~

 

Frankie swept the back of her hand over the light sheen of sweat on her brow and blew a breath up at the stray strands of hair that were clinging to her forehead. She’d had enough of men to last her a lifetime, and she swore to herself that the next one that she saw, she was going to mow him down, strap him to the bonnet like a prize kill, and parade him through the nearest town like she was a big, bad huntress.

She pushed the gearstick into reverse, took her annoyance out on the accelerator, and the car shot backward. The loud thump that came from the rear made her squeal in surprise.

She hit the brake and snapped her gaze to the rearview mirror.

Nothing — that was just how her day was going. She may have felt relief wash over her when it didn’t appear that she’d hit another car, but that good feeling shot out of the window when she flicked her gaze to the wing mirror and saw a pair of legs on the ground.

Every muscle in her body tensed in fear. She slammed the gearbox into park. If there were legs then there was also the rest of the poor sucker, at least, she hoped there was, and she felt sick to her stomach at the thought of having hit an actual person.

“Oh no — oh no — oh no — please no!” She bit out as she ripped the seatbelt from around her body, popped open the door, and scampered out of the car.

Be careful what you wish for – she knew the damn rule, and now look what she’d done!

Frankie turned toward the back of the car just in time to see him pushing up with his hands from the ground and shaking his head like a dazed dog. She was grateful that it was a man and not a child or the elderly, but the size of that sucker did make her think twice about getting too close.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t see you…” She practically begged for forgiveness with her words and her tone, fuelled by the guilt and remorse at taking him out like that.

Frankie grimaced as the guy slowly pulled up to his full height. He had to be at least six foot five, with the broadest shoulders she’d ever seen, and a hard muscled chest that a gladiator from yesteryear would have given his right arm to possess — well, maybe not his right arm as he would have needed that – but something.

The moment that he turned his dark scowl on her she swallowed hard, knowing what was coming next didn’t count for anything, and as he fixed a menacing glare right at her — she suddenly felt that fight or flight gene kick in within her.

Alarm bells rang, something in the back of her mind told her to get the hell out of there, and yet, she held her ground. Why? Because she knew better than to run from a wolf, and her witchy senses were telling her the man had a wild side that was nothing to do with kicking back and partying hard.

“You’re either drunk, blind, or you really didn’t bother to look before you hit reverse – which makes you stupid. Which is it?” Rock demanded, his top lip quivered slightly in annoyance, and she had the urge to back up away from him like he’d got his wolf on.

“Look, I said I was sorry…” She started to explain, trying to settle his ruffled feathers or fur, and not start World War Three on the driveway of a convenience store, but the man wasn’t having any of it. Apparently, he wanted his pound of flesh.

“Oh, well,” he bit out as he tossed up a hand and let it drop back to his side. “That’s okay then. No harm, no foul, off you go. I think the children are about to come out of school; maybe you could play ten pin bowling with them, take them out like pins?” He growled at her, an actual growl right out there on the street, and she snorted in contempt of his words and his attitude.

“Oh, I really don’t need to be berated and hauled over the coals by an overinflated, testosterone-fuelled, man mountain that obviously spends his day pumping iron in the gym, and has the attitude and personality of an ogre,” she tossed back. “I said sorry, people do make mistakes you know?”

“Lady, that’s one hell of a mistake to make,” he shot back in disbelief.

Was she for real?

Rock had to wonder what it was with damn women that they thought they could do something so stupid and then try to get away with it by batting their eyelashes and acting all sweet and innocent. Right then, he’d had enough of women to last him a lifetime.

“Of course, you’re male, so you’re Mr. Perfect, aren’t you?”

Frankie’s hands went to her shapely hips, and she berated him with just a look. He could see the fire that had sparked in her eyes, and he knew that look only too well.

It seemed like every damn female that he knew right about then was giving him the same kind of attitude. He was an alpha, he deserved to have respect, and yet, every female in his pack was trying their best to send him insane.

He’d given them an inch, and they’d taken a mile, well no more. He was going to assert his authority with an iron fist, and he thought he might as well start now.

Now there was another one trying her damn luck, and he wasn’t happy. Luckily, this female wasn’t in his pack, but still, she acted as if the world would give her a free pass just because she was a woman.

Well, she could think again. She was damned dangerous behind that wheel, and she had no place driving a damn car if she couldn’t even follow the rules – mirrors – signal – maneuver, how hard was that?

“Mr. Perfect? No, far from it. But…” He held up one large hand with a thick index finger pointing toward the sky — he had a point to make, and he was going to damn well make it. “I do look in the rearview mirror before I reverse.”

Rock had the urge to reach out, grab her by the shoulders, and shake some damn sense into the woman. In a way; it was lucky that he was as big as he was — if it has been anyone else then she could have done some serious damage to them.

“Well, I’ll alert the press.” She snapped back. “Obviously, you don’t look for a reversing light before you cross behind a car,” Frankie said with a small tilt to her head as she regarded him with raised eyebrows that signaled her victory.

Then she folded her arms under her breasts and inadvertently pushed up her ample girls like she was wearing a bra that was several sizes too small and had more scaffolding than a building site.

With an invitation like that; Rock didn’t really have anywhere else that his eyes needed to be right then. His gaze flicked down to the rounded globes that peeked out from the V of her tight sweater, and he shuffled his feet as his libido kicked up a notch.

Frankie followed his gaze downward. It shocked the hell out of her that her breasts looked as if someone had inflated them with a bicycle pump, and even the black lace of her bra was working against her better interests and climbing out of the damn top.

She might have wanted to make a statement, but it wasn’t come and get me, big guy.

Frankie dropped her hands to her sides, screwed up her nose at the sheer gall of the man for staring, and drew in a long, hard breath as she bit down on the urge to smack him upside the head with her magic.

“Wow, seriously? Do you have a good view or should I move to the left a little?” She bit out.

Rock snapped to attention like she’d reached out and slapped him right around the face. He’d been busted — what was a guy to do?

“You were practically offering me the view on a damn platter…” he sneered.

Rock was on to her game; use her feminine ways to sidetrack him – well, it had worked – almost. Now, he was back on his game, and she wouldn’t distract him again.