Eyes of melted chocolate peered at her with a hint of sadness. “That sucks.”
She shrugged. It had, but she’d gotten over it-mostly. “I met Naomi while staying at my maternal grandmother’s place. My grandma would go over for coffee with Meredith, Naomi’s mom, and even though we were babies, we hit it off.”
“I bet the pair of you caused all kinds of havoc.”
A giggle worked its way past her lips. “Oh my God, did we ever. I don’t think Chris ever forgave us for pinning him down and dressing him in a diaper so we could use him as a real baby to play house.”
Alejandro winced. “Okay, now you’re making me glad I never had sisters.”
“You missed out then,” she said with a grin. “What about your family? Javier’s never talked about it much other than to say his brothers are pains in the asses and that your mother is a saint.”
A twinkle appeared in his eyes. “Who, us? And he’s right, my mother is a saint. She had to be. There’s five of us boys in total. We just about drove her insane with our antics.”
“What about your dad?”
“Who knows? He flits around, leaving behind half brothers and sisters that we’ve never met.”
“Oh. Your parents split up?”
“Not exactly. My father is not a believer in monogamy, and my mother foolishly allows him to get away with it. He goes and plays, then when he tires of it, he comes home to my mother’s open arms.” Alejandro’s gaze dropped, but not before she saw the anger and hurt in his eyes. It seemed her Jag didn’t agree with his father’s philosophy. A point in his favor.
Francine’s lips tightened. “I’d never tolerate that.”
“And yet you see no problem with Naomi’s situation?” He teased her, but she defended her words anyway.
“There’s a difference in several people choosing to live in a polyamorous relationship, who are committed to each other only. It’s a whole other thing for someone to go chasing after other people to have sex while hurting the family they have.” It came out a little more vehemently than she meant, but she hated the obvious pain he felt at the way his father treated their mother.
“I agree with you one hundred percent.”
She blinked. “You do?”
“You don’t hurt the people you love, ever. Sex, after all, is only a fleeting pleasure.”
“And yet you seem to engage in lots of it,” she replied dryly.
“Only because none of my partners ever truly made it past my body to see the man. If the right lady were to come along…”
“You’d fall hard like Javier did. I hope you find her one day,” she said softly, even as a part of her screamed-and her wolf howled-that he already had.
“Maybe I have.”
Not daring to look at him, scared of what she’d see, or not, she needed to change the direction of the conversation. “Well, even if your dad is a wanderer, at least you still have your mom and siblings. I’d love to belong to a big family. Not that my grandmas weren’t great. But, by the time I came along, they were old, and didn’t quite know what to do with me. Having Naomi and her family take me in and make me feel like one of them helped.” It made her feel like she mattered.
“And thus did your crush on Mitchell begin. It makes sense.”
A frown creased her brow. “It’s more than a crush. He’s my mate. Just ask my freakn’ wolf.”
He lifted his hands in a gesture of surrender. “I believe you.”
Her shoulders slumped. “He doesn’t. What do you think? He walked away pretty easy. Maybe he’s right and I’m wrong. After all, how would I know what the mating fever feels like?”
“You’d know.”
“You’ve felt it?” Strangely, knowing that roused a green jealousy in her and made her wolf’s hackles rise.
“Maybe.” He quirked his lips. “Or I’ve heard my brother describe it enough to know the signs.”
A wrinkle of her nose made him chuckle. “Yeah, since she caved to her jocks, Naomi’s turned into a right gusher about it, the bitch. I never thought she’d claim those two, not given her attitude on the whole mating matter. Then wham, she opened her eyes, had a few orgasms, and realized she couldn’t live without them.”
“It’s funny how even the smartest people can refuse to see what’s right in front of them.”
Again, he stared at her with that intent, yet puzzled look. It almost seemed like he spoke to himself rather than her.
“Maybe I should just give up,” she said with a sigh as she stirred the ice in her water glass with her straw.
“Coward. I thought you were a fighter?”
“I am, but- ”
“But nothing. The battle is not over yet, baby.”
The battle to win what, however? Mitchell or Alejandro? Why couldn’t she have Naomi’s luck and snag both? God, the fun she’d have.
She almost slammed her head down on the table herself at the thought. How she’d gone from wanting one impossible thing to two, she’d never understand. Apparently, I’m a glutton for punishment.
Chapter Six
Slamming his fist into Chris’s nose-Mitchell’s annoying younger brother-when he walked in the house probably didn’t rank up there with his brightest, shining moments. But the little prick deserved it for saying, “Still didn’t mark her, huh, dumbass? Maybe I’ll have a go. Francine’s got the sweetest ass I’ve ever seen.” Then Chris mimed humping that invisible backside.
Mitchell flattened him, then jumped on him, their vigorous brawl bringing their mother from the kitchen. She let out a piercing whistle that separated them faster than Ethan could. No one messed with his mother. Not if they wanted to breathe.
“What are you doing, Mitchell?” his mother asked in that spooky calm voice of hers. At five feet nothing, with her arms crossed, what she lacked for in size, she made up in presence and attitude.
He hung his head, acting contrite. “Chris said something nasty about Francine.”
“And? It’s nothing worse than what I’ve heard you say about those bimbos you like to take out.”
A growl rumbled from him. “It’s different. Francine’s-”
“Not your sister. While it was nice when you were growing up that you all felt such an urge to protect her, she’s a woman now, and she is allowed to date who she wants until she settles down. Even Chris. It’s not like you have a claim on her.”
“You’re ganging up on me too?” Mitchell exclaimed, his tone relaying the sense of betrayal he felt at her words. He’d expected her to take his side.
“Yes. This foolishness of yours has gone on long enough. Haven’t you figured it out yet? You want her. It’s why you keep losing your temper whenever she’s mentioned.”
“Like fuck I do,” he lied even as the erotic images he kept having of her played through his mind.
“Don’t make me get the soap, Mitchell. We both know that’s not true. Not that it will matter soon. I was talking to Naomi, and it’s beginning to look like you aren’t the only man for her. Alejandro will probably be claiming her shortly, or as soon as she gives up her foolish notion that you’re her only one.”
Like fuck, he almost yelled. A hard swallow was all he could manage as Francine’s words from the restaurant came back to haunt. She’s already given up on us. But that’s okay, because despite what they all think, she’s not mine and I’ll prove it. Tonight he would take Jenny out, a wolf like himself, whom he liked well enough. He’d take her to dinner then dancing before some naked horizontal tangoing back at her place. Fucking Jenny would put Francine back to her proper spot in his mind-and not atop his cock like he kept picturing.