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Wicked pulled her chin out of his grip and took a step back. “No, you don’t,” she shot back, realizing she sounded like a five-year-old. Her feelings were so mixed up. One second she wanted to jump in his arms and say, “Yes, you do have a say in my life.” And then she wanted to smack him with a spell to make him go the hell away and leave her alone. He was making her crazy, and she needed no help in that area.
“Listen, I hate to break the mood here, but I gotta go.” Bruce headed toward the door.
“Wait! What?” Wicked looked toward Bruce.
“You don’t think I hang around the house while you’re tattooing late nights, do you?” Bruce snorted as he walked out the room. “I’ve got a life, Wicked. It’s time you got one too. I have a card game I’m late for.”
“Card game?” Wicked said, but Bruce had already left. “You don’t have opposable thumbs!” she shouted after him.
“He and other familiars get together for a card game every Monday night.” Thorne grinned at her perplexed expression. “You usually work late, so I guess you never notice when he slips out.”
Wicked looked back at Thorne, wondering how he knew what her work schedule was. And what in the hell did Bruce mean she needed to get a life? She had a life, thank you very much, and was quite happy with that life. Her appointment tonight canceled, which was why she was home earlier than usual.
“Well, that’s just weird.” Wicked crossed her arms uneasily. Thorne still stood close to her.
“Maybe he’s right.” Thorne cocked his eyebrow at her. “You need to get a life.”
“What is it with everyone in my business? I have a life, which I’m happy living without Shifters and familiars interfering.” She huffed with a frown. “So with that, have a nice evening.” She pointed toward the door, trying to dismiss him without telling him point-blank to get the hell out.
“I’m hungry,” he said, seemingly ignoring her.
“Guess you better go then.” She gave him another less than subtle hint while disregarding his own subtle hint. Dammit, she was getting confused.
“Come on.” He grabbed her hand and headed for the door.
“Wait! I’m not going anywhere with you.” Wicked tried to pull her hand out of his grip, but he was relentless in his hold.
“You got your keys to lock up?” Thorne asked, ignoring her statement.
“No, because I’m not going anywhere.” Wicked looked down at herself. “And I’m not dressed to go anywhere.”
Thorne stopped and looked her over slowly. His eyes finally rose to meet hers. “Look fine to me, but if you need to, then wiggle that cute little nose and change, because you are going to dinner with me.”
He called her nose cute. Her insides melted a little, but she mentally smacked herself. “You are way too bossy” was all she could think to say because her brain was still on the cute nose comment.
“I’m alpha.” He smiled down at her, and once again she felt like prey. “But if you want to call me bossy, well then that works also. Just know I get what I want, and right now, I want you for dinner.”
Wicked’s eyes widened. “I’m not on the menu.”
He chuckled, his eyes crinkling in the corners. “On mine you are.” He leaned close to her, his lips so close to her ear she felt his warm breath against her skin. “Now change or go like that. To me, it makes no difference.”
Wicked stood staring at him as he pulled away. Why was she so stubborn? She wanted to spend more time with this man. In truth, she knew exactly why she was being unreasonable. It seemed the more time people spent with her, the less they came around. That was her real fear. Once he really got to know her, he would be like the others... gone.
With a discreet wiggle of her nose, she was dressed in black jeans, a black sleeveless shirt, and you guessed it, black boots. She wore black, a lot. Bruce usually had something to say about her fashion sense, and that coming from a cat with an ear-piercing. Yes, Bruce had a gold ring piercing.
“Nice.” Thorne glanced her over before pulling the door shut behind them, making sure it locked.
Glancing down at herself, she then eyed him. Nice? This was as plain as she could get, yet he thought it was nice. She had to stop herself from wiggling her nose to show him exactly what she could do with her wardrobe if he thought this was nice.
“Hope you like motorcycles.” His deep voice brought her out of her thoughts.
She loved them but didn’t admit to it. He guided her on the bike by gently grasping her elbow. Once on, she scooted so far back she almost fell off. He chuckled, catching her.
“I don’t bite.” His huge smile showed a perfect set of white teeth. “Most of the time,” he added, then got on the bike in front of her.
Frowning at his added comment, she took a deep breath and immediately wished she wouldn’t have. His scent was thick and quickly surrounded her. It was such a pleasant smell that she sighed and took another breath.
“Hold on.” His deep voice broke out over the sound of the bike and brought her out of her ridiculous smelling frenzy. She looked around for something to hold on to. There was nothing, except him, and there was no way in hell she was touching him. That could lead to more than smelling, and she was not going there.
Instead, she grasped onto the seat as best as she could and held on, but he didn’t move. “I’m holding on!” she yelled over the rumble of the engine. Her eyes met his in his side mirror.
He tipped the bike slightly to the left, and she almost fell off and was only saved by grabbing onto him. “Hey!”
“Now you’re holding on,” he said, his voice stern. “Do not let go.”
She didn’t respond, but she didn’t let go either. He took off slowly at first, probably making sure she wasn’t an idiot and continued holding on. The faster he went, the tighter she gripped him. She wasn’t afraid. In fact, she loved the freedom of flying down the road. Holding onto his hard body wasn’t too bad either. She would never admit it, not in a million years, but this felt so right, as if she belonged right here, with him, a Shifter. What the hell?
All too soon they arrived. She had passed the place before and knew exactly what it was. It deliberately looked like no other diner she had ever seen. On the outside, it looked like a run-down old house. But from what she had heard and what Bruce had informed her, the inside was welcoming and charming. Okay, welcoming and charming weren’t Bruce’s words; they were hers. The people and the inside were kickass with some fucking amazing chow. Yeah, that had been Bruce’s description.
Everything about this Shifter town was unappealing to mortals, because the Shifters wanted them to pass on through. Case in point, her business had to be outside of Assjacket. She still couldn’t get used to calling it by its name, but it did have a definite ring to it.
Once he parked, rather than hopping off, she continued to look around, not fully realizing she kept holding onto him. Maybe Bruce was right; she needed to get out more often.
“Wicked, I really would love to sit here all night, but the diner closes in an hour.” Thorne’s voice had her jumping off the bike so quickly she stumbled.
“Hey!” He tried to catch her but wasn’t fast enough. “Be careful.”
God, she was such a klutz. Another case in point as to why she didn’t get out and about more often. Clearing her throat, Wicked righted herself with a curse. “Sorry, it’s been a while since I’ve been into town, so I was just checking it out.”
“Like I said, I don’t mind at all, but I want to get you some dinner.” He put his hand on the small of her back as he led her to the door.
Her eyes closed at his touch. It felt so good to be.... No, it didn’t. It felt terrible, and she needed to remember this. She tried to shrug him off, but he wouldn’t have it. He reached around and opened the door, ushering her inside and she almost... almost wiggled her nose to beam herself back to her house. The place was packed and everyone, literally everyone was staring, but not at her. They were staring at Thorne.