Page 105 of Ice Wolf
“As long as it takes to get the heat off our backs.”
“I don’t think that’s going to occur anytime soon.”
He smirked. I hadn’t noticed before, but his hair was still tousled and slickened from mayonnaise after the rousing round of sex. To me he looked scruffy yet handsome. To anyone else, he’d be labeled a playboy. There were already questions about the sincerity of our relationship. Everything would have been fineif he hadn’t tossed out that we were engaged. Dating placed everything in an entirely different stratosphere.
But no, he’d had to ruin everything.
“Any brand spanking new rules?” I prompted.
He thought about what I was asking. “Just stay away from the woods at night. There are dozens of wild creatures in the forest.”
Why did I have another lump in my throat?
I remained where I was, trying to rationalize everything that had happened, including with the photographs on theSungazersite. I just couldn’t do it.
As I turned to look at him, his brother had opened the door. Now both men were glancing at me as if I was something unusual.
Or as if I was a piece of juicy prime meat.
CHAPTER 26
Saint
“What in God’s name is this shit?” Steven asked as he held up his phone. The photographs from theSungazerwere on the screen. “And what the hell is that smell? You reek like you bathed in mayonnaise.”
I didn’t hang around for him to continue chastising me. I’d had enough bullshit for the night. I headed into the kitchen, grumbling under my breath as I did. The night had turned to shit and I felt as if I was to blame for it.
What bothered me more than anything was the pictures in the news rag. While there was no way they could be substantiated, the fact I had sixteen messages on my phone meant the damage had already been done.
Just as I grabbed a beer, Steven entered the room. “Why do you look all greasy?”
“People were hounding me at the house. One got several seriously risqué pictures being tossed around on Instagram,damning pictures of me in shifter form appearing in a national rag magazine, and you’re worried about why I smell like a pasta salad?”
He grinned. “Toss me a beer and yeah, I need to know.”
I threw the bottle at him which he caught easily. “Man, I don’t know what I’m going to do. This shit is getting out of hand.”
“Because you’re feeding into it. A fiancée? Come on. Who in their right mind would buy that shit?” He took a long pull on his beer when I didn’t say anything. “Granted, she’s hot. I’ll be happy to marry her since this is a textbook fake relationship.”
When I bristled and even took a step close to him, he grinned like the looney tune guy I knew him to be. “Just stop,” I growled.
“Wait a minute. You like this girl. It’s not fake to you.”
“Bullshit. It’s very fake. We hate each other.”
“Uh-huh. Whatever you say.”
“Don’t start with me,” I huffed, pointing my finger at him.
“Did you lock her in a cage in the other part of the house?” His laughter made me roll my eyes.
“You don’t know Lily at all. She’d break out using just her teeth. She’s waiting for me. I told her I’d just be a minute. Do you have any wine or something stronger?”
“You know I do. Help yourself. By the way. She’s my kind of girl. How long are you hanging around?”
I shrugged. “Like I said, touch and die. Till after the playoffs.”
“Then what? This story isn’t going to go away and you know it. We knew this day could come. I’m surprised we’ve been able to hide our true selves as long as we have.”
