Quinn
Flustered.
That’s the only word to describe the person I’d become since I’d woken up that morning. My mountain man—whose name I still didn’t know—had me FLUSTERED, in all caps.
During the fifteen minute drive to the party, all I could think about was the way that man had kissed me. His lips moving with mine, the all-consuming feeling of possessiveness and rightness and being completely alive.
I knew I should’ve sat in the middle seat in the back of that car, but I’d been trying to be strong so I sat as far from him as I could get. The distance between us was like a heavy physical sensation that I despised. Everything in me wanted to be close to him, even if the only parts of us that touched were our legs.
When we got to the massive building in the middle of the forest, our car stopped behind a few others. I hadn’t had time to really get a good look at my mountain man since rushing out of the apartment, so when he pulled the door open for me, I took a sharp breath in.
That man, in that tuxedo…
Fiery attraction rushed through me. Good grief, was he trying to kill me?
“Your tie is crooked.” I whispered, accepting his hand to let him help me out of the car.
I stopped in front of him as the car pulled away and adjusted the black bowtie around his neck.
He hadn’t had time to get a good look at me in my dress either, and I noticed the way his eyes traveled up and down my body. They widened a fraction of an inch, and I bit back a smile.
The gray-lavender dress was one of the most gorgeous ones I’d ever worn. It was also the sexiest one I’d dared wear to a black-tie event. It was a two-piece dress, with the top made completely out of tight lace besides the v of the same-color bra that kept me decent. The bottom piece was soft and flowy and elegant, with a slit that came to the very top of the skirt and overlapped just enough to keep my lady parts covered.
It was a little risqué for the classy party we were going to, but I liked pushing against the mold a little every once in a while.
As much as I could without pissing off my dad, at least.
But hey, he was the one who was always reminding me that my body was my best asset. If it was I might as well use it to my advantage, right?
I took my mountain man’s arm and he led me in through the front doors. Though I knew where we were going because I’d been there a dozen times before, I let him lead. The flow of the rest of the guests was enough that he’d know where to go.
“Are you trying to get someone at this party killed?” He murmured, as we walked. I smiled at someone I knew as we passed them. Pushing away the fact that I’d had the exact same thought, I said through my fake smile,
“The only one I want to kill right now is you. You look ridiculous in this suit.”
“Sure I do. I noticed the way you reacted to me.”
I cursed my body but kept that smile plastered on my face.
He led me into the dinner room, and my gaze landed on my mom and dad. They were talking to the Childers, the couple whose son I was supposed to be getting engaged to in a few months. Travis, that son, was with them.
“Let’s dance.” I pulled my mountain man in the opposite direction, but not before my mom noticed me.
She called my name, and he turned toward her voice. I swore under my breath.
“Hi, mom.” I smiled and waved like I was thrilled to see her, and then reluctantly crossed the room with my shifter. “It’s good to see you, Mr. and Mrs. Childers.” I turned up the charm as I sent Travis a smile of his own. “You too, Travis.”
My mom’s gaze landed on the yummy mountain of a man whose arm I was holding.
“Well, who is this gentleman?” She feigned surprise for the Childers’ sake and held out her hand to my mountain man.
“Cody Burgandeau, Miss.” My mountain man shook her hand. The ‘miss’ seemed to have done its job perfectly, because my mom looked flattered.
Hearing his name—a normal, regular name—surprised me. It made him seem like less of a mountain and more of a man. That wasn’t a good thing, because he’d been more than enough man before I knew what to call him.
“I didn’t know you were bringing a plus-one, Quintessa.” My dad brought out my full name, and I barely managed not to wince.
“I wasn’t exactly planning on it.” I said, through that fake smile.
“Neither was I.” Cody turned his head to meet my gaze, and Mrs. Childers gasped.
“What is that on your neck?” She sounded horrified.
“A tattoo, I’m sure.” My mom tried to brush it off.
“Tattoos don’t sparkle like that, Julia.” Mrs. Childers protested. “And it’s in the same place a wolf shifter would have a marking. Are you a wolf shifter, Cody?”
Her eyes pierced into him.
“Yes ma’am, I am.” Cody nodded. He didn’t seem the least bit ashamed of what he was, despite the horror in Mrs. Childers’ eyes.
“Why are you holding him like that, Quintessa? Step away from the beast.” Mr. Childers reached out and took my hand, which was by my side. I felt Cody’s body go rigid, and I slipped my hand out of Mr. Childers’ before my soulmate did something to piss him off.
“With all due respect, it’s not politically accurate to call a shifter a beast, sir.” The words left my mouth before I had time to think them through, and I felt my dad’s glare hit me like a ton of bricks.
“She means that she wouldn’t want anyone from the media to hear you say something that could get you negative attention.” My mother hurried to smooth over the tension. “We wouldn’t want to jeopardize your campaign with something as silly as a shifter.”
“Exactly.” I rushed to agree. “Cody and I only just found out that we’re soulmates, and we’re trying to figure out a way to separate peacefully.”
The expressions on everyone’s faces told me that definitely wasn’t the right thing to say.
“You’re soulmates?” Mrs. Childers’ horror went through the roof.
“When were you planning on telling us this?” Mr. Childers spun on my dad. “You said she would marry Travis.”
That really wasn’t the right thing to say.
I heard the low growl in Cody’s chest, and felt the way his muscles only tensed even more so than they’d been.
“Excuse me.” I apologized, before pulling Cody away from the group.
“When were you going to tell me that you’re engaged?” he snarled.
“Chill out, okay?” I let go of him and looked around, making sure there was no one nearby before I continued, much more quietly than before. “We’re not engaged, but we will be by the end of the year. It’s a political marriage, for the sake of both of our parents’ careers.”
“That’s the most insane thing I’ve ever heard.” He shook his head and started back toward the group we’d just left.
“More insane than God putting two people together and calling them soulmates?”
He spun to face me.
“Having a soulmate is a gift from the Creator, Quinn. A political marriage is basically making a joke of something that’s meant to be treasured, and I’m going to make it clear to Travis that you’re not on the market for something that dirty.”
Cody pulled his arm from mine and stormed off toward my parents and the Childers.
I met my mom’s panicked gaze from behind Cody, and she mouthed,
“Do something!”
My mind spun as I tried to think of an idea, fast. I could kiss him, the way I had in my apartment, but I knew that probably wouldn’t even phase him while he was so pissed. Grabbing him didn’t do anything, I’d already tested that.
I remembered that he’d talked about his wolf side taking over if he saw another guy touching me. This situation wasn’t too different, right? So if I was going to stop him, I had to appeal to his wolf.
What did wolves want? He had said something about needing to protect me.
“Cody, I need you to stop for a second. Please.” I hurried to catch up with him. “If you hurt Travis, it will hurt me.”
That stopped him. He froze, and turned to me with narrowed eyes. I barely stopped myself from gasping when I saw how his eyes had changed. Their usual brownish-green had turned into a yellowish cream, and they didn’t look even a little human. I was staring into the eyes of a wolf.
Strangely enough, it didn’t scare me at all.
“I’m not in love with him, but it will hurt my parents and that will hurt me. There’s a better way to prove your point without hurting anyone.” I stepped up close and put my hands on his face. “You want them to know that I’m yours, right?”
His eyes didn’t change, but his body did seem to relax as his arms lifted to my waist.
“It’s going to be a scandal.” I warned him, my whisper barely tickling his face.
“You love scandals, don’t you?” His words came out more growl than words, but like before, it didn’t scare me.
I just smiled.
“More than I should.”
I lowered his hand to the slit on my leg, where he could easily access my thigh. He took a sharp breath in.
“Quinn.” He warned.
He only said my name, but I heard him loud and clear. He was warning me that if we went through with my scandal, his wolf wasn’t going anywhere.
Honestly, I wasn’t sure I wanted it to.
“I know.” I flashed him a smile and lifted his other hand to the bare strip of skin under the lace of my shirt. “Don’t worry, all you have to do is kiss me.”
With that, I put my hand on the marking on his neck and went up on my tiptoes, lifting my mouth to his. I’d felt his emotions when he touched my marking, so I assumed it worked the same when I did it to him.
I pushed every ounce of attraction I felt toward him to the surface, and if his growl was any way to judge, I was correct.