Page 13 of The Wolf and his Witch

Strutting across the restaurant toward them was Dutton, with the maître d’, red-faced and flustered, trailing along behind him.

She scowled. “Did you…?”

A snarl curled Gabriel’s lips. Nope. He hadn’t invited Dutton. Aunt Marjory, maybe?

“Annabee, darling. Dinner with another man? This will have to stop once we confirm our engagement.”

Annabelle gripped the table. If she didn’t do something with her hands, she was liable to plant her fist right into Dutton’s conceited, irritating face.

Dutton stood over the shifter, his hands on his hips, and looked down his nose at him. “Gabriel.”

Annabelle sighed. Was the man an idiot? Did he really think such blatant stand over tactics would work?

Gabriel merely raised an eyebrow at Dutton. “What an unpleasant surprise. I don’t recall inviting you. Annabelle?”

Annabelle shook her head. “Me neither.”

“As ifIwould be left out of such an important meeting.” He signaled to the maître d’. “Another place setting for this table, and bring me a whiskey, neat.”

Gabriel grimaced, but he gave the maître d’ approval and the man hurried off.

Annabelle scowled. Aunt Marjory had better not have invited Dutton.

She pushed her chair back. “Excuse me, gentleman. I need to use the ladies’ room.” She slid from her seat, and because she knew it would annoy Dutton, she gave Gabriel her brightest smile and said, “Order for me, will you,mon amour?You know what I like.”

The ‘my love’ was purely to piss off Dutton, but the satisfaction in Gabriel’s eyes had her scurrying away and making a beeline for the ladies’ room.

The door had barely closed behind her when she pulled out her phone and stabbed out an urgent text to Aunt Marjory, demanding an explanation. She paced, her heels clicking an impatient staccato on the floor.

Her phone dinged. A reply from Aunt Marjory.

Dutton did not receive an invite from me. The shifters?

Annabelle screwed up her face.Not from Gabriel’s reaction.

Then how?

Good point. The only people who knew about the meeting were her, Aunt Marjory, Gabriel and Stefanie—Stefanie didn’t appear to like Dutton any more than Annabelle—and Isobella. There was no way Isobella would have given Dutton that information. She knew how much Annabelle despised him. And Isobella wasn’t fond of him, either.

I don’t know, but I think we really need to find out.

Annabelle flicked through her contacts for Isobella’s number. Facing Gabriel on her own was bad enough, but Dutton as well was beyond her forbearance.

Fancy a dinner at the Ritz-Carlton rather than a cheese toastie?

Isobella’s reply was immediate.???

Gabriel’s here on his own.

Oh. You think he might still have a thing for you?

Annabelle’s fingers hovered over her phone. Could he? Doubtful. Though, he had been pretty into her in the High Priestess’ downstairs bathroom. No. If he really did have athing for her, surely he would have tried to find her in the last three years, or at least returned to her in Paris. She’d waited a month for him to return, and he’d never showed. Nope. Shifters were renowned for being highly sexual. He was merely taking advantage of an opportunity that had dropped in his lap, nothing more.

And Dutton turned up. Uninvited.

*Groan* The man needs to learn the meaning of the word no.

Don’t leave me here on my own, Isobella.

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