Page 16 of Marked By The Filthy-Mouthed Grizzly
Just then, headlights flutter through the bathroom window. My pulse jumps.
“That him?” she whispers, peeking outside.
“Yeah,” I breathe.
She whistles low. “Damn. That man is trouble in flannel.”
I grab my purse, heart pounding like crazy. “Wish me luck.”
Jenny grins. “You don’t need luck, sweetheart. You’ve got the eyes.”
I’m laughing as I head to the door to greet him. I’ve been thinking about this moment all afternoon, but I’m still not prepared to see Magnus filling the doorway with his massiveframe. He looks completely edible in a flannel shirt rolled up at the sleeves and dark jeans that fit way too well.
I can tell he tried to style his hair to the side, but it’s thick and unruly and popping up in a few places, refusing to be tamed. I love it. I just want to run my hands through it as I straddle his big body.
And he trimmed his beard. He’s sexy all cleaned up.
But it’s those eyes… God, they’re so green. So bright. So full of possessive fire as he stares at me like we might not make it to the restaurant. That heated gaze is running up and down my body, giving me tingles all over. “You look…breathtaking.”
“Thank you,” I say shyly. “Should we go?”
He offers his big arm and I take it as we head to his truck. My heart is pounding with nerves, excitement, anticipation, and maybe even… fate.
He opens my door and never takes his eyes off me as I climb in. I’m filled with first date jitters as I watch him walk around the hood of the truck to the driver’s side. I haven’t been on many dates. None, really, now that I think about it. I went on one, but the guy was only using me to make his ex jealous. He brought me to the restaurant where she worked and she was our waitress. Yeah.
And there was the guy who stood me up and the guy who brought me to a Pokémon card convention and then ditched me—I think he just needed me to drive him—and the guy who turned up twenty years older than his profile pic. I just snuck out of the coffee shop without him seeing me on that one.
Yeah. Louisville hasn’t exactly been a bastion of love for me. I haven’t even been kissed, let alone anything else. Maybe I’m meant for one of these Montana boys instead. This one is definitely getting my pulse racing.
“Where are you taking me?” I ask when he gets in the truck.
“There’s not much fancy around here,” he says while he backs out of the driveway. “But we have a fun place called The Rusty Note. They have live music, fun drinks, and great food. Does that sound okay?”
“It sounds amazing,” I say, excited for a fun night out for once. “I walked by it this afternoon. It looked fun.”
I catch those sexy green eyes stealing a glimpse of my legs and then I hear a low growl rumbling through the truck.
I don’t mind. I’m stealing glances too. At those big hands gripping the steering wheel, at his muscular thighs filling out those jeans, and that beautiful face. It’s gorgeous from all angles. I keep noticing something different each time like the faint freckle near his temple, or the way his jaw flexes when he shifts gears, or the little scar on his neck that makes me want to lean over and kiss it.
But first I have to know…
“So, you’re a bear shifter, right?”
He nods.
“And don’t bear shifters have… mates?”
He goes still and my stomach drops.
My mind starts racing as we sit in silence. Shit. This is happeningagain.
“You’re using me to make her jealous, right?”
He whips his head around, eyes full of horror. “What?”
“Does she work at the The Rusty Note?” I ask, shaking my head. Of course. Why would this man be interested in me? “Is she going to be our waitress?”
He squeezes his eyes shut and shakes his head like he’s trying to catch up to my crazy train. “Hold on. What? Waitress? What?”
