bike so that I have to grip you tighter. Are we clear?”
Conall chuckled. “I keep forgetting you were raised around bikers.” He leaned in to her. She recognized his scent from the comforter. She really liked that scent. Damn him. “Look, sweetness, just get your tight ass on the bike.”
Miki glared at him. “Maybe I don’t want to go.”
His head was so close to her it almost touched her cheek. Almost. “We can stay here if you want. I’m sure we can come up with all sorts of things to do in this big house. Alone.” Then he leaned in closer and sniffed her. She felt a bolt of electricity going right from her groin up her spine and landing somewhere in the back of her neck. “God, woman,” he groaned. “You smell good.”
She stumbled back away from him but he caught her arm.
With a firm grasp on her, he straddled his bike and gently pulled her close. “Get on.”
She forced herself to slide on the seat behind him and took the helmet he handed to her.
Bastard. He was getting to her and he knew it. She put the helmet on her head, tightened the strap. He kick-started his bike and waited. She knew he was waiting for her, but she didn’t know why.
“What?” she demanded over the roar of the chopper’s engine.
“You going to put your arms around me or what?”
“I was thinking ‘or what’.”
He leaned back against her and immediately her nipples hardened. Already he was breaking one of her rules. “Either you put your arms around me or I start poppin’ wheelies on this thing.” And she knew he meant it.
With a silent groan, she wrapped her arms around his waist. He pulled her tighter, making sure her chest was right against his back, which didn’t help the hard nipple situation one damn bit.
He pulled out of the driveway and followed the rest of the Pack that had left a minute before.
Who knew this would be so much more difficult than she ever thought it would be? Like a dog with his bone, Conall held on even though she kept saying, “Drop it. Drop it now.”
She needed to get to Seattle. And she needed to get away from the Viking before she did something she would regret the rest of her life.
His bike pulled up beside Zach’s as they cruised down the street. Miki watched Sara, her friend finally in her element. Arms wrapped around Zach, she yelled something to him over the roar of the motor that made him smile… Well, it was actually more of a leer. The two seemed to truly enjoy each other’s company.
Miki sighed with the sudden realization that she envied her best friend.
“You okay back there?”
Again with the wolf hearing. How did any of them feel comfortable doing anything in that house when they could hear everything?
“Mik?”
“I’m fine. I’m fine.”
“Liar.” He kept one hand on the handlebars while he used the other to rub her arm. “What’s up?”
“Just got a lot on my mind.”
“You need to learn how to relax. You know, I’m pretty sure I can help with that.”
She just bet he could. “No thank you.”
“Really? You sure?”
Miki crossed her eyes, but couldn’t help but smile. The man really was shameless. “You really don’t need to do anything for me. Ever.”
“Spoilsport.”
Chapter Five
Miki didn’t know a shapeshifter could be so boring. The man just rambled on and on. About himself. Even his name bored her. Bob. She silently began to call him Bob the King of Boring. She let him ramble as she looked around the club.
True, it wasn’t much. But that was because wolves didn’t need much. A dark, moody room with a big bar, room to dance, and some alcoves where they could make out with the fellow shapeshifter of their choice. This was neutral ground. A place they could all get together, dance, and have a great time without getting territorial.
Of course, this wasn’t the entire club, merely the wolf part. One flight down was one of the hottest clubs in Northern California. A place where the rich and famous met up with the vapid and thin. She’d read about Sara’s club in one of the magazines at the bookstore. The place wasn’t only hot, it made money hand over fist, starting new trends. All that shit.
And Miki had finally come to the realization she still had a hard time dealing with.
Sara was fucking rich. Not a little rich. Not sort of rich. Fucking rich.
According to Kelly, her new little Pack confidant, Sara not only had Pack money access, she had money left to her by her parents. Her grandmother refused to touch it, forcing her granddaughter instead to work for every little thing she ever got. Although, Miki was kind of glad about that. She could imagine a rich, snotty shapeshifter Sara. Miki probably wouldn’t be friends with that Sara. But cool, still wearing her Jockey For Her underwear Sara was definitely her friend. Her best friend. Just like Angelina.
It was apparently this Sara who had become quite the truce maker, too, pulling together Packs that at one time couldn’t stand each other.
Miki’s eyes searched the dance floor until she found her. She still couldn’t believe six months ago this was the girl who could barely walk, was in constant pain, and lonely beyond belief. As much as Miki envied her now, she felt overwhelming happiness for her, too. Miki watched as Sara, her favorite black cowboy hat in place, moved her body against Zach’s. She had grace and precision and, not surprisingly, Zach couldn’t keep his hands off her.