Page 101 of Pack Rivals: Part Two
“I’d … I’d better go,” he says, scratching the back of his neck.
“Do you want a drink or anything first?” I ask.
He shakes his head. “No, the others will already be pacing the floors wondering what took me so long.”
I peer at him quizzically, wondering what he can mean by that and he gulps.
“Better get going. Any problems, any–”
“I’ll call you straight away,” I say. “And you,” I add, stalking towards him and balancing up on my toes to whisper in his ear, “call me as soon as those glasses come in.”
His eyes flash but then he prizes me from him and bolts for the door.
Courtney giggles from the sofa.
“What the hell was that?”
“To be honest, I don’t really know. Before I couldn’t get these guys to leave me alone. They were always trying to get me into bed. Now they’re being all respectful and patient.”
“Isn’t that a good thing?”
“It is. It’s also making me even more damn horny.”
“Everything is always more tempting when you can’t have it.”
“Yeah, something like that.” I flop onto the sofa beside her, stealing the glass of wine from her hand and taking a much needed gulp. “But the thing is, I could have this.”
“Sounds intriguing. Do tell.” She rearranges the cushions behind her.
I chew on my lip. “I think, I really think, they’re trying to make amends for what they did.”
Courtney rolls her eyes. “Let me guess, they bought you some flowers.”
“No, no. They’ve moved into Axel and Angel’s family home. All of them. They’re making amends. They’ve built a nest. They want to form one pack. All of them and …”
“And?”
“And me.”
Courtney’s mouth makes a silent oh. She lifts her wine to her mouth, then lowers it without taking a sip.
Outside we hear the distant rumble of Hardy’s truck.
“But they hate each other.”
“I don’t think they ever did. I think they hurt each other. And now they’re trying to mend that hurt and love each other again.”
“You think that will work? That it will last?”
I consider her question, thinking about what Axel told me in the car, remembering how they were with each other this evening.
“Yes, yes I think it will.”
“And so, the question is, do you want to?” Courtney’s eyes glide over my face. “Do you want to join their pack?”
I hesitate and then I nod. I nod with feeling.
“Does that make me a pushover though? Does that mean I’m always destined to be taken for a ride?”
