rile, but no, he’d always been calm, cool, and fucking collected.
“Once I’m meant to find her, I’ll find her. Doesn’t matter where.”
“Where did all this Zen bullshit come from? You need to let me know so I don’t ever visit.”
Steel took another swig from his beer bottle, unaffected by the aggression pouring off the pack’s beta. “Might as well stop hoping I’ll give you a fight and a reason to shut the bar down so Bella has to go home. Suck it up, buttercup.”
Too bad. A full-out fight would have been welcome. Humans being so weak sucked sometimes, since any fight with them was over before it began.
Out of habit, he did a quick look-over of the bar for any signs of problems. Since most here weren’t pack or regulars, he didn’t know who to be wary of, so he glanced from dart board to pool table to pool table…
Fuck. Bella was at a pool table, lining up a shot like the little shark she was, and that ass in those jeans was on perfect display – bent over the pool table, pointed in his direction, and begging for him to spend days worshipping it like he’d wanted to since the moment he first realized what his dick was for.
“Iron’s looking like the wolf from one of those old cartoons, tongue all out and eyes three feet extended. Is Bella around?” Dropping into the bar stool next to Steel, the man speaking was almost pretty-boy handsome with his clear blue eyes, blond hair, and cocky grin, but was saved from that description by the deep voice with its I’ve traveled the world and picked up a bit from everywhere accent and the thick scruff over his cheeks and neck.
“Don’t give me shit, House, since you’re only here for Mel. Speaking of, where’s your other half?” House’s grin dropped and a scowl took over. Yeah, Iron wasn’t the only one in a shit situation, and they needed reminded of it some days.
House’s mouth pursed, like he was debating if it was worth letting an argument develop, but he dropped it, saying “Mel here tonight?”
“She should be arriving in a few. She’s got the shift til close, so I hope you don’t have to work tomorrow. Since you’ll be here all night drinking and all.”
House threw some money on the bar. “Just get me a beer and shut the hell up.”
“And your partner in crime? Should I set up a tab for him as well?” Hell yeah, it was a lot more fun being on the giving shit side instead of taking it.
Speaking of…the door opened to frame a big, hulking figure of a man, with a plain-bordering-on-unattractive face and eyes and short, shaggy hair the same color as tree bark. He made his way to the bar with everyone around him stepping back to let him pass unimpeded, taking the seat on the other side of Steel.
Steel gave a small nod. “How you doin’, Brick? The shop treating you well?”
“Working on a ’68 Mustang.”
“That’s sweet,” said Steel, and Iron nodded. House said nothing, and everyone ignored the thrum of tension that settled around the group as Iron went to grab another beer.
A shout rose from the pool area. Bella was running the table and looked ready to sink the eight. Now she was facing him, the front of her shirt cut low to reveal the upper curve of her breast. As she pocketed the eight her friends cheered, and she put her arms on the table, arching her back just a little, just enough to pull that shirt as low as it would go before it would be illegal. Before he mustered the willpower to look away, the little bitch raised her eyes until she was staring direct into his, long curly hair swinging over her shoulder, those cock-sucking lips of hers curled up at the corners and big brown eyes sparkling. Like she knew what he’d been ogling…knew, and approved.
Like she planned it. Of course she had. Sneaky, brilliant, beautiful bitch. No, really she was more a cat. After all, she’d been driving him crazy since they were six-year-olds in Mrs. Jenkins’s first-grade class.
House’s impossible-to-place accent cut
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