“Everyone, this is Mateo Cruz, renowned metalwork artist in New Orleans. Mateo, this is Perry Baxter of London, his daughter Clarissa, our Guild president, and this is Derek Sullivan and his fiancé, Millicent.”

Mateo kept his position at my side with his gentle but possessive fingers wrapping my nape. He extended his hand to shake each one as Jules went around the group, but he didn’t move a muscle to lean into them. Nope. He made them come to him. And when he shook Derek’s hand last, there was no mistaking the vibration of a deep, feral growl rumbling in Mateo’s chest. It was low and menacing, not the kind that said he was about to attack, but put Derek on alert that danger had him in his sights.

“I’ve heard all about you,” said Mateo. Somehow he managed to sound more than civil while also sounding disgusted. What a gift my werewolf had.

I almost laughed, but then I caught the flare of gold in his eyes. Uh oh. Clarissa and Millicent gasped, probably expecting him to shift right here and now. If it weren’t for the hex, I thought he just might. Then Derek decided he needed to reinsert his manhood with his resume.

“It’s actually Dr. Sullivan. I’m also the president of the Greater Baton Rouge—”

“I don’t care,” Mateo cut him off quickly with an even, pleasant voice. “I would apologize, but I’m not sorry. I didn’t come here for you”—he swept his gaze to the rest of the group, then looked down at me—“I came here for her.” He unclenched his jaw, his expression softening just a tad. “Dance with me, love.”

Love?!

I mean, he didn’t mean it like love love, but still. The endearment with the heartfelt look in his eyes, the serious tenor of his voice, and the grip of his hand on me was enough to make my blood race like a fever through my veins. I couldn’t take my eyes off him. “Yes.”

His stoic expression morphed into something dazzling and unearthly. Like someone had dialed the night all the way up, making the stars too bright, too brilliant to gaze on. I was utterly mesmerized. Then the hand on my neck slid to my hand where he laced his fingers with mine like lovers did. Like real lovers. The kind that meshed in every way, needing to be bound together and wanting the world to know it.

When he swung me to face him, his strong arms went around me, one wrapped all the way around my lower back, his fingers curling around the opposite hip. His free hand enveloped mine with our arms out, waltz-fashion. And our bodies, well, they were pressed so hard together you’d think we were completely alone in the room. I held on tight, dizzy with the heady mix of suit-Mateo and alpha-wolf.

I didn’t care who watched, which was probably everyone at the party because, honestly, this was a witches-only event. We didn’t have bouncers who’d kick him out, but I did worry Jules would get some nasty emails afterwards. Right now? I could care less who was there and what they thought. So did Mateo from how he was looking at me right then. His penetrating gaze shimmered with an edge of amber-gold, his lips hovering inches from mine. In my heels, I was perfectly aligned to his body, allowing him much better access to my mouth. But right now, all he did was stare at me, drink me in, his jaw clenching and unclenching.

“Mateo,” I choked out.

“Yes?”

“You’re my fucking hero.”

“No.” He let out a self-deprecating kind of laugh. “I’m your slave.” The rough pads of his fingers slipped to the bare skin in the middle of my back, circling and raising goosebumps on my skin. “I’ll do anything you ask. Go anywhere you go.”

“Even to a cocktail party for witches only.”

“I’d go to hell for you if I had to.”

“Well, this isn’t much different.”

He chuckled then let out a shaky breath. His eyes turned molten. “Not from where I’m standing.” Sweeping down my face to my chest, his hands holding me tighter, he pressed me so close I could feel the hardness of him everywhere, specifically in his pants. “This is more like heaven.” Then he whispered, “You’re so fucking beautiful, Evie.”

His mouth took mine—slow and sure—a dominant sweep of his tongue and I couldn’t hold back the moan. My bones liquefied, but he held me up, kept me close. I was in very capable hands, so I let him do all the work. Kiss the living fuck out of me in front of the entire Guild, their family and friends, and my dickwad ex. When he broke the kiss, his nostrils flared, a look of determination tightening his jaw.

“I think it’s time for next time.”

Shocked that he suddenly had me thinking very dirty thoughts in a room full of witches, all of whom who were probably watching our every move, I opened my mouth to say something but he cut me off.

“Evie.” His voice dipped into a desperate timbre. His hand on my back speared up into my hair, cupping the back of my skull before he tugged down so I was looking straight up at him. “I need to lick you and touch you and suck you. Every inch. Before I fuck you hard.”

I didn’t miss the flash of Alpha in his eyes, but I also had zero power against the onslaught of Mateo’s sexual magnetism. I was done for, already boneless from the promise of what he planned to do with his mouth, his hands, his cock. There was only one thing for me to say.

“Yes.”

Chapter 30

~EVIE~

We didn’t speak. Not a damn word all the way home. I sat next to him on the bench seat of his truck, my body vibrating, humming for him. He didn’t try to kiss me or touch me, grope me on the ride back to his place. Just held my hand in his, fingers laced, the anticipation revving me up like a race car.

He urged me through the back door leading into his workshop, guiding me with a firm hand on my back through the darkness and into his apartment. We walked up the stairs, still not speaking even while I was screaming in my head, the tension so thick it could prop me up if I fell forward. When I glanced down over my shoulder in the shadowed staircase, all I saw were two glowing golden eyes locked on me as he shouldered out of his jacket.

I almost tripped, but caught myself on the wall. He didn’t reach out to me. Just kept coming, removing his jacket. At the top of the stairs, I turned around to face him, stepping backwards toward his bedroom as he dropped his jacket and loosened his tie. I kicked off my shoes, but kept moving because the hungry look in his eyes had my heart triple-beating in alarm. I’d become accustomed to Mateo’s gentle touch, swoony kisses, melting looks. But this…I wasn’t sure I was ready for this. So I kept backing up, keeping my eyes on him, preparing myself…if that was possible.

He whipped off his tie with a sharp snap in the air. I jumped, the aggressive sound zinging along my skin, heat rushing between my legs. I wobbled, but kept backing up into his bedroom. He dropped the tie in the middle of the room before unbuttoning his starched black shirt and whipping it open with force. He let it fall to his bedroom floor. His perfectly sculpted chest covered in lovely olive skin distracted me for a minute. I didn’t realize he’d corralled me to his bed until my knees hit the edge. But still, he hadn’t touched me, his focus too intent on stripping.

Who was I to stop him? I stood there, mute and panting, watching the show. And hot damn, what a show. By the time he shoved off his pants and boxer briefs, I couldn’t breathe. Just stood there, staring at his long, thick, and erect dick as he wrapped one of those large hands around the base and gave it a heavy stroke.

“Take off your dress,” he commanded, eyes glimmering gold. And I do mean commanded, his voice thick with dark promises and immense pleasure. And Alpha. Yeah. He was here with me. I wasn’t even sure if Mateo was present at all.

A flicker of both panic and intense arousal at the memory of us in that haunted house, his rough but sure handling of me, made me even wetter between my thighs. The moonlight coming through the window shone on half of his face. His nostrils flared again as he opened his mouth and inhaled a deep breath.

“I can smell how bad you want me.” He tilted his head in a way I’d never seen him do before, his gaze dropping to my chest. “Take it off. Now.”

Not hesitating, I unzipped it on the side then let it slide off my shoulders and pool on the floor. Those golden eyes watched everything, saw everything, devoured me with a primal stare.

“Your bra.” His voice, God, it was so fucking deep and rough I could feel it scrape against my exposed skin, brushing so hard I wobbled at the intensity. He was too much—too hot, too hard, too rough. Too hypnotic in the way he stood there, feet planted apart, his big, chiseled frame blocking me against the bed, his hand stroking his dick in a slow, measured rhythm, showing me the fierce body that would be covering me soon.

Obeying quickly, I undid the clasp behind me and let it fall, my nipples hardening to tight points beneath his feral gaze. Trembling, I went to push off my panties, but he shook his head.

“No.” Another long stroke of his cock. “Leave those on.” Then he was coming for me.

I stood there, arms at my sides, not quite knowing what to do. I mean, come on, I’d had sex before. With quite a few guys. But I felt like a lost little virgin standing there in front of Mateo. I wanted him so badly I was adrift. Thankfully, he had very particular plans, and I was completely content in following orders.

His hands gripped my hips as he nuzzled into my hair, his teeth scraping the side of my neck. A flick of tongue, then he was whispering in my ear. “I’m gonna give you what I promised in your bedroom that night. Make you come on my tongue.” He bit my earlobe till it stung and another wave of wetness pooled in my panties. “Then I’m gonna need to fuck you from behind, baby. The first time. I need you submissive. Do you understand?”

I nodded, gripping his muscular forearms, clawing into him. He didn’t seem to notice. Or care.

“I need you bareback. Nothing between us. Skin to skin. It’s not a want. It’s a need.” The gravel-deep rumble in his chest that accompanied that statement made me shiver. “But I’m clean. Do you get me?”

Another jerky nod. “I’m on the pill.” And I was clean. I hadn’t slept with anyone in a while, and I’d had a checkup between then and now.